One can hardly attest the presence of administrative edifices in the Republic of Moldova during the Middle Ages. The boyars' and princely mansions, as well as certain places within the fortresses and monasteries acted as administrative edifices. The construction of administrative edifices in Basarabia was started soon after its joining to the Tsarist Empire in 1812. The first edifice of the governmental administration constructed in Chisinau in that period did not survive, but it is a well-known fact that it was located on the opposite side of the Cathedral Market and its architecture was marked by the strong flavor of Russian classicism. Among administrative edifices dating back to the XIXth century and preserved until today it is worth to mention the edifice of the former Zemstva administration in the city of Soroca (constructed in 1876), premises of the former "Inspection Room" in Chisinau, as well as headquarters of the former municipal Duma (currently, the Mayor's Office of the city of Chisinau), built within 1898 - 1901, according to the project of the architect M. Elladi, who benefited from the counseling of the renowned architect A.I.Bernardazzi.
The edifice of municipal Duma is built in the eclectic style, imitating the Florentine Gothic style and has a square shape with an interior court, the front entrance having been executed by means of the slanting wall at the corner of Vlaicu Parcalab and Stefan cel Mare Streets. A traditional balcony-tribune and a turret with the chiming clock are towered above the entrance.
At the beginning of the XXth century, along with the inclusion of Basarabia in the financial circuit of the Tsarist Empire, the bank edifices, stock exchanges and saving banks started to be constructed.
The most imposing building of this type is said to be the City Bank of Chisinau (currently it is "the Organ Hall"), which was erected in the best Neoclassicist traditions, according to the project of the architect I. Seidevan under the aegis of the engineer M. Cecheruli-Cus. The bank edifices, which didn't come forth by their sophisticated design, were built in rural areas of Basarabia. Thus, already in 1901, in the village of Cosauti there have been constructed the premises of the Credit Society (subsequently functioning as a Palace of Culture within the Soviet period). In the same year 1901, the architect Gasket Jr. finalized the construction of the Fiscal Chamber in Chisinau.
During the Interwar period, a series of buildings, dating from the Tsarist times, was rearranged for certain administrative goals. Several buildings, which were originally constructed only with two stores, were added the third one (this is the case of the "Fiscal Chamber" in Chisinau). In the 30's, the edifice of the current Prosecutor's Office is erected in the best traditions of the neo-Romanian architecture, which is located in Center sector of the capital of Moldova. In the same period, another building, and in particular, the Piquet of Romanian Frontier Guards in the city of Soroca is constructed in the same Neo-Romanian style (currently - the Dniester Fluvial Navigation Direction). In Tiraspol, the capital of the Autonomous Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, which used to belong to the Soviet Union in the 20-30's, the administrative edifices were executed either in a constructivist style, such as the case of the City Bank, which was designed in 1930 by the architect N. Gulavski in the neoclassicist style. Still, it should be noted that it had distinct Soviet blueprints, which would prefigure the "Stalinist Empire" from the postwar years (for instance, "The House of Soviets" in Tiraspol, designed by the architect S. Vasiliev at the beginning of 50's).
During the first decade and the half, which followed the World War II, a total renunciation from the modern constructivist, functionalist and Neo-Romanian style and total domination of the eclectic and neoclassic style, sometimes named as the "Stalinist Empire", is notable in the constructions of administrative edifices of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. This is the period, when the principal administrative edifices of the city are constructed on Lenin Boulevard (currently, Stefan cel Mare Boulevard) in Chisinau: the administrative block of several ministries designed by V. Voitehovschi and A. Borisov, located on 73 Stefan cel Mare Bd.; the administrative block of the former premises of Sovnarhoz, designed by P.Ragulin (currently, the Ministry of Industry); the block of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs; the central block of the Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldova, designed by V.Mednec and A. Vedenkin etc. Within the same period (1958) in Balti, the edifice of the former premises of the City Council of Delegates is constructed according to the project of the architect I. Smurun.
The 60's are remarkable by the appearance of a more austere and more functional style in the architecture of the Republic of Moldova. The fight with the so-called "surpluses", pertaining to the legacy of the architecture of the Stalinist epoch, was notable in the total renunciation of the outer decoration of the edifices constructed in the 60's. The applications in mosaic, porticos and decorative balustrades, figurative window frames etc. disappear. At the same time, the new modalities of constructions are being widely utilized: the system of monolith blocks, the reinforced concrete skeletons, etc. An eloquent specimen of this architecture represents the Government of the Republic of Moldova, designed by the architect S. Fridlin and erected in 1964.
The House of Syndicates, designed by the architect V. Kudinov (finalized in 1967), the "Printing House" and the National Bank premises seem to have the same functionality (the latter two having been designed by B. Waisbein and S. Soihet).
The 70's are remarkable in the architecture of Chisinau by the revival of certain traditional materials and forms. If in the premises of the Union of Writers of the Republic of Moldova, designed by D. Palatnic before 1975, the influence of the austere Hrusciov style still might be felt, then in the edifices of the current Parliament of the Republic of Moldova (at that time the Edifice of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the MSSR), designed by A. Cerdantev and G. Bosenco in 1976-1979, as well as in the edifice of the Ministry of Justice (initially, the Institute of History of the Communist Party of Moldavia), designed by A. Cerdantev towards the end of 1980, is notable a revival to the traditional wood decor of the roof and use of Cosauti stone in the decor of facades, etc. A significant role in the decoration of the headquarters of the present Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova (initially - the premises of the "Chisinau" Party Committee of the Communist Party of MSSR), designed by the architect G. Solominov in the middle of 70's, plays the intercalation of the red brick and white stone, which creates quite original chromatic rhythms.
The 80's are notable in the architecture of Moldova by the constructions of a higher altitude as compared to the precedent period. The Printing House of Chisinau is erected according to the project of the architects V. Zaharov, L. Gofman and A. Jinkin (1980) within this period. The premises of the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova were constructed according to the project of the architects Iu. Tumanian, A. Zaltman and V. Iavorski (1984-1987), whereas the edifice of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova (initially designed by S. Soihet, V. Waisbein and A.Cimahov as the premises of the Soviet of Kholhozes of MSSR - in the middle-end of the 80's of the XXth century). The aforementioned buildings of a considerable altitude, placed one by one in the same part of the Stefan cel Mare Boulevard, nearby the building of the Moldtelecom (constructed by the architects A.Kireev, I. Dorofeev and S. Muhin in the 80's), which is situated at a certain distance, but at the same part of the boulevard, left a palpable blueprint on the silhouette of the present center of Chisinau.
