Muzeul Universității de Stat din Moldova (Moldova State University Museum)

What you'll see

This is a small institutional museum devoted to the history of Moldova State University: documents, photographs and objects relating to the founding and development of the institution, to the professors who shaped it and to the classes that passed through it. The visit takes around forty minutes.

It is not a sight for a visitor with only 48 hours in the city who wants the essentials. It is relevant, though, if you are interested in the intellectual history of post-war Bessarabia or if you have a personal connection to the institution. The important figures who taught here are presented in the notable figures section.

Getting there

The address is Strada Mitropolit Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni, on the university's central campus, a few minutes' walk from Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard. It is an area that is easy to walk, right in the centre. Being inside the campus, it is worth asking at the entrance exactly where the museum room is. The general position can be checked on the map.

When to go

The hours are restrictive and need to be planned for: Monday to Friday, only between 08:00 and 13:00. On Saturdays and Sundays the museum is closed. In practice, the only option is a morning visit on a weekday. For groups, telephoning the university in advance is the safest approach.

What to combine it with

Being on the university campus in the centre, it pairs well with the Chișinău City History Museum, on Strada Alexei Mateevici, and with the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, on Kogălniceanu — both a few minutes' walk away. A morning built from these three stops covers the less obvious part of the museum area.

In the afternoon you can continue towards the representative centre: the Grădina Publică „Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt”, the Triumphal Arch and the national museums on Strada 31 August 1989. Guided routes are in the tours and excursions section, and the rest of the sights in the Chișinău guide.