The Republic of Moldova has an open-air museum of socialism and communism. For now, this is the only museum of the kind. It was founded by Customs Service colonel in reserve Petru Costin, who is one of the most famous collectors in Moldova. The museum dedicated to the communist period was set up right in the yard of his private house in a picturesque area in Condrița Forest.

The exhibition entitled “Alley of monuments of socialism and communism” includes a collection of about 50 sculptured monuments (statues, busts) of famous people of the communist period, such as Vladimir Lenin, Iosif Stalin, Felix Dzerjincki, Mihail Kalinin, Sergei Kirov, Yaakov Sverdlov, Nadejda Krupskaya, Sergey Lazo, Grigore Kotovschi, Vasili Bliuher, Iuri Gagarin and the father of Marxism Karl Marx. The exhibits also include two helicopters and a plane An-2. Petru Costin also possess a collection of several hundred Soviet, socialist, communist flags that were gathered during about 45 years, IPN reports.  

Even if the museum of socialism and communism on which Petru Costin started work in 2000 hasn’t been yet opened officially, the museum has visitors. Entrance is now free of charge, but those who want can make a contribution.

The collector has told IPN that he does not eulogize that period. “I’m a historian. This is our history and I try to keep objects that represent it.”

Petru Costin also owns the largest collection of horseshoes in the world that consist of 13,855 pieces. He holds two world records with which he entered the Guinness World Records: 3,200 horseshoes presented in 2011 and 13,855 horseshoes presented in 2021. In total, Petru Costin holds six world certificates conferred by records homologation companies.   

The collector said that three Guinness records are present at the museum: a K-26 helicopter, which is the only type of helicopter in the word that can rise at a height of 10 km vertically; an AN-2 plane, which is the only plane that had been produced during over 60 years, and Petru Costin himself with his collection of horseshoes.  

The museum is situated 10 km from Chisinau in an isolated place in Condrița Forest, not far from the Chișinău – Leușeni highway. Administratively, the place where the museum is located belongs to Malcoci village of Ialoveni district. 

Petru Costin is also the founder of the Customs Service’s Museum in Chisinau, which consists of over 25 thematic collections, such as military uniforms, diving suits and astronaut costumes, coins dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, national and Soviet flags, tools, radios and TV sets.