CIUFLEA CATHEDRAL

This beautiful white and blue cathedral is a monument of national importance, listed in the register of monuments of history and culture of
, on the initiative of the Academy of Sciences. Chişinău It was built in 1858 in the suburb of Chişinău, then called Malina Mica. The people behind this construction are Teodor and Anastasie Ciufli, and it is under this name "Ciuflea" that the cathedral is known. The religious complex visible today is the result of successive modifications. Initially, it was a simple stone church designed by Russian architects in the early 19th century to meet the spiritual needs of the people in this part of the city. With time and the increase in the number of parishioners, the building had to expand, so it was rebuilt in a Russo-Byzantine style at the beginning of the 20th century. It is dominated by a series of domes, large and small, all crowned with bulbous roofs. The decoration and spatial forms are inspired by Moscow architecture (arches under the gutters, bracketed arches, baroque cornices over the windows and doors). The building integrates old and new elements of religious architecture in a successful artistic unity. Unlike many other religious buildings in the country, this monastery was not closed during the Soviet period. The monastery church is recognizable by its beautiful blue colour and its bell tower. It bears the name of St. Theodore-Tiron.