News about Culture
The “72 Hours to Colony” project, co-funded by the Romanian Cultural Institute as part of the “Kantemir 2026” program and implemented by West Space Studio in partnership with the Faculty of Urban Planning and Architecture, debuted in July with an art intervention in a former Soviet nuclear bunker in Șoldănești.
One of the most ambitious museum projects of the 21st century has finally been given an opening date. The Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi will welcome its first visitors on December 11, 2026. The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism made the announcement, bringing to a close nearly two decades of the project, which was first announced back in 2006.
The government has approved the national program “Independence That Unites Us: Moldova-35,” dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Moldova’s independence. A budget of up to 10 million lei has been allocated for the organization of the cultural and artistic program on August 27, which will cover all expenses related to the event.
Zinedine Zidane has officially been named head coach of the French national team, putting an end to years of anticipation surrounding one of the most coveted positions in world soccer. The former national team captain has replaced Didier Deschamps, who, over the course of 14 years, transformed Les Bleus into one of the most successful national teams of modern times.
Parliament approved, on first reading, the denunciation of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Book Publishing, Distribution of Book Products, and Printing within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which the authorities consider to be no longer relevant.
For the first time, Italy will extend the hours of operation for its most-visited landmarks during the peak of the tourist season. From August 1 through 31, the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome, as well as Sforza Castle in Milan, will remain open until late in the evening as part of a pilot program designed to reduce lines, redistribute tourist flows, and make visiting these attractions more comfortable during the summer heat.
The Republic of Moldova will mark the 35th anniversary of the declaration of its independence with a series of official events, including a military parade featuring military personnel, military equipment, and military bands, in accordance with a presidential decree.
Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation, stated that the European Union’s decision to cut off funding for the organization due to Russia’s participation in the art exhibition is politically motivated and jeopardizes the cultural institution’s independence.
The National Archives Agency (NAA) has begun the process of creating its own database containing copies of historical documents from Collection No. 211, “Parish Registers of Bessarabia,” and Collection No. 134, “Treasury of the Bessarabian Governorate.” The documents will be digitized and posted on the online research platform doc.arhiva.gov.md, where they will be available to users in Moldova and abroad by the end of 2026.
A solo exhibition titled “Shadows of the Mind” by world-renowned South African photographer Roger Ballen has opened at the National Art Museum of Moldova. The exhibition will run through September 6.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched a public consultation on the future design of euro banknotes, proposing a complete overhaul of their appearance for the first time since the introduction of euro cash in 2002. Among the candidates to be featured on the new series of banknotes is Leonardo da Vinci, who is being proposed for the 100-euro note.
The Moldovan Ministry of Culture has launched a program to support young professionals who are starting their careers in state cultural institutions. Graduates of relevant universities will be eligible to receive up to 120,000 lei, while graduates of vocational and technical schools will be eligible to receive up to 90,000 lei.
A police station has opened in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn, located in the house where Adolf Hitler was born in 1889. Authorities hope that housing the police station here will strip the building of its former symbolic significance and make it unattractive to neo-Nazis.
City officials have announced that the summer program “Home to Chisinau” will take place in August; it is being organized by the B. P. Hășdeu Municipal Library.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s black leather jacket was sold at a Sotheby’s charity auction in New York for $960,000. The price was nearly 16 times the auction house’s preliminary estimate of $40,000–$60,000.
The first-ever World Cup featuring 48 national teams made history not only by crowning a new champion, but also for its record-breaking scale, high scoring, and a string of individual achievements by the top players.
On July 18, the third “Ukraine Day in Moldova—Culture Unites” festival took place in the commune of Iabloana, Glodeni District. The event featured artistic groups and folk artisans from Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania.
The streaming service Netflix paid approximately $587 million for the AI project InterPositive, founded by actor and producer Ben Affleck.
The English national team won the bronze medal at the 2026 World Cup, defeating France 6–4 in the third-place match. For England, this medal was their first at the World Cup since their championship victory in 1966.
Dinosaur skeletons are becoming a new target for billionaires. Wealthy collectors are willing to pay tens of millions of dollars for rare fossils, turning these ancient giants into one of the most expensive alternative assets.
