Mosaic - Tree of Life - Hristovaia House of Culture

A stylised tree of life rendered in small ceramic tesserae spreads across a rendered gable wall, its branches carrying angular folk flowers in blue, ochre, and deep red. A dense geometric border in dark green runs up the left edge and across the eaves line, echoing Moldovan embroidery. The spaciousness of the mosaic and the deep colors make it a stunning piece in a far-flung corner of Pridnestrovia (Transnistria). Two more mosaics, around the corner on the front of the House of Culture are visible when driving up the road. Presumably the mosaics date from 1989, when the house of culture was completed – just two years before the USSR’s collapse, and three years before the civil war with authorities in Chisinau.