Mosaic represents a technique of monumental painting, where the image is executed by means of small pieces of enamel, stone, ceramic or other solid materials. Unfortunately, no any antique mosaics have been preserved on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, although in the neighboring countries like Ukraine and Romania there have been attested such paintings, owing to either Greek colonies or craftsmen from the Roman Empire. Unlike medieval Byzantine Empire, where mosaic technique was very developed, medieval Moldova preferred fresco. Among those few techniques of mural decoration, which existed in feudal Moldovan state, the closest one to mosaic may be considered the technique of application of enameled and fire clay on the cathedral and palace walls. These store tiles with phyto, zoo and anthropomorphic motives were frequently utilized as interior or exterior ornamental pieces. Gothic store tiles, which originate from the Old Tower Capital in Suceava (second half of the XVth century), are considered to be extremely valuable by the researchers. Bands composed of enameled ceramic and brick disks, which have been found in the exterior decoration of the 'God's Ascension" church with temple under the Neamt Monastery, enchant the visitor's eye.
At the beginning of the XXth century architect Tiganco utilizes ceramic tile in the decoration of Zemstva Museum in Chisinau (current Museum of Ethnography and Natural History). During the Postwar period enameled ceramic tile was utilized in the decoration of many administrative edifices, located on current Stefan cel Mare Boulevard in Chisinau. The art of figurative mosaic with vast narrative compositions appears quite late. It is only in the 60's when first endeavors to transpose sports thematic in mosaic technique ("propylaea" in the Rose Valley Park) are successfully realized. In the 7th and 8th decades of the XXth century mosaic as a field of art is embraced by a group of fine artists in Chisinau: Aurel David, Filimon Hamuraru, Gheorghe Vrabie, Alexei Colabneac, Mihail Burea and Vladislav Obuh. The following works dating from the second half of the XXth century are deemed to be the most representative ones: "Old Bender" mosaic, executed inside the Tighina bus station (author M. Burea), "Hospitable Moldova" mosaic in the platform of Chisinau railway station (authors M. Burea and V. Obuh), "Legend about Chisinau" mosaic on Negruzzi Boulevard (author M. Burea), "Art" decorative panel, which decorates the facade of the Concert Hall under the Chisinau Syndicates Palace (author M. Burea), "Awakening" mosaic in the village of Mocra (authors I. Taburta and A. Kuzmin), "Roads" mosaic inside the Balti bus station (author V. Obuh), "Dance" mosaic in Anenii Noi (author Gh. Vrabie), "Hippocrat Oath" mosaic in the Chisinau University of Medicine (author F. Hamuraru), as well as mosaics, executed on the facades of several schools in the capital of Moldova (compositions "Science" and "Leaves and Roses", executed by F. Hamuraru in the 80's).
