The central bus station in Chisinau is a place of unexpected beauty. Spanning an entire wall at the back, beyond mundane rows of faded blue seats and worn-down ticket booths, is a monumental masterpiece of mosaic art. Completed by the artist Mikhail Burya in 1974, the piece — known as “The City is Flourishing and Being Built” — evokes a time of great change in Moldova’s capital. Red, yellow, white and blue fragments depict a scene of workmen welding, residents busy in the streets, towering angular skyscrapers, as well as bold floral motifs. “It’s part of our cultural heritage, but many Moldovans aren’t even aware of mosaics like this,” says Alex Buretz, nodding at the Soviet-era artwork as passengers shuffle onto buses heading to all corners of the eastern European nation. The post Moldova’s Secret Mosaic Masterpieces appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.