Church of the Nativity, Chisinau

The Nativity Cathedral is the principal Orthodox church of Chisinau, built in a restrained neoclassical style in the first half of the nineteenth century as the city grew into a regional capital. Its low dome and columned portico sit at the centre of a leafy park, while a separate bell tower with an arched gateway stands nearby facing the main boulevard. Damaged and altered over the following century, the ensemble has been restored. Visitors find it a calm green heart of the city.