#Exhibit of the Month

Fire artillery in Romanian space is attested from the first half of the 15th century. The oldest pieces of artillery are the bronze and iron bombards discovered in the fortresses of Giurgiu, Severin, Bârlad and Orheiul Vechi.

The exposed cannon was discovered in the village of Grinăuți-Moldova, Ocnița district, it dates from the second half of the 15th century. From a typological point of view, in the central-eastern European space, the cannon from Grinăuți-Moldova is a unique piece.

It is a short-barreled mortar-type artillery piece that fits perfectly into the line of bombards in Europe used in the second half of the 15th century - the beginning of the 16th century.

The cannon was used to launch projectiles (bullets) at the enemy behind fortifications or natural obstacles. The projectiles were loaded through the mouth of the barrel. The firing angle was over 45 degrees, and the trajectory of the projectile was curved with a range of up to 300-400 m. In Europe, these cannons were called mortars, and in Romanian space they were designated by the word piua, thanks to the shape of this object.

The cannon from Grinăuți-Moldova was discovered by chance in the "Red Bank" location, located 15 km southwest of the Lipnicu plain where Lord Stefan the Great defeated the Tatars in 1470. According to a legend from the village of Grinăuți-Moldova, in the "Red Bank" location, a military confrontation between Moldovans and Tatars would have taken place prior to the battle of Lipnic.

The cannon from Grinăuți-Moldova is made of cast iron by the casting method. The barrel is provided with a single hole in the front, the opposite side being blocked by the flat bottom with flared edge. The inside of the pipe is a relatively wide channel that narrows slightly towards the bottom. Loading with powder and cannonballs was done through the mouth of the cannon. A hole is provided near the base for the wick to ignite and detonate the dust inside the cannon. The surface of the cannon is embossed. The edge of the mouth is thickened, slightly curved. Two cylindrical supports with a diameter of 3.5 cm are provided in the central part of the body of the cannon in the axis, which served as handles for the installation and handling of the cannon on a wooden frame.

The length of the cannon is 30.0 cm, the maximum diameter of the body - 17.8 cm, the outside diameter of the mouth - 19.4 cm, the diameter of the body in the middle - 13.5 cm, the outside diameter of the base - 17.0 cm, the caliber of the cannon (mouth diameter) is 12.8 cm, the length of the inner chamber of the cannon - 27.4 cm, the weight of the cannon - 18,730 kg.

The cannon from Grinăuți-Moldova entered the custody of the National Museum of History of Moldova through the care of local history teacher Vlad Lvovsky.

The conservation of the piece of cultural heritage was carried out by Valeriu Bubulici, and the reconstruction of the atmosphere by the restorer Mihail Culașco.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“30 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Moldova”

July 21 - August 21, 2022

The diplomatic relations between Germany and Moldova began 30 years ago with the signing of the protocol about the inception of the diplomatic relations on 30 April 1992. This was followed by the opening of the German Embassy in Chisinau on 31 October 1992 and of the Moldovan Embassy in Germany on 28 March 1995.

The exhibition, devoted to this cause, shows the development of the German-Moldovan relations and highlights important steps and key areas of the cooperation.

Germany supports Moldova's European path sharing the same values, its its long-term development and its stabilization in the face of multiple crises. Moldova considers Germany as one of the closest partners within the European Union. The cooperation in the areas of culture, development cooperation and economy are very much appreciated.

The cultural exchange and transfer are as wide and varied as the cultural areas included in this exchange. It comprises among others the promotion of German language, academic and scientific exchange as well as the organization and support of numerous cultural projects and events.

The bilateral development cooperation that started in 1993 is particularly close and focused on sustainable economic and social development and good governance. Over 1 billion euros have been committed by various partners in this period.

In the sphere of economy Germany is one of the most important foreign trade partners of the Republic Moldova and accounts for a great deal of imports and exports. Numerous direct investments of German companies contribute to the promotion of the Moldovan economy and the creation of jobs.

The political cooperation and exchange between both countries is also very close. Heads of states and governments from the Republic of Moldova came regularly for political visits to Germany. In 2012 Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Chisinau and delivered a speech in parliament, a rare honor. The visit of the Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2014 paved the way for the so-called Berlin-Process two years later, that led to the improvement of living conditions of people on both banks of the Dniester. In 2021 both Presidents, Ms. Maia Sandu and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, took turns in paying each other state visits.

Find out more about this and other aspects of German-Moldovan relations over the years in this exhibition!

The exhibition 30 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Moldova can be seen in the MNIM ground floor hall (31 August 1989 street, nr. 121 A) between July 21 and August 21, 2022.