Moldova

Twentieth-century Soviet monumental art and architecture in Moldova, from avant garde Soviet bus stops to monolithic mosaics and fine examples of brutalism in the capital. The archive's coverage spans the whole country, including Gaguazia and especially Transnistria (Pridnestrovie) , whose post-Soviet path diverged sharply from the rest of Moldova but whose monuments remain.

Mosaics and other monumental art survive at scale across the country, including in Bălți, Chișinău, Mocra, Rîbnița and Tiraspol. Hundreds of creative and artistic bus stops continue to dot the country. Prometheus recurs as a subject, including a sculpture on the Dniester, a Soviet-era fondness for the myth of fire - representing industrialisation - brought to humanity that turns up repeatedly across the USSR.

Fortunately, preservation of this unique art and architectural style is stronger in Moldova than other former USSR republics.

Yet, losses continue each year. This archive documents what remains before it disappears further: destroyed for ideological reasons, cleared for development, or left to decay through neglect. Entries are added as fieldwork continues.