Chișinău Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences

The Chișinău Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (Romanian: Grădina botanică din Chișinău a Academiei de Științe a Moldovei) was founded in 1950 by the Russian Academy of Science.

Two years later, the garden was given the status of a Research Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Moldovan SSR.

In 2001, a large portion of the botanical garden was leased to private companies, including Elat, which established a series of restaurants, playgrounds, ice cream parlors, and a zoo.

Alexandru Ciubotaru, the director of the Botanical Garden, explained that the Academy of Science of Moldova allowed the commercialization of the garden because they were, at the time, under-budgeted by the Moldovan Government.

[specify] The director said that the garden would slowly solve most of its problems on its own, refusing to renew the lease with Elat, which expired on July 7, 2005.