The mayor of Ungheni, Vitalie Vrabie, and Vasile Șoimaru, a deputy in the Parliament that voted for Independence, unveiled the informative panel in Independence Square on Thursday, 27 August. The panel traces the history of the city’s central square, from its first mention in 1952 to the EU-funded reconstruction in 2021.
The ceremony took place as part of the celebrations marking 35 years since the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova, alongside the city’s patron day, attended by a large audience and guests from twin cities.
The nine Ungheni deputies of Independence
In his address, Mayor Vitalie Vrabie named all nine deputies of the Independence Parliament whom the people of Ungheni had entrusted with their mandates:
- Vasile Șoimaru and Vasile Para — elected in the constituencies of Ungheni city
- Vasile Basoc — Măcărești
- Mihai Coșcodan — Năpădeni
- Valeriu Jardan — Cornești
- Mihai Pătraș — Todirești
- Constantin Sahanovschi — Sculeni
- Dumitru Todoroi — Unțești
- Victor Uncuță — Pîrlița
Three of them — Vasile Basoc, Mihai Coșcodan, and Constantin Sahanovschi — are no longer alive.
Vasile Șoimaru, a doctor of economics and holder of the title “Merits for Ungheni,” spoke on behalf of the Ungheni deputies. He congratulated the city on 35 years of independence and expressed his confidence that Moldova will join the European Union.
What the panel says
The panel unveiled on Independence Day records several milestones in the life of the city’s central space.
The square first appears in 1952, under the name “Administrative Square,” in the city’s first urban plan by N. Iudin. It was expanded in 1969, and in 1977 it received the current City Hall building. The central element of the square was, in turn, the monument to Stalin and then to Lenin — dismantled by combatants in September 1992, after the expedition to Gagauzia.
The name “Independence Square” dates from 2001. The initiative came from a group of retired intellectuals led by Professor Boris Zugravu, an Honorary Citizen of the municipality. For over 50 years, the square had never undergone a major renovation. Massive reconstruction works began only in 2021, funded by the European Union through the “EU4Moldova: Key Regions” Programme.
The full programme of the Ungheni Municipality Days covers events from 20–31 August.