#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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Events Archive

Marking the 105th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania

March 27, 2023

On the occasion of the celebration of the 105th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, the National Museum of History of Moldova organized a series of activities aimed at honoring the historical event of the unification of the two Romanian provinces into a single state.

In this context, NMHM museographers organized thematic lessons for students, presenting them with the history of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania and its importance for our national history and culture.

In collaboration with the Brașov County Museum of History, the Forums Association, the Bessarabian Youth Association and the Brașov County Council, an exhibition celebrating the 105th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania was opened in the ground floor hall, entitled "Queen Maria, irresistible ambassador of history and Romanian folk art".

The exhibition is a tribute to a particularly important figure for our history, Queen Maria of Romania, who was one of the greatest ambassadors of Romanian culture, proudly promoting folk art and our ancient traditions. The exhibition speech made by the historian Nicolae Pepene is focused on archival images of the Crown Princess/Queen Maria of Romania in folk costume, photographed in her residences in Bicaz, Bran, Cotroceni or Peleș. Images from the period 1893 - 1936 are presented, accompanied by explanatory texts and quotes from the work of the sovereign. The exhibition also includes a selection of images from the illustration of children's books written by Queen Maria, works that abound in drawings inspired by the image of traditional Romanian costumes and objects adorned with popular motifs.

These activities highlighted the importance of reuniting the territories inhabited by Romanians under a single state and reaffirmed the cultural values and ancient traditions that define our national history. The National Museum of History of Moldova paid tribute to the values that define the Romanian people and emphasized the importance of preserving traditions, culture, national history and passing it on to younger generations.