The Vadul Rașcov bell tower, restored with European Union and UNDP support, inaugurated together with the community

According to the UNDP release republished by Europe Says, the intervention, valued at approximately EUR 140,480, was funded by the European Union through the Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).[2]The release says the project is part of a package of four cultural heritage interventions supported by the Confidence Building Measures Programme between 2024 and 2026.[2] According to the release, the other sites include the Țîpova Cave Monastery, the Great Synagogue of Rașcov, and the façade of the former Savings Bank and Treasury Building in Tighina/Bender.[2]Iwona Piórko, the EU Ambassador to Moldova, said in the release that restoring the tower preserves "an important part of Moldova's heritage for future generations."[2]The release says the bell tower also served as a learning site for young people who had chosen the restoration profession for the first time.[2] EU Neighbours East reported that in May 2026, a group of 30 students from the Moldovan Centre of Excellence in Construction learned various restoration techniques directly from professionals[3] on a study visit.Seher Ariner, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to Moldova, said in the release that "heritage conservation is not simply about restoring buildings."[2]According to the release, the tower was built by anonymous craftspeople using local limestone[2] and has served both as a bell tower and as a gateway to the cemetery.[2]