National Philharmonic reconstruction stalled; authorities seek external funding
The reconstruction of the "Serghei Lunchevici" National Philharmonic remains a difficult project, which cannot be carried out from the state budget and depends on attracting external funding. The Minister of Culture, Cristian Jardan, stated that the authorities are seeking a solution together with international partners, given that the costs far exceed available resources.
“It is a thorny, long, painful problem. We are working, including together with the Prime Minister, to find a solution. It is a matter of a great deal of money. The only solution, in my view, is to obtain funding from an international financial institution,” the minister said.
According to him, discussions with potential financiers are already underway, and some institutions have expressed their willingness to support the project. “There is interest; just last week we had a discussion with an international financial institution that expressed its willingness to provide funding,” Jardan said.
The project does not concern only the reconstruction of the Philharmonic building, but a broader intervention in the center of the capital, which would include the revitalization of the entire area where it is located and the construction of a modern building with multiple functions, the minister says.
“So it’s clear: there is no money in the budget. The amount is very large, over 50 million euros, in the best-case scenario. This money does not exist,” the minister said.
At the same time, Jardan drew attention to the fact that even if funding is identified, the work cannot start immediately because of the lack of technical documentation. He avoided setting a clear deadline for the project's completion, stressing that technical preparation is essential before starting construction.
“We aim to have all the documentation ready by 2027. Without feasibility studies and technical assessments, we cannot start anything. Even if someone came tomorrow with 100 million, I could not start construction earlier than a year from now, because we don’t have the necessary documentation,” he concluded.
We remind you that the “Serghei Lunchevici” National Philharmonic, with a capacity of 1,000 seats, was inaugurated in 1940 and was one of the most important cultural institutions in the Republic of Moldova. On September 24, 2020, the building, measuring 3,500 square meters, was engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Since then, the artistic ensembles have moved their rehearsals and concerts to the Palace of the Republic.
