Chișinău's Central Park and Cathedral Square

Welcome to the heart of Chișinău. The man in bronze above you is Ștefan cel Mare, Stephen the Great, and if you arrange to meet someone in this city, there is a good chance you will meet right here, at his feet.

Ștefan ruled the principality of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504, for forty-seven years. That was an extraordinarily long reign for a time when princes were often overthrown within a few seasons. He spent much of it at war, defending his small country against powerful neighbours, above all the Ottoman Empire. His best-known victory came at Vaslui in 1475. He was also a great builder, and he founded many churches and monasteries, a number of which still stand. Centuries later, in 1992, the Romanian Orthodox Church canonised him, which is why you will often hear him called Saint Stephen the Great.

Look up at the statue. The prince holds a cross raised in his right hand, a gesture that joins the two sides of his legend: the warrior and the defender of the faith. The monument is the work of the sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală, and it was unveiled in 1928.

Like the city around it, the monument has lived through turbulent times. It has watched over parades, protests and celebrations, and it has stood through changes of borders, flags and names. Today flowers are laid here on national holidays, and on any ordinary evening you will see couples, students and friends waiting on the steps.

Notice too the name of the boulevard behind you. Chișinău's main street is also named after Ștefan cel Mare, and so is the park you are about to enter.

Now walk through the gates into the park and follow the main alley straight ahead to the fountain at its centre. Our next stop is the bust of a poet who once lived in this city as an exile.