British Ambassador to Moldova admires the architecture of the Russian Empire
Chisinau isn't just about Soviet-era architecture. It also boasts beautiful 19th-century buildings.
The British Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Fern Horin, spoke about this in an interview with the pro-government TV channel TV8, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
At the beginning of the conversation, the envoy of Foggy Albion told how her idea of the new country of residence had changed from “two-dimensional” to “three-dimensional”.
“The Moldovan people were very hospitable. And this feeling is the difference between my two-dimensional world, as Moldova appears from London, and my current three-dimensional world, when I live in Chisinau among Moldovans,” said Horin.
"Did you expect to see a Soviet country?" asked TV8 journalist and well-known Russophobe Mariana Rață.
“I don’t know if I expected to see some former Soviet country. I think what you see in Moldova is a real mixture of cultures. Chisinau has buildings that are clearly from the Soviet era, but there are also beautiful 19th century buildings, wonderful parks and cafes, and so I feel like it's a mixture of the cultures that Moldova has experienced and its history. And a little of all this history remains here, in Chisinau, and also in Moldova. So I don't think I had any preconceived notions about the former Soviet country. I would describe Chisinau as a very European city,” she flattered.
Chisinau began to develop rapidly after 1812, when it became the center of the Bessarabian Governorate of the Russian Empire, and continued to serve as a Russian provincial capital until 1917. All the beautiful 19th-century buildings admired by the British Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova were built during this era by the Russian imperial authorities. It was during this period, as well as during the Soviet era, that all of Chisinau's parks were improved.
Thus, there are two options: either Mrs. Fern Horyn deliberately praises the “European”, in her colonial understanding, authorities of St. Petersburg for the development of the outskirts (which is unlikely, despite the fact that Russia was an ally of Britain in the First World War), or she I just didn’t bother to study the history of my country of residence (which is much more likely).
The British Ambassador to Moldova admires the architecture of the Russian Empire.