Currently, busts represent the most widespread type of monumental sculpture with commemorative value in the Republic of Moldova. Nevertheless, bust appears quite late as an art genre. One can hardly attest the presence of busts on the territory of medieval Basarabia. One of the first busts erected in Chisinau in the XIXth century is the bust dedicated to the foremost Russian poet, Alexander Sergheevici Puskin. It was executed by the renowned Russian sculptor A. Opekusin in 1885 and is located in the Stefan cel Mare Public Garden. Puskin's image for the aforementioned bust was taken over from the image of the famous statuary monument of the Russian poet in Moscow, located on Tvyer Boulevard (in front of the "Rossia" cinema). In the XIXth century there used to be many other busts, but the greatest part of them was located in cemeteries, where they served as funerary works of art. Alexei Mateevici's bust is dating from the Interwar period (1931 - 1934) and was erected by the renowned Basarabian sculptor Alexandru Plamadeala at the Central Orthodox Cemetery in Chisinau, above the poet's grave.
A series of busts was unveiled in the 50's of the XXth century and was dedicated to men of culture, and in particular, to writers. Thus, in 1957 Constantin Stamati's Bust is unveiled in Ocnita, which was executed by the sculptors I. Poniatovschi and L. Fitov and in 1958 the first alley with busts dedicated to classic writers was inaugurated in Stefan cel Mare Public Garden. Next period is characterized by the pronounced ideological touch in the erection of busts.
Thus, the busts of Carl Marx in Chisinau (sculptor A. Maiko), Nikolai Ostrovsky in Balti (sculptor I. Davidovici), Gheorghe Dimitrov in Chisinau (sculptor N. Gorionisev), Decembrist M. Orlov (sculptor Yu. Canasin) were inaugurated in the 60-70's. The end of the 80's and 90's of the XXth century is remarkable by the revival to authentic values of national culture and art. During this period of consolidation and gaining of independence by the Republic of Moldova, the busts of the writer Nicolaie Costenco (sculptor B. Dubrovin), Doctor Nicolae Testemiteanu (sculptor M. Spinei, architect G. Sluris), historian Nicolae Iorga (sculptor M. Ecobici), poet Mihai Eminescu are unveiled in the villages of Causeni and Slobozia Mare (sculptor Vl. Pasima), as well as the bust of writer and person of encyclopedic learning Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu in the city of Cahul (sculptor M. Spinei). During the same period the donations of busts, granted to the cities of the Republic of Moldova by foreign sculptors have become frequent. Hence, a number of busts of classics of Romanian literature, situated in the extension of Alley of Classics of Romanian Literature within Stefan cel Mare Public Garden, were donated by the Romanian sculptors in the 90's. The bust of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, located on the facade of the Art Gallery in the heart of the city of Chisinau, bearing his name, represents a donation of successors of the foremost sculptor, Milita Petrascu, who used to be native of Basarabia.
