Discover Moldova with #MOLDPRES: Historical and Architectural Complex Manuc Bey, tourist pearl from Hancesti

The mansion of Manuc Bei or Manuc Bey (officially – Manuc Bey Historical and Architectural Complex) is placed in the Hancesti town from central-western part of Moldova and includes the following buildings: Palace of Manuc, House of Steward, Building of Countess, Hunting Castle, Watch Tower, etc.     

An architecture monument

Although the mansion bears his name, it was not erected by the diplomat and merchant of Armenian origin Manuc Bei Mirzaian, but by its successor, son Murat, who started the construction of the boyar’s country house and the nephew of the diplomat, Grigorie, who ended the concerned works. The mansion is also an architecture monument recorded in the Register of the culture monuments from Moldova.     

After the end of the Russo-Turkish war from 1806-1812, Manuc Bei leaved Bucharest and bequeathed his numerous businesses to reliable people. He moved to Sibiu and then, in 1815, Manuc moved with his family to Chisinau, in Tsarist Bessarabia, where he bought the Hancesti estate with 300,000 lei-gold.   

History from the Soviet period

Following the World War II, the mansion switched to the Soviet property. Initially, the estate was adapted for hosting a mechanization school, then of a construction college. The walls of the mansion, which formally surrounded the entire area, were destroyed in late 1950s. Till late 1980s, the architectural complex was maintained in a satisfactory state. The earthquake from 1986 was fatal for the century-old country house, after which most buildings were declared damaged. A new building was constructed for the students of the college and the mansion itself started being deteriorated quickly. The Hunting Castle was more or less preserved, with an ethnography museum opened here.     

In 1993, the mansion got the status of architecture monument and is restored by EU  

By the 2012 year, before the starting of the restoration works, the complex was in an advanced state of degradation, except for the building of the Hunting Castle. 

The renovation works (with European funds) started in 2014 and lasted almost two years; yet, the result was satisfactory. The Palace was renovated in the Renaissance style, preserving the luxury and the elegance in which the family of the well-known boyar lived. The sleeping rooms, the halls for parties, living rooms and offices were restored at the palace.   

The palace, the most important component part of the Manuc Bey historical and architectural complex, was fully restored and the expenses (2.5 million euros) were borne by the European Union.   

More furniture objects were brought from Odessa, where Manuc Bei had a palace. A part of the furniture was manufactured in Italy, according to several original models. Over 60 specialists, both craftsmen from Moldova and from Romania, worked there, in order to restore again in details the authentic style of the 19th century’s period.        

Hunting Castle

The Hunting Castle is the construction which resisted best of all the earthquakes and the passing of time at the Manuc Bey historical and architectural complex. Built in 1881, the Castle, designed by Alexandru Bernardazzi, has been hosting the Museum of the Native Land since 1976.    

The Hancesti district council says that it puts special emphasis on the region’s promotion on the whole, ‘’being aware of the fact that at present, in the context of our immediate neighbourhood with the European Union’s borders, the local isolation is not only counter-productive, but have not perspective.’’    

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii