Ștefan cel Mare monument serves as a landmark in Chișinău

The monument of Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt in Chișinău serves as a major landmark and meeting point for residents. Created by sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală between 1925 and 1928, the bronze statue was cast in Bucharest using metal from six Ottoman cannons captured during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

The monument was inaugurated on April 29, 1928. Standing 5.20 meters tall on a 6-meter stone pedestal, the total height of the ensemble reaches 11.20 meters. The pedestal features the inscription: ‘Ștefan cel Mare – Domnitor al Moldovei. 1457–1504’.

The statue has a complex history due to regional conflicts. It was evacuated to Vaslui in 1940 to protect it from Soviet intervention, and later moved to Craiova, Romania, in 1944 as the front approached. It was eventually recovered and returned to Chișinău in 1945 after being identified by sculptor Claudia Cobizeva.