Ploughman of the Cosmos mosaic – Chișinău – Moldova

Posted on 03/05/2026 by Michael

Plowman of the Cosmos

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page

Soviet-era mosaics in Cahul – Gagauzia

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Ploughman of the Cosmos mosaic – Chișinău – Moldova

‘Chișinău mosaics as a mirror of the era

The most dramatic example of the threat of destruction is the fate of the famous panel ‘Space Ploughman’ [or ‘Ploughman of the Universe/Ploughman of the Cosmos – translations vary], created by Aurel David on the wall of the former Youth Center Yuri Gagarin [in 1972]. Much of the building fell into ruin after privatisation but the mosaic has survived.

The author of the panel, Aure David, was a teacher of the artist Alexei Kolybnyak, who notes the innovative approach of his mentor. Since there was no classical Florentine mosaic (smacking) in Moldova, David came up with his own technique, which he called the Arcles using broken coloured glass. The ‘Space Ploughman’ is made in this technique. However, this new technique also brought a great danger: the lack of modern adhesive compositions has led to the fact that most of the works of Aurela David today self-destruct. Kolybnyak admits: ‘I have no idea how this mosaic can be preserved today. It can be restored, but what’s the point if the building itself is not? Transfer to another place? You can, but it will be something completely different’.

The problem is aggravated by legal status: ‘Space Ploughman’ is not included in the register of protected monuments. Unlike the panel of Mikhail Burya, transferred from the demolished Palace of Trade Unions to the wall of the Opera House, the current owner of the land, LLC ‘Eurodepozit’, has the right to do whatever it wants with David’s work’.

Above text from; Mosaics Chisinau as a Mirror of the Era – original in Russian and machine translated.

The mosaic is a metaphor of the ‘Socialist Man’ and the pioneering spirit of the Soviet Union embodied in Yuri Gagarin’s first ever flight into space. It also plays with the importance of labour in a Socialist society and the striving for progress.

The fate of the mosaic is entirely dependent on the fate of the building. Like so many public buildings (not just in Moldova but other post-Socialist countries in Eastern Europe) once the the societies collapsed after 1990 any consideration of public wealth was either looted, the land stolen under ‘privatisation’ or just allowed to fall into rack and ruin. I’ve never really been able to understand why such public amenities weren’t protected and kept under public/community control. By all accounts the centre was quite a significant one during the Soviet era, being a large complex on the edge of the city centre which comprised of; a 800 seat hall for social and political events; a concert hall with 400 seats; a library with 12,000 books; rooms for creative activities; ballet and sports halls as well as a restaurant and café. The complex also contained a hotel which was used by visiting foreign guests. If the building is not demolished time and the elements will resolve any doubts about its future – and the mosaic will go the same way.

It is stated that Yuri Gagarin laid the foundation stone in 1966 – but I don’t know if anyone knows where it might be now.

Yuri Gagarin Youth Centre ruin – Chișinău

Artist;

Aurel David

Created;

1972

Location;

Strada Melestiu 1/3, Chișinău

GPS;

47.00747 N

28.85268 E

How to get there;

Bus No. 46 will take you to the end of Strada Melestiu from Boulevard Stefan cel Mare. It’s the terminus.

How to get close;

The mosaic is on one of the walls facing the road of the ruins of what used to be the Yuri Gagarin Youth Centre. Directions on digital maps will take you to a Tennis Club, which uses only a small part of the large building, most of which is totally derelict. The only I could see about getting a closer look at the mosaic would be to first work your way to the back of the building, negotiating building debris and then work through the derelict and abandoned building towards the front elevation. Be careful!

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page

Soviet-era mosaics in Cahul – Gagauzia

Soviet Mosaics – Bălți – Moldova

VI Lenin and Palace of Culture Mosaic – Ribniţa – Pridnestrovie

Attributes of Art mosaic – Opera House – Chișinău – Moldova

Posted on 03/05/2026 by Michael

Chișinău Opera

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page

Soviet-era mosaics in Cahul – Gagauzia

Soviet Mosaics – Bălți – Moldova

VI Lenin and Palace of Culture Mosaic – Ribniţa – Pridnestrovie

Attributes of Art mosaic – Opera House – Chișinău – Moldova

‘The Mosaic ‘Attributes of Art’ can be admired again! Restoration work completed

20 December 2022

Successfully completed the restoration of the mosaic panel ‘Art’ by the famous artist Michael Burya. The opening of the panel took place on Friday, December 16, [2022] on the territory of the Maria Bieshu Opera and Ballet Theatre.

The event was attended by the Minister of Culture Sergey Prodan, the artist Valery Yabinski and his team and the architect Sergei Garkonitsa. The mosaic panel was dismantled in 2018 from the former building of the Palace of the Trade Unions, in the capital sector of Ryshkanovka ….. The cost of the project is 8 million lei and is fully covered by Kaufland Moldova [a supermarket chain]. ‘For Kaufland, this is a unique project not only at the level of the Republic of Moldova, but also at the level of the international group of which we are a part. It is a great honour for us that we had the opportunity to become a part of history, defending and exchanging national cultural heritage. Work on moving the mosaic panel was carried out in several stages in compliance with all the requirements, which was a real test for architects and artists’, said Dona Rapchuga, executive director of Kaufland Moldova.

The colour scheme of the big mosaics ‘Attributes of Art’ is combined with taste: red-black gold, with inclusions of yellow, grey and white colours, represented by comedic and tragic masks, musical instruments, and on the other hand resembles the Moldavian carpet. Valery Zhabinsky, head of the department of wall painting of the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts, led a team of artists who performed the process of restoration of mosaic.

‘They worked hard for nine months. That is how much time it took to restore 218 square meters of mosaics – from early morning until it got dark. We also had moments when we doubted that we would succeed, but together with the beautiful team of artists, we managed to finish this work of art’, said the artist Valery Zhabinsky.

Architect Sergei Garkonitsa, who has more than 20 years of experience in the restoration of monuments, noted that this project of disassembly and subsequent reconstruction of the mosaic is a complex work that requires not only talent, but also passion. ‘I would like to thank the investor who made such an unusual gift not only to the Chisinau municipality, but also to the whole country. This work can be admired by generations, and it will go down in history as the first project of this kind’, said Garkonitsa.

The mosaic panel ‘Attributes of Art’ is located on the territory of the Maria Bieshu Opera and Ballet Theatre. Residents and guests of the capital can already admire them. Kaufland Moldova is also going to transfer this work of art to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova.’

The above from; Mosaic ‘Attributes of Art’ can be admired again! Restoration work completed – original in Russian and machine translated.

Attributes of Art – in its original location

This is a bit of a success story. Not only was the art work protected there was a determined effort to preserve it when the original location was to be demolished. As the article above indicates the removal and repositioning of a mosaic is far from an easy task. Unfortunately, this happened three or four years ago. I don’t think the political climate is such, at least at the moment, for such effort and expense to be available to some of the other ‘under threat’ mosaics in other parts of Chișinău or even Moldova.

About the mosaic

It was originally installed at the side of the main entrance of the Trade Unions’ Palace of Culture in the Râșcani district of Chișinău. It measures 23 meters wide by 6.5 meters high, has a colour palette of red, black, gold, yellow, grey, and white and uses a traditional Moldovan carpet as its template.

The title takes its name from the symbols, musical and theatrical, that are included in the image. These include; a trumpet, a guitar, a violin, harp and two masks (representing comedy and tragedy)

Artist;

Mikhail Burya

Created;

1974 (at it’s original location, that building now demolished)

Location;

Mitropolit Dosoftei St 53, Chișinău,

GPS;

47.02874 N

28.83001 E

How to get there;

The Opera House is a short walk from the Triumphal Arch, going north-west along Boulevard Stefan cel Mare. The mosaic is at the side of the building, opposite the entrance to a secondary school.

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page

Soviet-era mosaics in Cahul – Gagauzia

Soviet Mosaics – Bălți – Moldova

VI Lenin and Palace of Culture Mosaic – Ribniţa – Pridnestrovie

Colonnade mosaics – Lake Valae Morilor – Chișinău – Moldova

Posted on 03/05/2026 by Michael

Colonnade mosaics, Valae Morilor

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page

Soviet-era mosaics in Cahul – Gagauzia

Soviet Mosaics – Bălți – Moldova

VI Lenin and Palace of Culture Mosaic – Ribniţa – Pridnestrovie

Colonnade mosaics – Lake Valae Morilor – Chișinău – Moldova

On entering the park of Lake Valae Morilor at its western entrance, coming from the centre of Chişinău, visitors pass by low buildings on either side which are fronted by a neoclassical colonnade. However, if people are in a rush in getting to the lake and going down the Cascade Staircase (an impressive 218 granite steps) they are in danger of missing a series of 12 mosaic panels which are installed above the windows of these one storey buildings.

They depict activities that used to (and probably still do) take place in and around the lake; skating, cycling, running, canoeing, traditional folk dancing, playing a Moldavian fluier (a long, narrow, wind instrument which is/was a traditional instrument of shepherds), playing a violin/fiddle, rowers, relay running and cross country skiing.

Unfortunately, they haven’t been cared for and a few have a few chucks of the mosaic missing and the surrounding plaster work is also stating to crumble.

Some background to the lake and park

It was originally called the Central Park of Culture and Rest of the Leninist Komsomol and was established in 1950. The lake was dug by young Soviet volunteers of the Komsomol, completed in 1952 and so was named Komsomolskoye Ozero (Komsomol Lake).

[If you go to the Valae Morilor Lake don’t forget to make a visit to the Lenin, Marx and Dimitrov monument at the far side of the park from the granite steps – near the exhibition area.]

Artist;

Alexander Kuzmin

Architects;

V. Novikov and F. Nutovich

Created;

Mid-1960s

Location;

At the top of the Cascade Staircase at the eastern entrance to Valae Morilor Lake; right next to the bus stops on Alexei Mateevici Street and just across the road from the State University of Moldova.