#Exhibit of the Month

The Chișinău Diocesan Girls' School opened its doors on May 3, 1864, addressing a pressing need: in Bessarabia there were no institutions dedicated to the education of clergy's daughters. According to the 1864 circular, teaching was conducted in the Romanian language, a provision applied throughout the diocese. The school's first headmistress was Anastasia Rizo, of noble origin, invited by Archbishop Antonie.

The curriculum, approved by the Ministry of Public Education and the Chișinău Diocese, combined theoretical subjects with practical training. Students studied religion, reading and writing in Romanian, Slavonic, and Russian, arithmetic and exercises in calculation, world history and geography. The program was complemented by church singing and practical skills such as sewing, embroidery, knitting, as well as household management - baking bread and prosphora, preparing meals and preserves, caring for livestock, and cultivating gardens.

The composite, taken in 1911 at the studio of Z. N. Sumovski in Chișinău, depicts 29 graduates and 13 teachers. At the center are portraits of Bishop Serafim (Ciciagov), headmistress N. R. Mihelson, teacher V. E. Bejerian, and priests F. Ghiliarov and P. Jurikas. Among the teaching staff was Paraskovia Vasilievna Cuciurenko, a calligraphy teacher for 37 years, who in 1911 became senior educator and assistant headmistress. For her dedication, she was awarded the gold medal "For Long Service."

On the reverse of the vignette is a label from the store and workshop of frames, paintings, mirrors, and window glass owned by A. D. Kon'gova, Chișinău, Gogol Street no. 37, near the State Bank.

This graduation composite was donated at the end of 2025 to the National Museum of History of Moldova by the Dadiștian family from Drochia.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“About the Polish language in Chișinău”

September 26 – October 26, 2023

In many countries, the European Day of Languages is celebrated on each September 26 since 2001 on the initiative of the Council of Europe. Thanks to the events organized on this occasion, Europeans discover different languages and cultures. Cześć, gąszcz, czyżyk, źdźbło, mitrężycyt, dżdżysto, gżegżółka, chrząszcz - discover the beauty of the Polish language in the Romanian version of the exhibition prepared by the Polish Institute in Bucharest.

We invite you on a journey through an unusual alphabet, listening to the hissing and rustling sounds of the Polish language. Our guides will be associations, dots, dashes and tails, which will help you remember the most interesting things about the Polish language.

The exhibition about the Polish language is presented in the context of the approaching academic year, during which we hope to be able to resume language courses as well. It also accompanies the celebration of the European Day of Languages.

The first source attesting to the Polish language is a papal document from the early 12th century. It mentions the oldest Polish names and surnames. The first longer text was written about 200 years later. In the 15th century there were already poems, prose and documents in Polish.

The exhibition dedicated to the Polish language presents a brief history of the language, the main pronunciation rules, and numerous peculiarities. The viewer finds out, among other things, what is the oldest sentence written in Polish, what "strange" letters are in the Polish alphabet, as well as onomatopoeic expressions that sound funny and literally whistle, squeak and creak on the exhibition panels.

The exhibition not only allows us to discover more about the Polish language, but also encourages us to learn this interesting language that is spoken by more than 40 million people around the world.

The exhibition can be seen from September 26 to October 26, 2023 on the fence of the National Museum of History of Moldova.