#Exhibit of the Month

This clay vessel was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist V. Sorochin during excavations of a burial mound (no. 1) located in the village of Speia, Dubăsari District. It originates from grave no. 5 and is dated to the 4th millennium BC, belonging to the Usatovo culture.
The vessel was found in a child's grave. The burial pit had an oval shape, and the deceased was laid in a crouched position (similar to the fetal posture), on the left side. A total of five vessels were uncovered in this grave: three near the back, one at the feet, and one in the pelvic area.
The cultural attribution of this funerary complex was determined based on the burial rite and grave goods. This culture is characterized by the specific construction of the burial pit, as well as the positioning and orientation of the deceased toward the east and northeast.

The vessel is shaped from clay mixed with finely crushed shell. Its walls curve gradually toward the top, with the widest diameter at the shoulder area. It has a short neck, a slightly flared rim, and a flat base. The surface is carefully polished, in some areas to a lustrous finish. The interior is reddish-brown, while the exterior is yellowish-brown with gray spots. The rim features groups of perforations, three of which are preserved in their original state. The diameter of the holes is 0.35 cm. The space between the groups of perforations is decorated with cord impressions. The transition from the neck to the shoulder is adorned with three horizontal lines made with cord, from which, in five places, three vertical lines descend, each 5 cm long, executed using the same technique. At the time of discovery, these lines were filled with a white paste. The space between the groups of lines is decorated at the top with short vertical lines (0.5 cm long), and in the center with a meander ornament made of two parallel lines impressed with cord. The base of the vessel retains the imprint of a textile.
Vessel dimensions: Height: 22 cm; Rim diameter: 15.7 cm; Maximum diameter: 22 cm; Base diameter: 10 cm.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“CHILDHOOD IN THE GULAG”

Drochia Museum of History, Ethnography and Art

April 1 – 27, 2022

The Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repressions (a branch of the National Museum of History of Moldova) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania organized on April 1, 2022, at 14:00, the opening of the photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" at the Museum of History, Ethnography and Art in Drochia (16 Strugurilor Street), with on-site and online presence.

The exhibition brings together about 180 photo-documentary images, accompanied by memoirs and archival documents from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova, the Edineț Regional Museum, the Soroca Museum of History and Ethnography, the Archive of the ProMemoria Institute, archives of memory societies from the villages of the Republic of Moldova and especially from the family archives of the victims of the totalitarian-communist regime in the Moldavian SSR.

H.E. Kęstutis Kudzmanas, the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Chișinău made a welcoming speech at the opening of the exhibition. Ms. Rodica Lozovan, the representative of the Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports Directorate spoke on behalf of the local authorities. Mr. Dumitru Postovan on behalf of the Drochia Museum of History, Ethnography and Art addressed all participants with the invitation to visit the exhibition from April 1 to 27. Dr. Ludmila Cojocaru, Head of the Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repressions, presented to the audience the concept and the main compartments of the photo-documentary exhibition.

The exhibition was accompanied by a round table moderated by Dr. Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu, Head of the Modern History Department at the Institute of History. The round table was attended by representatives of regional museums, students of the Alecu Russo State University Bălți and the State University of Moldova, as well as victims of deportations and political repressions in the Moldavian SSR.

The event ended with a classical music concert in memory of the victims of Stalinist deportations and repressions, as well as the recent child victims of the war in Ukraine.

The photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" is realized within the Project "Strengthening the European culture of memory by disseminating historical knowledge and promoting democratic values: exchange and implementation of the best practices between Lithuania and the Republic of Moldova" (VB52-1), with the support of The Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.

#Exhibit of the Month

Clay Vessel discovered in Speia Village, Dubăsari District

“CHILDHOOD IN THE GULAG”

Drochia Museum of History, Ethnography and Art

April 1 – 27, 2022

#Exhibit of the Month