#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

Visit of researcher Jan Mispelaere from the Royal Swedish Archives to the National Museum of History of Moldova

October 9-10, 2023

During October 9-10, 2023, the National Museum of History of Moldova had the pleasure of hosting the visit of researcher Dr. Jan Mispelaere from Riksarkivet (Royal Swedish Archives). Dr. Mispelaere, concerned with the Moldavian-Swedish history, visited the museum in order to carry out research in connection with the historical site "Camp of the Swedish King Charles XII" in Varnița commune, Republic of Moldova.

This visit represented a significant step in the scientific collaboration efforts between specialists from the Republic of Moldova and Sweden. Together with Dr. Ion Tentiuc, specialist in archeology and ancient history at the National Museum of History of Moldova, Dr. Mispelaere took soil samples from the historical site. These samples will later be subjected to thorough analyzes in laboratories in Sweden, with the aim of determining whether they match the traces identified in the Swedish archival documents, kept at the Riksarkivet.

The close collaboration between researchers from the Republic of Moldova and Sweden, highlighted by this research visit, opens new opportunities for a deeper understanding of Moldovan-Swedish history and for strengthening our knowledge of the common cultural and historical heritage. This research initiative is an eloquent example of how international expertise and resources can contribute to the development of historical knowledge to the benefit of both countries.

The National Museum of History of Moldova expresses its gratitude to Dr. Jan Mispelaere and Dr. Ion Tentiuc for their efforts to promote cultural and historical collaboration, and looks forward to the results of further research. This initiative is a positive example of how joint research can help reveal and promote our shared history and culture.