The Ministry of Culture is suing two developers for 21.33 million lei after they demolished a 19th-century mansion in central Chisinau to build an 18-story apartment tower in its stead.

Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan told a news conference that the landmark in question is the Rîșcanu-Derojinschi Urban Mansion, located on 62 Bucharest Street.

In what Prodan branded as “one of those schemes” to misappropriate landmarks, the Rîșcanu-Derojinschi Mansion affair began in 2006, when the government at the time transferred ownership of the property to the Ministry of Culture. This was purportedly done so that the mansion could enjoy protection as a piece of national cultural heritage.

“But in July 2009, the Public Property Agency, under Igor Grigoriev, sold three buildings located at this address - an administrative building, a garage and the mansion itself - to a certain company. The buyer pledged to restore the buildings within three years in coordination with the Ministry of Culture. However, several more transactions followed, and each buyer maintained the pledge to restore the landmark, an obligation also mentioned in the urban planning and construction certificate issued by the Chisinau Mayor’s Office in 2012-2013”, said Sergiu Prodan.

“A typical scheme. There are legal ways to recover the damages, but no one bothered to use them before”, claimed the minister.

Then, in November 2018, the Mayor’s Office “illegally” authorized the addition of 4 stories over what the original construction permit allowed, says Prodan. The developers eventually added 6.

Meanwhile, nothing was left of the old landmark. “So, instead of restoring the mansion, the companies Universal Proiect SRL and ExFactor Grup SRL demolished this historical monument of national importance, instead erecting a new construction by far exceeding the original landmark in both volume and surface area. The companies in question have violated the legislation regarding the protection of cultural heritage assets, which prohibits the demolition of historical monuments”, said Minister Prodan.

In 2022, the Landmarks Inspection Agency complained about the demolition and a criminal investigation was initiated. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, “in a first for the Republic of Moldova”, has sued the developers to ask for 21.36 million lei in damages.