Municipality of Moinesti

The Municipality of Moinesti is located in the north-west side of Bacau County, in the middle of the Trotus-Tazlau Rivers basin system, at the northern foot of Culmea Berzunti Mountains, at 480 meters altitude, 45 kilometres from the Municipality of Bacau (County residence), in an area with rich natural resources (oil, coal, healing mineral waters).

The locality is mentioned for the first time in an official document in 1437. As early as the 15th century oil is said to be present here. Thus, internal documents and papers reveal names of some places with crude oil, such as crude pools or crude fountains on the estate of some boyars.

During the reign of Stephen the Great (1457-1504) the place is brought to mind in the context of the withdrawal to Transylvania, as part of Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus’ army took the road crossing Moinesti, after the defeat in the battle of Baia (1467).

Dimitrie Cantemir mentioned in ‘Descriptio Moldaviae’, in 1716, that ‘on Tazlaul Sarat, not far from Moinesti village, in the County of Bacau, there is a spring of crude oil mixed with water, which peasants use to oil their carts.’ Moinesti Village is also mentioned on Bauer’s Map of Moldavia (1783).

The first document mentioning Moinesti as a town (with 188 houses and 588 inhabitants) dates back to 1832.

The settlement was ranked among towns until 1864, when, after the implementation of the administrative organisation law and of the communal law, it became a rural commune.

The oldest mention about the existence and exploitation of oil in Romania refers to the locality of Lucacesti, now an integrating part of the city of Moinesti, on Tazlaul Sarat Valley. The first oil refineries of Romania are mentioned in the first part of the 19th century, in Gazarie, a district of Moinesti city. The first mechanic well of Romania (1861) was drilled in the oil basin of Moldova and is also among the first in the world. The fourth biggest refinery of Romania was set up in Moinesti (1923).

Moinesti city was declared Municipality in 2001. In the population census of 2011, the Municipality of Moinesti recorded 21,787 inhabitants.

Tourists visiting Moinesti can enjoy the beauties of the local relief and flora, the natural landscapes, numerous tourist attractions and landmarks: Bai Park (with healing mineral waters), the Park with Pine Trees, Cetatuia (Dacian fortified city archaeologically certified), Dealul lui Ghindaru (where archaeologists discovered artefacts of the pre-Cucuteni culture, over 5,000 years old), DADA Monument (the work of Ingo Glass artist), Kaddish House and the Jewish Cemetery (where the oldest tomb stone with recognisable text dates back to 1692), Tarnita Bottomless Lake. In the immediate proximity of the Municipality there is Stirigoi Monastery (surrounded by ancient forests), Targu-Ocna Saline, Slanic Moldova resort and Rosetti-Tescanu Centre of Culture.

We also bring to mind Pious Parascheva Church (1702), the churches St. Nicholas (about 1800), St. John (before 1839), St. George (1856), the monument devoted to the heroes who died in the War of Independence, monument unveiled in 1908.

Poet and essayist Tristan Tzara (Samuel Rosenstock) was born in Moinesti on April 16, 1896, (died in 1963), who later moved to France, co-founder of Dadaism, literary and artistic trend that appeared in Europe during and immediately after the First World War. AGERPRES