Psychiatric Hospital – A complex to explore

Text by Nicolae Chirnev ( our company guide)

I was reading a lot about the psychiatric hospital of Chisinau, called Costiujeni. They say it used to be the most luxurious one in all the Russian Empire. 

The whole complex was built by the most famous Chisinau architect, Alexandru Bernardazzi. But even this fact never attracts people who are interested in architecture because of 2 reasons: the complex is quite far from the Center and the atmosphere there has never been enjoyable. 

When I first visited Costiujeni Psychiatric Complex, being curious, I was so fascinated. The dozens of old, almost-ruined hospital houses built along the large green alley created the spirit of a medieval mansion. It seems like the ambiance alone could easily cure patients. A bit further still, there are several huge Soviet blocks, but they are plain ordinary. 

You can walk there for hours. The access is free for everybody, and all the times I’ve been there, I’ve never seen any patients. 

Another interesting spot there are the old church and two amazing water towers, which luckily survived the bombing during WWII. 

I like this spot, and if you are not a big fan of mainstream sights, this psychiatric complex is definitely for you!