The first educational institution in feudal Moldova is deemed to be the Slavic-Greek-Latin College, located within the Three Hierarchs Church in Iasi, which was founded during the ruling of Vasile Lupu (1634-1653) according to the model of Kyiv - Movilean Academy, founded in its turn by the Bishop Petru Movila in 1632. Romanian language permeates in high education a bit later along with the founding of Mihailean Academy in Iasi in 1835upon initiative of Gheorghe Asachi, period of ruling of Mihail Sturza. These high and secondary education establishments did not avail of any premises intended for hosting educational institutions.
Starting with 1796 Romanian-speaking city schools are founded in the majority of larger settlements of Moldova, including Chisinau. The first princely school appeared in Chisinau in 1803, whereas the first Lancaster schools started to be founded in 1824, after the occupation of the country by the Tsarist Empire. Such schools were opened in Chisinau, Balti and Ismail. Initially, teaching was conducted in Romanian, this being decided upon by Moldovan authorities. However, starting with 1828, due to the politics of russianization, promoted by the Tsarist authorities, teaching was conducted exclusively in Russian.
In 1830 the first private school for girls in Basarabia - a Finishing School, was founded by Ana Safarevskaia. In 1836 it was supplemented by two additional finishing schools: the "Maia" and "Rizo" boarding schools.
The Chisinau Theological Seminary, founded in 1813 by the Bishop Gavriil Banulescu-Bodoni and completely overhauled in the "a la russe" eclectic style between 1900 - 1902, and Basarabia Horticulture School, both located on Sarmizegetuza Street in the capital of Moldova until the 60's of the 19th century and subsequently transferred to the town of Straseni, are considered to be the oldest high educational establishments in Basarabia. The building of the former "Bals" orphanage, designed by Vl. Tiganko, and the former Finishing School in Soroca (named during the interwar period as "Lady Ruxandra" High School), designed by V.I. Schmidt, are dating from the beginning of the 20th century. In 1905, the same Vl. Tiganko designed and constructed the building of the former Boarding School for the children of nobility of Basarabia (currently, one of the buildings of the Music, Theater and Fine Arts Academy). In province, at the beginning of the 20th century the Railway School in the city of Ocnita (1905) was set into operation. The Lipcani Gymnasia, primary school in the village of Cuhurestii de Sus, secondary school # 1 in Falesti, are dating back to the first third of the 20th century.
Statistical data, prepared at the beginning of the 20's of the past century depict the following situation: 1747 primary schools used to operate in over 1824 localities of Basarabia after the World War I, whereas during 1923-1924 their number increased up to 2041. During the interwar period the most important secondary educational institutions used to be high schools, gymnasia and colleges. The major part of them was concentrated in Chisinau. Thus, the following high schools were located in Chisinau: "B. P. Hasdeu" Male High-School #1, "M.Eminescu" High-School #2, "A. Donici" Male High School # 3, "A. Russo" High School # 4, "Queen Maria" Female High School #1, "Princess Dadiani" High School #2, Eparchial Female High School, "Jeanne D'Arc" Female High-School, "King Ferdinand" Military High-School, commercial high-school, industrial high-school, Male Gymnasia, "Mihai Viteazul" ordinary school, viticulture school, Fine Arts College, musical school, accounting school, theological seminary, urban household school, school for governesses of kindergartens, etc. Around 1940, when Basarabia was occupied by the Soviet troops as a result of Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, the number of schools amounted to 2155 in the overall in the whole country.
It is obvious that not all of the secondary and high schools had any premises specifically designed and equipped to serve their primary goals in conformity with requirements of didactic process. Nevertheless, several successful examples of the planned educational facilities have been attested during the interwar period. Thus, in Balti the architect E. R. Spirer designed the "Princess Ileana" Female High-School, whereas in Soroca the "A.D. Xenopol" High School was redesigned and reconstructed in 1936 after the devastating flood of 1932. The Technical School in Soroca, which operated within period of 1914-1916, is extended in the 30's by the construction of a new two-floor educational bloc. In Chisinau the major part of high schools and secondary schools are rearranged or redesigned in conformity with the requirements of the educational process.
The period that followed World War II is remarkable for its ample construction of educational facilities. In the 50's standard planning is still prevailing, a trait typical of the Soviet schools during the Stalinist epoch. In the outer decoration of these establishments such "school" attributes, like books, Komsomol badges, etc. are presented in a self-enforcing manner. A sample of architecture of those years represents the establishment of the former school # 37 (currently, establishment of the "Mircea Eliade" Romanian-English High-School). The manner of edifying educational institutions at the end of the 60's and along the 70's and 80's is totally different. The premises of Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics under the State University in Chisinau (architect I. Smurun) are remarkable by functionality, sobriety and constructive logic. The "new" premises of the "Gheorghe Asachi" High-School in Chisinau (former school #1), designed by the architects S. Soihet and A. Kiricenko, excels by the use of monolith blocs made of reinforced concrete. Limestone and brick stone were combined in the framework of the "Palace of Pioneers" construction in the city of Tiraspol (architects V. Sumisevskii, V. Severinov and A. Mitiunin). White Cosauti stone in combination with monolith blocs decorated by mosaic was utilized by the architect V. Zaharov in 1983 in the framework of planning of the new establishment for the school # 37 in Chisinau.
Among establishments designed in educational purposes in the 80's, the new establishments of the Chisinau State University and "Ion Creanga" Pedagogical University stand out against the general background. The Department of Town-Planning and Architecture under the Technical University in Chisinau proved to be a success in terms of architecture of that period. In this very building, architect V. Bessonov succeeded to harmoniously combine concrete-made monolith bloc constructions with the decorations made of white Cosauti stone and red brick on facades. Marine School in Chisinau, designed during the same period by the architect V. Modarca, is notable for the integration of timber panels in the monolith structure of the establishment, as well as importance given to rust made of black granite tile on the socle level.
The period of the 90's was characterized by harsh economic depression in the Republic of Moldova. Therefore, this period proved to be less "fertile" in terms of construction of real estate designed for high or secondary education. Nevertheless, a number of private educational facilities ("Prometheus" High-School, Free International University of Moldova (ULIM), Department of Fine Arts under the "Ion Creanga" Pedagogical University, etc.) succeeded to provide for new study blocs.
