The opening of the Olympic House in the Moldovan capital Chisinau has been hailed as a true celebration of sport, culture and tradition.

EOC Executive Committee Member Alexander Kozlovsky and the President of the Moldovan Parliament Andrian Candu were the guests of honour of the inauguration ceremony, which took place in the heart of the historic centre of Chisinau.

“The European Olympic Committees have always done their best to support the Moldovan NOC, as we have seen that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union the Moldovan Olympic Committee suffered the most, and we have seen that its leadership has always strived to do its best to support the development of sport in the country. The inauguration of their renovated headquarters mark the progress that has been made, ” noted Alexander Kozlovsky , before cutting the entrance ribbon together with Moldova National Olympic and Sports Committee President Nicolae Juravschi, Andrian Candu, and archer Alexandra Mirca, who will represent the country at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The inauguration of the Olympic House also included the unveiling of the Olympic Excellence sculpture, created by Veaceslav Jiglitchi, who was awarded the IOC Arts and Sports trophy in 2014.
President Juravschi guided the officials around the Olympic House, giving them the opportunity to visit the Olympic Museum, meet the athletes, staff and notable members of the Moldovan sporting community.

The visitors also had the chance to preview the official kit for Team Moldova for Rio 2016, which was officially unveiled to the general public at the concert of the stars of the ballet of Vienna Opera Theatre, organized by the Moldovan Olympians Foundation.

Built in 1894, the site of the Olympic House served as a hydrotherapy clinic during the times of the Russian Empire. Currently listed as an architectural and cultural monument of national importance, the building has served as the headquarters of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of the Republic of Moldova since 2004, and underwent a yearlong renovation, which was completed in late June 2016.

The renovation project for the historic premises was made possible thanks to the assistance of Olympic Solidarity, the European Olympic Committees, and the Moldovan Government.