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#Exhibit of the Month

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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


Exhibitions

“Art in Motion: From Sketch to Film”

October 28 – November 28, 2025

The exhibition "Art in Motion: From Sketch to Film", organized to mark the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, aims to explore the valuable contributions of production designers who have been active since the founding of the Moldova-Film studio, such as Aurelia Roman and Stanislav Bulgakov.

Moldova-Film became an independent film studio in 1952 under the name "Moldovan Studio for Documentary Newsreels." On January 24, 1957, following its reorganization and renaming as the "Moldova-Film Studio for Newsreels and Documentaries," cinematography quickly became a cultural pillar of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the studio was reorganized into the State Concern "Moldova Film," then in 1994 into the State Cinematographic Studio Moldova Film. Since 1999, following further restructuring, it has operated as the Joint Stock Company "Moldova Film." Over four decades, the studio produced feature films, documentaries, and animated works that shaped generations and contributed to a distinct visual identity in the Eastern European cultural space.

In this universe of moving images, scenography plays a vital role. The production designer is the artist who gives shape to the cinematic world-designing sets, imagining costumes, and creating the visual atmosphere that supports the story. They are architects of emotion, painters of narrative space.

The exhibition "Art in Motion: From Sketch to Film" showcases scenographic heritage preserved in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova, highlighting the work of Aurelia Roman-a remarkable production designer active at Moldova-Film between 1959 and 1987. A graduate of the Art Faculty at VGIK Moscow, Aurelia Roman contributed to the visual realization of over twenty films through costume sketches, set designs, and film posters, many of which are now preserved as museum heritage pieces.

The exhibition also features works from the collection of Stanislav Bulgakov-production designer and Honored Master of Art of the Moldavian SSR. The artistic collaboration between Roman and Bulgakov visually shaped the identity of Moldovan cinematography in the second half of the 20th century, contributing to the aesthetics of films such as Red Meadows, The Man Follows the Sun, Risk, and Serghei Lazo.

Through this exhibition, the public is invited to discover the artistic process behind the screen-from the first line drawn on paper to the final image on film. It is a journey into the backstage of creation, a tribute to scenography as an art form and an integral part of national cultural heritage.

Opening: October 28, 14:00, first-floor lobby of the National Museum of History of Moldova.

The exhibition Art in Motion: From Sketch to Directed Film will be open to visitors from October 28 to November 28, 2025, in the first-floor lobby of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chișinău, 121A 31 August 1989 Street.



 




Independent Moldova
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Bessarabia and MASSR between the Two World Wars
Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
Revival of National Movement
Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
Phanariot Regime
Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
Era of the
Great Nomad Migrations
Early Middle Ages
Iron Age and Antiquity
Bronze Age
Aeneolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Palaeolithic Age
  
  

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#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...

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The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

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The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC