Brutalism has a reputation for being bleak. Its often imposing presence and grey appearance can be perceived as less than welcoming. Yet, it is resilient and authentic – entirely honest in its structure and monolithic form. For fans, where to go to find out more? Moldova is a lesser-known destination with an expansive portfolio of brutalist architecture and Soviet modernism worth discovering.
Sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova is a relatively small country that for the most part sits quietly within its borders – bar leaping briefly to wider attention in 2003 when the song Dragostea din tei by local band O-Zone sold 12 million copies worldwide (you may not recognise the name, but you almost certainly heard it). Today, it’s an overlooked destination for wine-tasting, with an abundance of vineyards, and boasts an intriguing collection of Soviet architecture.
Home to just over two million people, Moldova is the least visited country in Europe. After becoming independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it struggled with the economic transition and faced mass emigration; in 2015, a major banking scandal drained roughly a billion dollars from the financial system (about 12.5 per cent of GDP).
In Chișinău, the capital, many buildings stand as echoes of the Soviet era – and several structures from the period remain incomplete. For many, these are seen as failed projects from the system they were stuck under; for others, beauty can still be found within the architecture. Also in the city’s architectural mix are 19th-century Tsarist Russian and art deco designs. However, it is its brutalist heritage and Soviet-era modernism that strongly define this capital. Scroll down for some of our highlights (and discover more about Soviet brutalist architecture here).
Brutalist architecture of Moldova
Romanița Collective Housing Tower (Romashka / Little Daisy Tower)
Standing 73 to 77m tall and spanning 22 floors, the Romanița Collective Housing Tower is known for its unusual cylindrical shape. The residential building, still in use, is nicknamed the ‘Daisy Tower’ for its flower-like balconies that weave around a central core. It was designed between 1978 and 1986 by architects Oleg Vronski, Octavian Blogu, and Serghei Krani, serving as social housing/dormitories for small families until 1997, after which it was privatised in the post-Soviet period. The building is now crumbling, with residents bricking up the façade themselves, while elsewhere gaping holes expose its core. Internally, the building’s winding corridors are accessible, but approach with respect, as it is still a private residential building.
Location: Strada Arheolog Ion Casian-Suruceanu 29/2, Chișinău, Moldova (near Valea Trandafirilor Park).
Chișinău State Circus
The Chișinău Circus is a lot sturdier than a big-top tent. Built in 1981 by Ala Kirichenko and Simion Shoyhet, the circus swiftly became a popular entertainment venue with a capacity of 1,900 seats and a 40ft ring. However, after Moldovan independence (1991) and through the economic collapse that followed, the circus declined and eventually closed in 2004. The Ministry of Culture began a restoration process in 2014, which saw a smaller venue open inside the building. Now, there is room for 300 people, and it showcases classic circus performances.
Location: Strada Circului 33, MD-2024, Chișinău, Moldova
Hotel Cosmos
Designed by architects Boris Banykin and Irina Kolbayeva, the Cosmos Hotel took place over nine years to construct, from 1974 to 1983. Funded and developed by labour unions of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (later operating through union-affiliated tourism entities), the 20-storey building was once the country’s largest and most popular hotel; it declined post-1990, leading to room-to-office conversions and private ownership. Today, operating far below capacity, the deteriorating structure faces potential demolition and encroachment from commercial additions, prompting urgent public appeals to classify and restore it as a protected historical monument.
Location: 2 Negruzzi Square (Bulevardul Constantin Negruzzi 2), Chișinău, MD-2001, Moldova
National Hotel
Built in the 1970s and designed by architects Aleksandr Gorbunțov and Vladimir Șalaginov, the 17-storey National Hotel (originally the Intourist Hotel) in Chișinău was once an elite Soviet flagship hosting foreign dignitaries and celebrities. It featured a 160-seat restaurant with additional halls and three bars. Its 14th-floor bar was notable as the only one in Chișinău that accepted 14 different non-Soviet and foreign currencies.
Following Moldova’s independence and its 2006 privatisation, the landmark was stripped and abandoned. Despite controversial demolition attempts in 2021 to erect office towers, preservation campaigns secured its official listing as a protected historical monument in 2022. Today, the structure remains an empty, decaying shell entangled in ongoing legal freezes.
Location: Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard 4, Chișinău, Moldova
National Palace ‘Nicolae Sulac’
Completed between 1972 and 1974 and designed by architect Semyon Fridlin, the Nicolae Sulac National Palace in central Chișinău was originally built as the Octombrie Concert Hall. Modelled after Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace, the building exemplifies Socialist modernism with its monumental symmetry and expansive glass-curtain façade. Renamed in 2003 after the locally renowned folk singer Nicolae Sulac, the venue houses an auditorium seating up to 2,000 spectators and remains Chișinău’s premier stage for major concerts.
Location: Alexander Pushkin St 21, Chișinău, Moldova
House of the Press
The House of the Press, designed by Semyon Shoikhet and Abram Vaysbein, was completed in 1967 in Chișinău. Its layout originally included ground-floor commercial spaces, four floors of publishing offices, and an adjacent rear printing press. Many of the spaces have been privatised over the years, leading to only a minority of the tenants now being media outlets. It is defined by its horizontal window banding, and its structure remains visible from the neighbouring National Palace Square – though commercial signage now largely obscures the ground floor.
Location: Strada Pușkin 22, Chișinău, Moldova
Takeaway
Although Moldova sits on the sidelines as a tourist destination, it is a country with buckets of character and charm. Rather than a single ‘old town’, the streets offer fascinating juxtapositions through an amalgamation of historic façades, Soviet blocks, and modern enterprise, all sitting side by side. Much like brutalist architecture, Moldova is raw and honest. It is a country steeped in design intrigue and heritage, not willing to hide away its architectural ghosts.