The Sorocii Fortress that was opened to visitors in 1978 was closed on August 12 for reconstruction. The works will be carried out by a team of specialists from Iasi, Romania.
Contacted by IPN, director of the Soroca Museum of History and Ethnography Nicolae Bulat said that a contract with the company from Iasi was signed on August 9. The given company reconstructed the Neamt Fortress of Romania. The works at the Sorocii Fortress will last for six months. The fortress will be reopened to tourists on May 18, 2014.
Nicolae Bulat said the reconstruction works will include the partial restoration of the passages and storage galleries of the fortress. The area around the building will be paved with Cosauti stone, as earlier, and the alleys in the park will be restored. There will be built a public restroom and souvenir boutiques in a move to develop the production of souvenirs by craftsmen from Soroca.
According to Nicolae Bulat, a large part of the money will be used to reconstruct the road of access to Soroca Fortress, from the entrance to Soroca town. The €3 million reconstruction project will be financed with European funds and covers several historical sights. €1 million will go to restore historical sights in Suceava and Hotin, while €2 million will be invested in the Sorocii Fortress.
The director of the Soroca Museum of History and Ethnography also said that the archeologists are tempted to say that the Sorocii Fortress was built by Stephan the Great, but the coins found there during excavations date from other periods. The current fortress was build in the place of a wooden fortress. It was 75% preserved. The entrance tower was the most affected. It was seriously damaged by shells during fighting.
