Mid-20th-century architecture is not remembered fondly anywhere in the world. That's especially true in former communist countries of Europe and Central Asia, where it seems like architects following a passing fad were allowed to do whatever they wanted. The result was some bizarre and amazing-looking structures, at least a dozen of which are still standing 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
This Soviet-era circus is one of the most eye-catching buildings in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. Closed for repairs in 2004, the circus has remained out of use since. However, while this dilapidated building may give the impression of a faded monument to a forgotten regime, a deeper exploration of both the building and its history would suggest that the Chisinau Circus is not as dead as it seems – but rather, merely sleeping. Moldova’s Chisinau Circus was built in 1981, back when the nation was known as the ‘Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic’ under the USSR. Designed by architects S. Shoikhet and A. Kirichenko, it would stay open for the next 23 years – entertaining crowds in the Moldovan capital with a cast of clowns, trapeze artists, bears, lions and elephants.
