Christmas tree located in front of City Hall will be decorated with festoons and baubles

The Christmas tree was moved from the back of the Triumphal Arch to the front of the Chisinau City Hall on December 18 following an ordinance issued by Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. The fir tree will be decorated with lights, tinsel and coloured baubles as from December 19. Elizabeta Bondarenco, head of the Greenspace Agency of Ciocana district, told Info-Prim Neo that the lights will be turned on December 19. She said that the baubles and tinsel have been selected from a Chisinau shop on Monday and will be taken after the Finance Division transfers 13,475 lei to the shop. This time, the Christmas tree will be decorated with fewer baubles than in the previous years. Some of the old decorations will be also used. Maybe from next year, the Christmas tree in Chisinau will be adorned only with lights and electric strips as in the European cities because it is much nicer and simpler this way, the cited source said. Under the mayor’s ordinance, the traffic along Vlaicu Parcalab Street between Stefan cel Mare and Veronica Micle streets will be closed for the period of the winter holidays. The institutions located on Vlaicu Parcalab Street will be accessible via Veronica Micle Street. According to the ordinance, the general police commissioner of Chisinau is to ensure the public order and to guard the Christmas tree and the electric equipment during the holidays. The General Finance Division will submit proposals to the Chisinau Municipal Council concerning the allocation of 138,000 lei for decorating and taking down the Christmas tree and 150,000 lei for organising the event “A Christmas Evening” from the municipal budget funds planned for cultural activities in 2007. The Christmas tree was placed by the local authorities in the Great National Assembly Square on December 9. On the night of the same day, it was moved to the back of the Triumphal Arch. The Chisinau administration says the tree was transferred by the police. The head of the municipal police Iacob Gumenita denies responsibility for what occurred.