Chisinau Circus may be reopened in a year

The Circus in Chisinau could be reopened in a year if the funds needed for repair works are found. During a visit to the Circus on September 22, Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca said that the City Hall the next days will allocate 50,000 lei for paying the debt and reconnecting the institution to the electric power supply, Info-Prim Neo reports. No money was earmarked in the budget this year for this institution, but the mayor said he will propose that the Chisinau Council allocates a sum for the Circus the next year. The mayor also said that a campaign to raise funds for restoring the building will be launched if need be. “We pledge to make effort so that this building is reopened,” said the mayor. The building is now disconnected from the electric power supply, the water and sewerage system and the heating supply. The arena and the auxiliary buildings were destroyed. The building is in a good technical condition, but is in need of extensive repair. There must be repaired the heating system, the ventilation system, the lighting and air conditioning and the entire internal infrastructure. Circus director Dumitru Cambur said the institution’s debts total 2.5 million lei. A sum of about 25 million lei is needed to repair the Circus. According to Cambur, only the director, technical engineer, accountant and guard remained of the 150 employees of the Circus. Trainer Ion Rotari, who had worked at the Circus for 18 years, trains his bear “Malysh” at the Circus, but gives performances in the country’s districts or abroad. The Chisinau Circus was closed in 1999. Attempts were made in 2004 to repair it, but all in vain. Three years later, the Circus was leased out to a Cypriot company, but in 2010 the building was transferred back to the state.