[Info-Prim Neo article from the Series “Moldova-20! Whereto?”] Twenty years into independence, architectural monuments are often demolished, state-protected buildings are dilapidated, manor houses are at risk of extinction and wooden churches are now very rare. “At such a pace of demolition, at the 30th anniversary of independence, Moldovans will have nothing to tour but ruins”, says historian Ion Stefanita, director of the Monuments Agency. Ion Stefanita noted that in the last 20 years no fewer than 80 protected buildings listed in the Monuments' Registry were demolished. Moreover, the Agency found that over 155 interventions on listed buildings had been made that affected their soundness. Further, there are now 20 listed buildings in downtown Chisinau which are practically in ruins, and so are 40 out of 49 listed manor houses across the country. 18 old wooden churches formerly listed in the Registry no longer exist today. “One reason for this situation is corruption in the institutions that authorized the demolitions. All the petitions against those demolitions were in vain. There is no precedent yet in Moldova for someone to be hold responsible for such offenses against the national architectural heritage. In all the responses to our petitions we were told that those demolitions didn't meet the threshold of an offense. I wonder what else has to be demolished in this country for the law enforcement bodies to react to what is happening and punish those who carry out demolitions”, said Ion Stefanita. “Today this issue is completely neglected by the authorities and this explains the irresponsible attitude towards the authentic architecture of Bessarabia”. Ion Stefanita suggests that a solid budget is needed to redress the situation in this area. “Besides a budget, we need a plan to save Moldova's cultural and historical heritage. A country which doesn't invest in culture doesn't have a future. Today we have 3 million lei annually allocated for restorations. With this money all we can restore is one facade”. Stefanita also said that Moldova lacked adequate legal safeguards to protect the architectural heritage. “Penalties should become stiffer. While in other countries offenders face terms of up to three years in jail, here we have only a fine of 300 to 5,000 lei”, he said, adding: “If we don't change our laws, we could end up in a situation in which the only monuments we can see will be in archives and on photographs”. The Agency for Inspecting and Restoring Monuments was founded by the Moldovan Government on 25 September 2006 to monitor the situation of monuments in the country.