Mourning Mother – Bălți – Moldova

Although this is quite a unique statue – at least I haven’t seen a war memorial like this before – and obviously (at the time of its inauguration) an important monument for the people of Bălți, I have found it impossible to find out any information about it.

That doesn’t meant to say it is has been neglected as both the statue and the small gardens around it have been regularly managed. It’s location, far from the town itself but at the highest point along the road from Bălți to Chișinău, also seems to indicate that some consideration had been made over its placement.

The statue stands in the middle of a small island separating the lanes to and from Bălți. It’s a simple statue of a standing female, looking straight ahead, with her arms, bent at the elbow, facing in the direction of her gaze. Over her forearms is a large folded banner, which extends further down on her left side than her right. Her hands clutch the edge of the banner which enables her to create a platform for a large wreath, the weight of which creates a dent in the banner, which rests against her abdomen. There is no sign whatsoever of any decoration in her headscarf nor her dress and cape.

Location;

At the far end of Strada Gagarin, on the R14, as the road leaves Bălți on the way to Chișinău.

GPS;

47.72441 N

27.99004 E

How the get there;

It’s a long haul up a steep hill as you leave the city behind you. Bus No 4 has its terminus at the statue. The bus is signed ‘monumentul’ and goes along Strada Stefan cel Mare, in the centre of Bălți, in the north easterly direction.

More on Moldova – on the Post-Socialist Countries – Eastern Europe and Asia page