Author: Lică SAINCIUC

Date: July 17, 2026

Location: Chișinău City History Museum, 60 A A. Mateevici Street

The launch of the album „Chișinău: The City’s Old Colors,” by artist Lică SAINCIUC, took place on June 17, 2026, at the Chișinău City History Museum, on the occasion of the 590th anniversary of Chișinău’s first documented mention.

The album is the latest publication resulting from the collaboration between Lică Sainciuc and the Chișinău City History Museum, with financial support from the General Directorate for Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Chișinău City Hall.

The event brought together representatives of the public administration, historians, researchers, writers, cultural figures, and a select audience interested in the city’s heritage.

On the occasion of the album’s launch, Victor Pruteanu, Deputy Mayor of Chișinău, delivered a message of appreciation, emphasizing the importance of this publication for preserving historical memory and promoting the capital’s cultural heritage.

During the launch, special guests highlighted the author’s professionalism, noting the scope of the research undertaken, the rigorous analysis, and the systematization of an impressive body of iconographic material dedicated to Chișinău. At the same time, they praised the artistic contribution that gives the historical images new expressiveness and offers the public a fresh perspective on the city’s evolution.

This work brings together historical images of Chișinău from the late 19th and early 20th centuries—postcards and vintage photographs —artistically reinterpreted through colorization by Lică Sainciuc and juxtaposed with contemporary photographs taken by Victoria Viprada.

Numerous partners and contributors helped create this album. A significant portion of the historical images comes from the digital archive old.chisinau.com, managed by Iurie Șveț, one of the most important resources dedicated to the visual history of Chișinău. It also includes postcards from the collection of the Chișinău City History Museum. The publication was produced with the support of the Chișinău City Hall, and editing and printing were handled by Bons Offices Publishing House. The album invites readers to rediscover the city through a visual perspective that bridges the past and the present and brings the capital’s urban heritage back into focus.