© iStock/melanie_10
© iStock/melanie_10

Planning a trip? Build a personalized plan with Maya - your AI travel assistant by Live the World

Chat with Maya

A walk through the Pushkin Street in Chisinau

3 minutes to read

Travel Tips For Chişinău

Get personalized advice based on this article from AI assistant Maya
Get the most authentic Cities experience. Check out these guided tours and skip-the-line tickets around Chişinău.
If you use the above links, you pay the same price and we get a small commission - thanks for your support!

There are various streets in Chisinau that retain the city history and represent not only the urban architecture of modern times but also national treasures of Moldova. Pushkin Street, named after the famous Russian writer and poet, is not an exception. It is the central street that you will surely visit when in Chisinau because all the roads in our capital lead to...Pushkin Street! Let's have a walk through it and find out its peculiarities. During the development of an urbanistic plan for Chisinau in the year 1834, the city center was defined by two intersecting axial lines - current Stefan cel Mare Street and Pushkin Street. Time and plans change, however, the place where these streets intersect is still perceived by locals as the very center of the city.

© cyclowiki.org/Nichita1975
© cyclowiki.org/Nichita1975

One of the main streets of the city

This narrow street with beautiful architecture, hidden alleys, and temples keeps quite old, but curious stories and all the beauty of the old city of Chisinau. The street was named "Alexander Pushkin" in 1899 and, until 1918, it was called Pushkinskaya. The district around ​​today's Pushkin Street began to be built up in the 1820s. Initially, Pushkin Street was considered one of the main points of interest in Chisinau. Thus, a huge amount of buildings were built on it. For example, the house of the merchant Semigradov (Pushkin Street, 17) or the building of the Zemsky Women's Gymnasium (on the corner with Bucuresti Street). Today, the former gymnasium holds an art gallery, that is often visited by foreign tourists. 

© oldchisinau/corax
© oldchisinau/corax
Zemsky Women's Gymnasium, Chisinau
Zemsky Women's Gymnasium, Chisinau
Strada București 64, Chişinău, Moldova

Russian classicism and byzantine motives

In the year 1895, Russian classicism style, loved by the main city architect Alexander Bernardazzi, was dominating in almost every building in Chisinau. Thus, Bernrdazzi built the Capella of the first women's gymnasium, which has been preserved up to this day. Currently, it's the Orthodox church named “Saint Teodora de la Sihla". It is considered to be an architectural masterpiece with his favorite neoclassic and byzantine architecture motives. The building is carrying national importance in the whole of Moldova. I recommend you to visit it in warm seasons; you will surely admire the view of the temple through the branches of the blossoming trees. 

© oldchisinau/unknown author
© oldchisinau/unknown author
Saint Teodora de la Sihla Church, Chisinau
Saint Teodora de la Sihla Church, Chisinau
Strada Pușkin 2012, Chişinău 2012, Moldova

Everything that you see today on Pushkin Street in Chisinau, is done almost from scratch because, during the Second World War, it was heavily destroyed. Since 1947, the modern buildings began to appear on the street. Thus, on the corners of Pushkin and Stefan cel Mare streets, there was built the Gemini Shopping Center, a former concert hall "Octombrie", and the current National Palace and the House of Press. Each of them is known and adored by the locals. In addition, you can visit them anytime you want. However, National Palace Nicolae Sulac is a place where you can attend different cultural events - let it be a concert by famous artists or other performances. Or, you can go there to take some beautiful photos, because right in front of the Hall you can notice a little but beautiful park with fountains. Don't miss it. 

© Wikimapia/unknown author
© Wikimapia/unknown author
© oldchisinau/unknown author
© oldchisinau/unknown author

A walk in the lower part of the street

The rest of the street is full of cafes, restaurants, and shops. If you are hungry - you can also make a lunch break here. After that, you should take a walk through Stefan cel Mare Street and then, you'll happen to be in the lower part of Pushkin Street. Also - on the corner of this and Stefan cel Mare streets, you can walk in the main square and its beautiful park. Going down the road, you will notice many modernized buildings and how long Pushkin Street is. For residents, this 2.5-kilometer-long street is a promenade full of the breathing pages of city history. In addition, you can visit the "Sun City" shopping center. There, you could buy a lot of souvenirs and other interesting things. 

Sun City Shopping Center, Chisinau
Sun City Shopping Center, Chisinau
Puskin 32 C. C. Sun City et.1 but.102, Chişinău, Moldova

Want to plan a trip here? Talk to AI travel assistant Maya.





The author

Vladlena Martus

Vladlena Martus

My name is Vladlena and I am originally from Moldova. Currently I’m based in Saint-Petersburg where I study journalism. I love writing, traveling and taking photos, trying to enjoy my life as much as I can!

Plan a trip with Maya - your AI travel assistant

Chat with Maya

Stories you might also like