#Exhibit of the Month

We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life. The spirit of the Resurrection is beautifully complemented by ten Easter-themed postcards from the heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, printed a century ago. These pieces were added to the museum's postcard collection over a decade ago following a successful acquisition; as the fund for Easter-themed illustrations is modest, we are in a constant search for new additions.

These postcards are "extraordinary" in terms of their postal, typographical, and chromatic effects-the primary reason for revisiting this genre of greetings. Unlike "classic" postcards, these are smaller in size (6.5 cm x 11 cm), made of cardboard (with the exception of one piece made of photographic paper in black and white), and feature "vivid" colors. Printed in Romania and Germany, they bear the marks of having been sent and circulated through the post.

The name of the holiday originates from the verb persach, meaning "to pass," a term adopted by the Jews from the Egyptians. It entered the Romanian language through the Byzantine-Latin form Paschae, signifying the "passage through death to life, the victory of life, and liberation from the bondage of sin." Easter is a holiday of tolerance and forgiveness, representing a bridge between the present and the past. The significance of this celebration is conveyed through its symbols, which are also featured on these postcards: Hand-painted eggs, the Easter Bunny and the Lamb, traditional sweet breads (cozonac and pască), biblical scenes related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Easter table also features pască-a ritual food reminiscent of ancient, bloodless "reconciliation" sacrifices. Its preparation is the exclusive task of women, the givers of life, as the leavened dough is considered "alive."

The most significant component of the Easter holiday, however, is the Light. The Ceremony of the Holy Light is associated with the miracle of the light appearing on Easter Sunday at Christ's Tomb in Jerusalem. The candle, often depicted in these images, carries a powerful message; it is with the Resurrection candle that we return home after the midnight religious service. Furthermore, the Easter Bunny represents the rebirth of nature, so eagerly awaited after a harsh winter.

Unlike Christmas, when the announcement and ritual integration of the community into sacred time was the duty of caroling groups, at Easter, "one does not go from house to house." Instead, the ritual meal is organized within each family, symbolizing a direct communion with God.

Virtual Tour

European Night of Museums 2014

This year, two of the most important events in the worldwide community of museums - International Museum Day and Night of Museums were celebrated by the National Museum of History of Moldova on May 17. On this occasion, the museum prepared for visitors many interesting and varied activities, which started at 11:00 and ended at 02:00.

The theme for these extraordinary celebrations was "Museum collections make connections...between visitors, generations and cultures of the world.

Poster International Day of Museums 2014

The International Museum Day program started at 11:00 and ended at 18:00; it included a series of activities in the museum's rooms and in the courtyard. Among them:

In the museum's rooms:

Opening of the International Museum Day

Presentation of the museum's publications:

- Album "National Museum of History of Moldova (1983-2013)"

- A. Grițco. "Karl Schmidt"

- "Marketing in Contemporary Museum - Achievements and Problems"

Opening of the temporary exhibition "Courage and Faith" (Military decorations from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova)
Concert of classical music "The Realm of Music", with the participation of children from the Center for Aesthetic Education "Lăstărel"
Workshops for children and their parents: "Historical artifact through the eyes of a child", "Little ceramists", "History and art of writing"

In the courtyard:

Brass Band Concert of the Center for Aesthetic Education "Lăstărel"
Exhibition of retro cars
"A day in the life of a prehistoric community" - interactive activities in the reconstructed Cucutenian dwelling
Contemporary Ceramic Workshop led by ceramist I. Prividiuc
Children's toy fair. Children came to the museum with their toys, which they donated to an orphanage.
Games and contests for children, music and dance show with participation of artistic groups from the Center for Aesthetic Education "Lăstărel"
Workshops of medieval weapon skills and of electronic shooting organized by the Academy „Stefan cel Mare" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Presentation of the album "Moldova. Military tradition and culture" edited by the Academy „Stefan cel Mare" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

The activities dedicated to the International Museum Day were attended by 2371 people.

The European Night of Museums was celebrated from 18:00 to 2:00.

The program included:

In the museum's rooms:

Visiting the permanent and temporary exhibitions, entertainment with characters in costumes of different times
A musical journey through time:

- French music concert featuring winners of the National Francophone Song Festival 2014

- Musical interludes performed by pianist Vera Stoyanov, winner of International Music Competitions, and violinist Lia Rusu, winner of the National Music Competitions

- Chamber music performed by students of the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts

Thematic guided tours in the temporary exhibition "History of a Coin"
French films screenings, in the museum's Film Library "Clio": Ernest et Célestine by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner; Le Prénom by Alexandre de La Patellière and Mathieu Delaporte; Populaire by Régis Roinsard; Le gamin au vélo by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Interactive exhibition "My Country, My Family". The Night of Museums participants were invited to come with a family photo (older than 30 years), which will be exhibited in the hall of the museum within the exhibition reconstructing the history of the local community during a century. The exhibition included pictures owned by the Bejan, Chiciuc, Foca, Guja, Oprea, Sîrbu, and Semenciuc families.
Workshop "Newfound Stories. Hairstyle in History". Students of the Chisinau Professional School no. 1 presented the history of hairstyles (in ancient times, the Middle Ages, the modern time and the interwar period) and did all interested hairstyles from different periods of time.
"Behind the Exhibitions of the National Museum of History of Moldova" - interactive demonstrations and discussions. Museum restorers invited visitors to know how to identify, preserve and restore archaeological pottery, old books, clocks and icons.
Workshops for children and their parents: Origami Workshop "The Magic of Cucuteni Pottery" and the Glass Painting Workshop
Medieval armor stand and Photo Studio "Retro-Museum", in which the visitors could try on knights' armor and / or to make a picture in a specially designed vintage environment.
Screening Kaleidoscope of the Night 2014

In the courtyard:

"A night in the life of a prehistoric community" - interactive activities in the reconstructed Cucutenian dwelling
Interactive Workshops on weapon skills, archery, and javelin organized by the Academy „Stefan cel Mare" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Performance "Military Traditions. Between Past, Present and Future" staged by students of the Academy "Stefan cel Mare" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They offered a great costume show presenting mastery of weapons from different times.
Night guided tour "Architectural landmarks of Chisinau downtown". By means of two buses of the Urban Bus Fleet there were organized 14 guided tours to Stefan cel Mare Street, from one end to another, to discover some interesting details about the emblematic buildings of Chisinau.
Concert with Konstantin Pawliuk and the group "Clipele Moldovei"
Battles of knights and fire juggling staged by the Historical Club "Ensifer"
Concert of the band "No Stresss"

The celebration of the European Night of Museums at the National Museum of History of Moldova was attended by 15 845 people.