The National Art Museum of Moldova located on Stephan the Great Boulevard will not be put in commission this year as the authorities promised. The façade of the building, known as the Kligman and Herta House, was finished on August 27, on Moldova’s Independence Day, and the museum was to be opened in August 2008. Nicolae Railean, head of the Culture Ministry’s Patrimony, Fine Arts and Tourism Department, told Info-Prim Neo that the restoration works have been extended by more than half a year after the general contractor was replaced. He said that the first general contractor, Star Bait Company, which builds a hotel complex nearby, was replaced at the end of 2007 because it carried out works of a poor quality on the building’s façade. Currently, the reconstruction of the museum is administered by “Restauratorul” SRL, the former State Restoration Combine. According to Railean, the construction of the demolished gallery that unites the Herta House with the Klingman House will start soon. The inner courtyard will be also disposed. The pluvial waters will be removed and the fence that separates the museum from the hotel complex will be rebuilt. Inside the building, the windows and doors are being repaired, the architectural framings and cornices are being restored, and the walls are being plastered. The heating, power, water and sewerage systems are being located, Nicolae Railean said. The initial expenditure estimate for restoration works was 30 million lei. Some 60% of the project costs were to be covered by the state, while the rest by Star Bait Company. Railean said that the estimate might be modified when the reconstruction is finished because the building materials go up in price. He also said that about 8 million lei was spent last year. This year, the contractor has presented documents for carried out works worth 2 million lei. The rest of the works are yet to be assessed. Earlier, Info-Prim Neo broadcast a material about the controversy in the society over the restoration of the the Kligman and Herta House. The people criticized the quality of the works, which were not in line with the renovation standards. Critics said that the authorities should take a more active part in the reconstruction of valuable buildings and monuments by organizing contests to select noteworthy urbanism projects and by offering the business sector advantageous conditions in restoring and maintaining such facilities. The museum was erected at the beginning of the 20th century. During the last 20 years, it had been in a state of ruin. Authorities say that the two buildings of the museum, including the one located on 31 August Street that has been used for temporary exhibitions, will be open to the public after restoration. One of the buildings of the National Art Museum used to be the home of Vladimir Herta, who had been Mayor of Chisinau during 1918-1919, and represents an example of Viennese baroque architecture, with numerous ornaments imprinted on the main façade. Among the project authors is the Austrian architect Henrih Lonski, who is also the author of the Nobility Assembly building in Chisinau. The imprinted reliefs on the façade were made by sculptor Nichifor Colun. The ornamental relief from inside was supplemented with mural painting and fireplaces made from Viennese terracotta.