Restoration works of the Chişinău Circus start, with the support of the European Union

October 5, 2022

The construction permit for the restoration and conservation of the Circus building in the capital city has been recently issued and the actual works will start soon, thanks to the support of the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP.

The Chişinău Circus Building has a special architectural value and in May 2022 was included in the Register of State-Protected Monuments. The Circus building will be restored and conserved according to national and international standards.

During first stage, the roof will be restored. In parallel, further conservation works will be carried out, to prevent further deterioration of the building. The company responsible for these works was selected by tender.

A detailed technical examination of the condition of the circus building was carried out in 2019-2021, using modern 3D scanning methods, the most critical restoration needs being identified. Afterwards, a detailed technical design for the restoration of the Central Arena was developed, taking into account the need to preserve the unique architectural style and to add multi-functionality.

For the technical expertise and design, so as the works of the first stage, the European Union has allocated €1,800,000, with the aim of conserving the building and preventing further destructive processes in the most critical structural part of it, which have been subject of important degradation for years.

According to estimates, over 11 million euros are needed to fully restore the building and make the Circus functional again. The next restoration phases will be funded either from the national budget and/or by additional donor funding.

The EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova, carries out the restoration and conservation of 12 cultural-historical sites on both banks of the Nistru river, including two major buildings: the Chişinău Circus and the Tighina (Bender) Fortress. The programme contributes to building trust between people on both sides of the Nistru river by involving them in joint development projects.