June 2002
Special Interview with US Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith
Ambassador Smith, what does the 4th of July
mean to you as an American and as representative of that country?
The fourth of July is a very special holiday for Americans because
it celebrates the publication of our Declaration of Independence. This
landmark document differentiated the United States from other countries
throughout history. We founded our democracy on a set of principles,
abandoning hereditary monarchy in favor of government by the people. The
Declaration of Independence is an essential part of what makes us a
nation based on law, rather than on geography, ethnicity, or historical
accident. The founders of the United States were fundamentally
united by a common philosophy centered on human rights above all else. I
am very proud to be the representative of the United States in Moldova
on this occasion.
Moldovan churches & monasteries:
a spiritual treasure
"A church is a church, you have seen one, you have seen them all,"
said a weary tourist after an exhausting sightseeing tour at which half
a dozen of ancient and not so ancient churches had been visited. We
should not condemn this particular tourist for his cultural indifference
and lack of interest in the historical and cultural heritage of a nation
that he was totally alien to. But as there are "tourists and tourists",
there are still a lot of people who are eager to see an ancient church
either for purely aesthetic reasons or motivated by the desire to look
deep into the past in order to be spiritually inspired by the cultural
achievement of the past ages.
German Community In Moldova
"Your life and work will remain in the hearts of grateful descendants
forever. Our town will be an eternal memory," these wonderful words
written in the obituary were used to describe Karl Smidt, an honest
and kind man, who possessed extraordinary leadership qualities. Smidt
occupied the position of city mayor for over a quarter of a century.
These 25 years were marked with a general improvement of life in Chisinau.
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century talented
architects such as Bernardazzi, Cupcea, and Tiganco constructed some
of the most outstanding city buildings including the City Duma (Primaria),
Regional Court House, City Bank (Organ Hall), Basarabian History Museum
(Natural History Museum), and Noble Club building (Patria movie theater)
which continue to amaze visitors and guests with their stateliness even
today, more than 100 years past the time they were constructed.
Moldovan Chess Players Conquer the World
It has been ten years since FIDE Presidential Council announced the
official establishment of the Chess Federation of Moldova and admitted
it into the International Federation in 1992. Fyodor Scripcenco, the
Executive Secretary of the Federation and an honored chess coach of
Moldova shared some of the successes of Moldovan players with Welcome.
