Commemorative signs
The notion of "commemorative sign" is wider than the one of the "memorial plaque". Usually, a "commemorative sign" includes a composition, pertaining to the small forms architecture and a memorial inscription dedicated to an important historic event. In a sense, obelisks and steles may be also considered as "commemorative signs". However, due to the stylistic and typological peculiarities of the former, they are presented in the framework of separate categories.
Sometimes certain monuments, related to the popular art, may be attributed to the category of commemorative signs. Therefore, not far from the village of Valcinet, Judets of Ungheni, the "Voda's Well" is located - a popular monument, linked to the name of the foremost Stefan cel Mare. During the Interwar period, a "Trinity" was erected at the cemetery in the village of Lipnic on the site of Stefan cel Mare's Battle with Tartars in the commemoration of heroes fallen during the battle. In the village of Semeni, Judets of Ungheni, there have been preserved the remains of the so-called "Peter the Ist Table" - the circular ditch and soil wall erected on the occasion of the feast offered by the Moldovan Ruler, Dimitrie Cantemir, to the Tsar of Russia in 1711, period of Pruth Campaign.
A commemorative sign that may be attributed to an obelisk was erected by Tsarist authorities in 1914 in the neighborhood of the village of Badicul-Moldovenesc (Judets of Cahul) to commemorate the renowned battle at Larga as of 7th of July 1770, when Russian troupes at the head of General Rumyantsev defeated the Turks. The Interwar and Postwar periods are prolific in terms of variety of commemorative signs. Usually they are linked to important historic events or prominent personalities. Hence, in 1986 there has been unveiled a commemorative sign dedicated to the foundation of the city of Chisinau. A series of commemorative signs in Chisinau are dedicated to the victims of Chernobyl Ecological Catastrophe, to the Massacre of 1903, Massacre of Armenians in Turkey in 1915-1916, Afghanistan War, Military Conflict on the Left Bank of the River Dniester in 1992, etc. Some commemorative signs are dedicated to certain jubilees. Thus, the commemorative signs "Square of Council of Europe" or "United Nations Square" in Chisinau are dedicated to the jubilees of these important international organizations. Even agricultural machines may be listed sometimes as commemorative signs (for instance, "first tractor" in the region) or arms and military machines ("liberating tank"), erected on special pedestals. Commemorative signs dedicated to industrial and technological development are to be found quite seldom. Nevertheless, there is a commemorative sign dedicated to the first trolley bus in Chisinau (146 Dosoftei Street, trolley-buses depot park #1). There are cases, when names of certain streets, squares and alleys are indicated by commemorative signs or when the construction of certain ampler constructions is being planned in the nearest future.
Hence, in 1999 a commemorative sign dedicated to the "Alley of Olympic Athletes" was unveiled on Renasterii Boulevard in Chisinau. The ceremony of unveiling was occasioned by the visit of the Chairman of International Olympic Committee, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, to Chisinau. Generally speaking, it should be noted that any natural or artificial object, which is vested by certain symbolic or commemorative functions from the part of the community, living in a corresponding region or city, might be easily defined as a commemorative sign.
Obelisks
The tradition of erecting obelisks takes its roots in Antique Egypt. Stone and monolith monuments - obelisks, vertically placed and having a prolonged pyramidal shape, became popular in Basarabian art in the XIXth century. Prior to the period of joining Basarabia to Tsarist Empire in 1812, there has been preserved only one sample of commemorative monument that might be approximately classified as an obelisk. The matter in question is the renowned "Pole's Pillar", which was erected in the XVIIIth century in the neighborhood of the village of Berezovca (Judets of Edinet) on the site of death of the Hetman of Royal Polish Army, Stanislas Zolkiewski (1620).
The obelisk located nearby Vulcanesti is dating from 1845 and is dedicated to the memory of the Duke Semion Vorontov, hero of the Cahul Battle of 1770. This obelisk was founded by Mihail Vorontov, Duke's son and General-Governor of Basarabia and Novo Russia. A memorial Dorian column, consecrated to Cahul battle is located at several hundred meters from the obelisk dedicated to Vorontsov, which was projected and erected by the architect F.K. Bauffo in 1849. An obelisk and a memorial stone were dedicated to the Prince Potyomkin in Taurida, favorite of the Russian Empress, Catherine the IInd. They were erected in the second half of the XIXth century in the neighborhood of the village of Radeni Vechi (Judets of Ungheni) on the site of Prince's death (5th of October 1791).
Extremely numerous in number are small obelisks, which were constructed after the World War II, having been usually dedicated to the fallen Soviet soldiers. Being stereometrically shaped, obelisks may not compete with the variety of steles, reliefs, monuments or memorial signs from the numerical or compositional point of view.
Steles
Steles represent gravestones made of stone or any other solid materials, which are vertically placed to serve as funerary or commemorative signs, dedicated to prominent personalities or certain important historic events.
There are several steles on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which represent an incontestable historic and artistic value. Therefore, a funerary stele of the Princess E. Cantacuzino is dating from the middle of the XIXth century (Gorceakov, village of Otaci). In the 70-80's of the XIXth century a stele was installed on the grave of the writer Constantin Stamati, located in the village of Ocnita, Judets of Edinet. A stele with a teemed in bronze alto-relievo was dedicated in 1977 to the Bulgarian revolutionary and poet, Hristo Botev (sculptor V. Kuznetov, architect G. Solominov, city of Chisinau). In Causeni, a stele dedicated to the memory of combatants fallen in the battle for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova in spring and summer of 1992 (sculptor I. Lozan, architect V. Balan) was inaugurated in 1995 on the central street of the city.
