The monumental vault of the Macri-Donici families will be conserved and restored with the support of the European Union’s Confidence Building Measures Program (EU-CBM), implemented by UNDP.
The vault is one of the 10 cultural and historical sites on both banks of the Nistru River selected for restoration and conservation, under the cultural heritage component of the EU-CBM program.
Located in the courtyard of the Archangel Michael Church in Dubăsarii Vechi, the Macri-Donici family vault was designed by the architect Alexander Bernardazzi and made of marble and granite by the craftsman A. Tuzini from Odessa, between 1882-1883, which is confirmed by the architect’s signature on one of the side walls of the vault.
uring the restoration work two unknown tombs were discovered in the monument. One of them is believed to belong to Limonia Donici, the wife of Nicolae Donici. A team of archaeologists was called in to confirm and document the findings. To truthfully restore the two newly discovered tombs, an appeal for financial support will be launched.
“We are extremely happy. I cannot put it into words. We believed that these two tombs were destroyed between 1960 and 1961. We will try to mobilize financial solutions, so that the archaeological team can investigate to whom the two copper coffins belong. What has now been discovered is something unique for our country,” says Teodor Pelin, parish priest of the Archangel Michael Church.
“I believe it is our duty to preserve such sites included in the country's architectural heritage, which are unique for the region. We would like all these attractions to be included in a tourist route so that people can come to Dubăsarii Vechi and spend at least one day exploring them,” says Vitalie Casian, mayor of Dubăsarii Vechi.
In Dubăsarii Vechi there are several historical landmarks listed in the state register: the church and the vault located in the same courtyard, the mansion where the astronomer Nicolae Donici lived and the grove of ancient oaks.
