Chisinau possibly to remain the single European capital without a Village Museum

Chisinau is still the single European capital without a Village Museum. The situation is possibly to stay unchanged if the attempts to re-give the land for its construction will succeed, the manager of the National Ethnography and Natural History Museum (MNEIN), Mihai Ursu, noted. On Monday mayoralty’s operative meeting, the interim mayor Vasile Ursu required stopping the access on the territory of the Village Museum and giving it into the hands of authorities. The interim mayor criticized fiercely the management of the land destined for the Village Museum, noting that daily, current owners of the land „put in their pockets” not less than 150,000 lei. He mentioned that services provided now on the territory of the Village Museum can be ensured by local authorities as well, requiring to the Land Department and Green Spaces Association to identify to whom the land belongs and what are the possibilities to transmit it to local authorities. MNEIN director Mihai Ursu said that for three years there were made many attempts to take over 130 hectares at the city’s gates, destined for the Village Museum. A year ago, it was decided at the highest level to implement the National program on Building the Village Museum, but no money was allocated. Multiple addressing to the government and capital mayoralty got no reply, even not once their representatives showed their support for the project, Mihai Ursu mentioned. Because of lack of finances and hoping to accumulate this money for staring the construction, the Museum was forced to conclude an agreement with the Golf Club of Moldova, stipulating, in a clause, its obligation to maintain the territory and to involve in construction works. Mihai Ursu considers that the interim mayor’s statements are part of a scenario of taking over the land by certain interest groups. He was confused by the fact that Vasile Ursu criticizes this situation without mentioning that himself, being deputy mayor back then, promised his total support for implementing the project the Village Museum. At the same time, Mihai Ursu rejected the mayor’s affirmations mayor about the registered infringements, highlighting that, in last 8 months, the Museum wasn’t fined by ecologic services.