#Exhibit of the Month

One of the great technical achievements that revolutionized the idea of time and space, opening a new era in the history of communication, is telegraphy. It is based on the transmission of electrical signals through a cable over long distances, allowing people to communicate instantly. The telegraph spread very quickly and a network of wires stretched around the world.

In 1837, the American painter and physicist Samuel Morse invented the first electromagnetic device for telegraphy, patented in 1840. To send messages by wire, Morse developed in 1838 a simple code of dots and dashes, which represented the letters of the alphabet, known as "Morse code ".

Both Morse code and the telegraph machine were improved over time, with the telegraph becoming the most widespread system of communication and information transmission for more than a century, until the advent of the Internet. The telegraph system consisted of a series of stations repeaters along the transmission line route. Each station had an operator who received and transmitted messages by telegraph. The Morse machine transmitted about 25 words per minute, which were recorded in code on a paper tape. The operator in charge of transmitting the message would decode it and write it on paper using a special typewriter.

In Bessarabia, the telegraph entered in 1860: on April 8, the Bender telegraph station began its activity, and on April 24, the one in Chisinau, following the construction of the first Odesa-Chisinau-Leova telegraph line. Currently, telegraph services have been discontinued. The only ones who still use coded communication are radio amateurs.

The Morse telegraph machine shown comes from the Osinoostrovsky electrotechnical plant, Soviet Union, and dates back to 1934. The exhibit was restored by Mihail Culașco.

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Exhibitions

"With coats of arms at the table - in the world and at home..."

Exhibition of everyday objects dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Heraldry Cabinet within the Office of the President of the Republic of Moldova

March 30 – April 30, 2023

In our century, coats of arms represent the most solemn segment of emblems in use. Their highly elaborate artistic aspect and the enciphered symbolism that cannot be penetrated at first adds to the solemnity a touch of mystery intimidating to the man of today. Or, once the coat of arms could be seen everywhere, because it also had the function of a property mark. It was worn by numerous objects, including everyday and not very solemn ones.

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Heraldry Cabinet within the Office of the President of the Republic of Moldova (April 1, 2013, by the appointment of the first State Heraldist of the Republic of Moldova), this exhibition is part of the series of events promoting heraldic knowledge and use, supported by the National Commission of Heraldry attached to the President of the Republic of Moldova, from the moment of its establishment, with the support of traditional scientific partners, among which the National Museum of History of Moldova takes the leading place.

The purpose of the exhibition is to sensitize public opinion on the fact that a coat of arms can and must be used in everyday life without any restraint, in some mundane activities and situations. It is primarily about family and territorial coats of arms, because national symbols - official, cultural and natural - have never left our visual space, occupying more and more space.

The table, which brings together family members or friends, colleagues or relatives, has always been an opportunity to promote ideas. Table, tea and coffee services, cutlery, napkins and tablecloths, adjacent decorations and surrounding furniture began to be decorated with coats of arms right from the appearance of heraldic insignia. Thus, the compartments "A tea with a coat of arms", "A cup of coffee with a coat of arms", "A dairy with a coat of arms", "A beer with a coat of arms", "A wine with a coat of arms", "A strong drink with a coat of arms", "At the table with the Dutch royal family" reflects precisely this extremely widespread worldwide use of the coat of arms and complementary emblems.

The compartment "At the work table with coat of arms" marks the use of armoured objects when the man is working: at the writing table, at the sewing table, etc. Two other compartments "At the gaming table with a coat of arms" and "At a cigarette with a coat of arms" mark the other facet of human nature - the pleasure of entertainment. Two applied, historical domains were chosen, which also correspond to the structure of the collection.

The last two sections - "Daily heraldic use in the Republic of Moldova" and "Daily heraldic use in Romania" - present the situation in the Romanian space, which has not evolved much and is still mainly limited to the promotion of national heraldic symbols - the coat of arms and the state flag -, the other types of heraldic and complementary emblems remaining in the shadows. This exhibition is organized precisely to change this situation in our country, where the economic premises already allow the embodiment of such ideas that must not be delayed.

After the exhibition closes, most of the exhibited pieces, with historical value, will be donated to the Museum.

The exhibition "With the coat of arms on the table - in the world and at home..." will be open from March 30 to April 30, 2023, in the hall on the ground floor of the National History Museum of Moldova, str. 31 August 1989, 121A.