Cafeneaua Guguţă: heritage and civic activism in Chișinău

The Cafeneaua Guguță is a socialist modernist building located in Ștefan cel Mare City Park in the centre of Chișinău, the capital of the Republic of Moldova. A popular hangout among the city’s late- and post-Soviet children and young people, it fell into disrepair after the café’s closure in 2007. This article examines the history and fate of the Guguță as the café became the subject of civic activism and protest, with residents, authorities, and private business battling over its privatisation and proposals for its demolition. While the building was at risk of demolition, as it was not included on the official list of objects of national heritage, I examine the process by which it has been “heritagised” from below, that is, it has been designated heritage by the people who interact with the space and have memories of the café’s use. Through citizen intervention, the Cafeneaua Guguță was transformed into a symbol in the fight for Chișinău’s urban public spaces. Citizen efforts to preserve the building, moreover, highlight the role of urban activism as a means to advocate for change, address social and political issues, shape the development and governance of their city, and push for change at a national level.