A warm school in Moldova reimagined in colour

Spicușor Kindergarten in Chișinău is one of dozens of public buildings in Moldova that have benefitted from energy efficiency upgrades supported by the EBRD and the E5P Fund. The Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership, backed by donors including Sweden and the European Union, helps make schools, kindergartens and other public facilities greener, warmer and more efficient.

At Spicușor Kindergarten, the improvements have brought significant change. Teachers recall winters when children kept their coats on during lessons because the heating system struggled to warm the classrooms. Today the school is warm, bright and welcoming, and its energy bills have been reduced.

Alla Vasilache, the school’s principal, explains: “During the cold season, the temperature in the classrooms could fall to 13 or 14 degrees. Children had to wear warm clothing indoors to stay healthy. Now the environment is completely different. The school feels safe, comfortable and full of energy.” She adds that the upgrades have brought “a renewed sense of dignity and well-being for both staff and students.”

“The changes have given our school warmth, dignity and a new sense of pride.”

— Alla Vasilache, school principal

Chișinău’s vibrant street art scene provided an unexpected way to make this transformation visible. The city is known for large murals and strong community-rooted expression, making public art a natural medium to celebrate the school’s renewal. Local street artist and activist Dmitri Potapov, known as BTA, was invited to create a mural that would reflect the spirit of the project. His work often explores themes of Moldovan identity, memory and positive social change.

For Potapov, painting in public space is both powerful and deeply personal. “Street art is like a public mirror,” he says. “The moment you finish a mural, you are completely exposed to everyone who walks by. It is a kind of gallery open to all, not only to people with artistic training.”
He adds, “I taught myself to paint. For me, art became a way to show who I am and to connect with the city around me."

The mural was shaped with the participation of the children themselves. Potapov led workshops where students explored colour, played with shapes and imagined what their warm, joyful school looked like. Their drawings featured suns, trees, windows and smiling faces, many of which became part of the final piece. 

When painting began, the children joined in to help fill in parts of the background. Parents, teachers and neighbours gathered to watch as the artwork evolved, turning an ordinary wall into a vivid expression of community pride. The mural now pairs the artist’s clean, disciplined shapes with the children’s more spontaneous forms

The completed piece now stands as a testament to what donor support and collaboration can achieve. This artwork represents more than improvements in energy performance. It reflects comfort, pride and a shared commitment to creating better environments for children to learn and thrive. 

About the E5P

The E5P is a multi-donor fund helping Moldova to finance green municipal infrastructure that saves energy and fosters reform. The E5P provides investment grants that are blended with loans from international financial institutions, such as the EBRD.

Active donors to the ESP Fund in Moldova include the European Union, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.