#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.

Virtual Tour

International Collaboration

2008-2010

In collaboration with Deutsches Forschung Gemeinschaft (Bonn) and Institut Praehistorische Archaeologie, Frei Universitat (Berlin) in the period of July 1 – August 31, 2008 there were conducted archaeological field excavations in the Late Bronze Age settlement from Odaia (Drochia district, Republic of Moldova). Interdisciplinary studies: accumulation of soil samples to perform chemical, palaeobotanical, and palaeozoological analysis to determine the palaeoeconomy of the Late Bronze Age.

Collaboration between the National Museum of Archeology and History of Moldova and the National Museum Complex "Moldova", Iasi, in association with museums from Ukraine, embodied in the organization of a joint exhibition „Cucuteni-Trypillia, Una Grande Civilta dell’ Antica Europa, V-III millenni a.C.” in the Vatican Chancellery Palace in Rome (September 16 - November 5, 2008). Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Cults of Romania, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Moldova as a special guest, the collective exhibition brought together nearly five hundred objects covering the entire area of the ancient civilization of Cucuteni-Tripolye.

In collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology “Vasile Parvan” (Bucuresti, Romania) there was organized the 9th International Symposium of Numismatics, held in Chisinau on October 17-18, 2008. The event was attended by about 30 researchers, museum specialists, and collectors from the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, and France. The symposium program included 18 scientific communications, which contributed to the progress of numismatics as a science.

On November 12 – 13, 2009 there were held the 10th International Numismatic Symposium, in which researchers from Romania (Bucharest, Suceava), Ukraine (Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Chernovtsy), and different research institutions from the Republic of Moldova have presented their scientific reports.

The National Museum of Archeology and History of Moldova participated in the project “Cultural Heritage without Borders” initiated by the Romanian Literature Museum and the District Library “Gh. Asachi” from Iasi (Romania) in the period of September 2008 – June 2009. The project was funded by the EU in the framework of the Neighborhood Program Romania – the Republic of Moldova. The project activities were the following: organization of workshops on cultural marketing, two travelling exhibitions (European Values in Interwar Chisinau, European Values in Interwar Iasi), a database; publishing of brochures, leaflets, and maps on marketing and cultural entrepreneurship. Coordinator: Dr. E. Postica.

The National Museum of Archeology and History of Moldova, in partnership with the Museum "Vasile Parvan" from Barlad and in association with the Botosani District Museum and the Mixed Museum from Tecuci (Romania), participated in the project “Late Antiquity in Prut Basin”. The project was funded by the EU in the framework of the Neighborhood Program Romania – the Republic of Moldova. Aim of the project: to enter in scientific and public circulation new evidences relating to the common history and culture on both sides of the Prut River. The project duration: September 17, 2008 – September 17, 2009. The project activities: organizing of the travelling exhibition “Late Antiquity in Prut Basin” (held on January 31 at Botosani, March 26 at Tecuci, May 17 at Barlad, and June 17 in Chisinau), the Scientific Workshop (May 22, 2009, Barlad), archaeological excavations (in the necropolis of Polocin/Pogonesti, the Iasi District), publishing of the Exhibition Catalogue. Coordinators: Dr.Hab. E. Sava, V. Bubulici.

The National Museum of Archeology and History of Moldova, in partnership with the National Museum Complex "Moldova", Iasi, and the District Museum of History “Stefan cel Mare”, Vaslui, participated in the project “Cucuteni – the Magic of Ceramics” funded by the EU in the framework of the Neighborhood Program Romania – the Republic of Moldova, 2004-2006. The project aimed to promote and facilitate public access to the shared invaluable cultural heritage. The project activities have resulted in organization of the temporary exhibition “Cucuteni – the Magic of Ceramics” in both the countries (July 23 in Chisinau and August 14 in Iasi). Coordinators: Dr.Hab. E. Sava, Dr. E. Postica.

The National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova has developed the project "Providing the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova with technical equipment for the modernization of the restoration, exhibition activities and work with the public" financially supported by the Government of Japan in the framework of the Program of small-scale financial assistance in the field of culture, which is a part of the Japanese official assistance program for the development of the Republic of Moldova. The official presentation of the grant agreement for the project won by NMAHM was held on October 7, 2009 in the presence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Moldova E.S. Tadashi IZAWA. Duration of the project: October 2009 - October 2010. Aims: to provide the laboratories for metal and wooden objects restoration with modern equipment, to provide the museum exhibitions and the cinema hall for the public with audiovisual equipment, to provide modern showcases for temporary exhibitions. Coordinator: A. Cornetchi.