Known from the pictures from the beginning of the last century as a small but very friendly city, today we are increasingly confronted with the nostalgic phrase "here it was" ... "Here was the Diocese", "here was the Hotel Suisse", "here was the girls' gymnasium where the deputies from the Sfatul Țării voted the Union in 1918". Of the architectural jewels that once enjoyed the eyes of the townspeople, today we have only pictures left. These pictures are included in collection catalogs and today, the unknown treasures of architecture and urban life, reflected in 48 images, are brought to the public's attention in an exhibition dedicated to Chișinău in the 20th century.

Chișinău is an open air museum, where thousands of people throughout their lives have lived, loved, built with meaning and humility the image of the city "carved in white stone". Each street keeps the footsteps of those who admired it, whether they were simple or noble people. Each villa retains the living memory of its masters and some are still waiting for them, and the holy places in Chișinău are illuminated by the thoughts of those who admired them or passed through the entrance door.

This exhibition is a challenge for all of us to rediscover Chișinău in times when we have and give so little time for the beauty. It is an invitation to a virtual walk on the streets of former times in an attempt to bring back to attention known or forgotten facts, places loaded with history or emotions. And, as in any place that tends to validate its authenticity through culture, Chișinău, today, perhaps more than ever, needs the exercise of memory in order to survive and develop.

The exhibition of these images at the Suțu Palace was made possible thanks to the combined effort of two teams formed of Dr. hab. Eugen SAVA - General director, Mariana VASILACHE-CUROȘU - Deputy director, Ana GRIȚCO - Head of History section, Cătălina PLINSCHI and Denis TOPAL - exhibition graphics (National Museum of History of Moldova); and Dr. Adrian MAJURU - Manager and Dr. Dan PÎRVULESCU - Deputy director (Bucharest Municipal Museum), hosts of this event.