The Alley of Classics () is a sculptural complex located in the Stephen the Great Park in Central Chișinău, Moldova.
Overview The alley is decorated on both sides with red granite busts of classic literary figures and political leaders from Moldova. The alley is located between the Ștefan cel Mare boulevard and the bronze bust of Alexander Pushkin, set on a granite column and made by Russian sculptor Alexander Opekushin. The alley was built and received its name in 1958, and became one of the most important tourist attractions in Chișinău. At first there were only twelve sculptures, but after the fall of the Soviet Union the local authorities added busts of Romanian and Moldovan writers and poets that were banned during the Soviet regime.
The idea of a sculptural complex was launched by the interwar sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală, who dreamed to create an open-air museum. Just during the Khrushchev Thaw, the Alley of Classics was unveiled on April 29, 1958, in the Stephen the Great Park (former "A. S. Pușkin" Park). The sculptural complex from Cișmigiu Gardens in Bucharest served as a model.Călina Trifan, "Aleea Clasicilor", Chişinău, Editura "Arc", 2009.
Busts
The Alley of Classics contains 28 busts (including that of Alexander Pushkin, lying at the head of the alley) in alphabetical order.
NrBustImageUnveiledSculptor 1 Vasile Alecsandri 1957 2 Tudor Arghezi 1995 Dimitrie Verdeanu 3 Gheorghe Asachi 1957 Lazăr Dubinovschi 4 George Bacovia 2001 Milița Petrașcu 5 Lucian Blaga 1992 6 Dimitrie Cantemir 1957 Nikolay Gorenashev 7 George Călinescu 1997 Serghei Ganenko 8 George Coșbuc 1996 9 Ion Creangă 1957 10 Alecu Donici 1957 Ioan Cheptănaru 11 Mircea Eliade 1997 Vasile Golea 12 Mihai Eminescu 1957 Lazăr Dubinovschi 13 Octavian Goga 2000 Cornel Medrea 14 Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu 1957 Ioan Cheptănaru 15 Alexandru Hâjdeu 1957 Vladislav Krakoveak 16 Nicolae Iorga 1990? Mihail Ekobici 17 Mihail Kogălniceanu 1990? ? 18 Alexei Mateevici 1990 Dmitri Rusu-Skvortsov 19 Nicolae Milescu 1957 Lev Averbuh 20 Constantin Negruzzi 1957 Lazăr Dubinovschi and Aleksandr Maiko 21 Liviu Rebreanu 2009 Milița Petrașcu 22 Alecu Russo 1957 Vasili Larcenko 23 Mihail Sadoveanu 1990? Group of artists 24 Constantin Stamati 1957 Leonid Fitov 25 Nichita Stănescu 1990? Group of artists 26 Constantin Stere 1991 Giorgi Dubrovin 27 Grigore Vieru 2010 Victor Macovei and Ruslan Tihonciuc
Bibliography Călina Trifan, "Aleea Clasicilor", Chișinău, Editura "Arc", 2009.
References