Ceremony for project ‘Saving Past Testimonies for Building a Future in Moldova’ held

The first ever Local Award Ceremony in the Republic of Moldova took place at the National Museum of History in Chișinău on 9 September 2015. Around 130 people gathered to celebrate the success of the education and awareness-raising project ‘Saving Past Testimonies for Building a Future in Moldova’ in the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award 2015. Monica Babuc, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, Pirkka Tapiola, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova, and Maria Berza, a representative from Europa Nostra, unanimously acknowledged the key role played by the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments and its partners in changing attitudes towards the rehabilitation and valorization of cultural heritage at the national level.

In her speech, the Minister of Culture Monica Babuc stated that “this ceremony is a significant event for the Republic of Moldova and will have a positive impact on the image of our country”.

“The Awards’ Jury had nothing but admiration for the sheer scale and reach of this project. The motivated and enthusiastic team of the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments was a true catalyst for change. They started a much needed dialogue with civil society, the municipalities, businesses and the general public to save the severely-threatened heritage of Moldova and especially of the capital Chișinău.  In just a few years, they have managed to change attitudes towards cultural heritage – and all this on a minimal budget,” Maria Berza recalled in her speech.

The representative from Europa Nostra praised the progress made in the country over the last 15 years and exemplified this with the visit undertaken the previous day to the Manuc-Bey mansion in the city of Hîncești.

All the participants highly regarded the presentation of the achievements gained through the project ‘Saving Past Testimonies for Building a Future’. Government representatives promised that similar programmes will be implemented in the near future.

It was a memorable afternoon for all those who attended, particularly for the employees of the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments. Director Ion Ștefăniță received the bronze trophy on behalf of the Agency.

After the ceremony, European volunteers from the project Nomad Collective delighted the attendees with a video-mapping projected on the entrance facade of the National Museum of History. The video animation ‘LUM/useum’ revisits the story of the building from its construction in the 19th century up to the present.