Mosaic - "Hospitable Moldova" - Chisinau Railway Station

Mihai Burea and Veceaslav Obuh created the the Mosaic "Hospitable Moldova" at the train station in Chișinău, Moldova in 1967. Located on the upper facade of a inside the main railway station near the first track, the mosaic "Hospitable Moldova" presents a horizontal composition celebrating national identity. A central circular emblem features the Moldova’s Coat of Arms, having replaced the USSR hammer and sickle. To the left and right, groups of Moldovans in traditional costume are shown in festive poses, some holding trays with food (bread and salt is the customary way to greet guests) and drink, others dancing. A trio of storks, the national bird of Moldova and a recurring theme in Moldovan mosaic art, appears on the right. Only the bottom half is visible since a café was constructed against the façade in 1995. The bottom panels show more women holding fruit, a goat or sheep, and a child reading. Diez reports that there are four hills in the mosaic, though I only country three. The background consists of earthy browns, reds, ochres, and whites, arranged in stylized floral and wheat motifs. The mosaic is embedded directly into the building’s exterior wall and framed above by the unadorned concrete parapet. Made from small, ceramic tesserae, the mosaic appears intact though some surface fading and discoloration are visible.