#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.

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Exhibitions

“Childhood in the Gulag”

Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca

April 28 – May 26, 2022

The Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repression of MNIM, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, opened on April 28, 2022, at 14:00, the photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" with the Round Table at the Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca (Independenței Street, no. 68, Soroca), with on-site and online participation.

The director of the Museum of History and Ethnography from Soroca Nicolae Bulat addressed the visitors of the exhibition with a welcoming speech, emphasizing the relevance of the topic brought to the attention of the general public of the Republic of Moldova in the context of international events. Dr. Ludmila Cojocaru, head of the Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repressions, a branch of the NMHM, presented to the audience the concept and main compartments of the exhibition. The head of the Department of Contemporary History of the Institute of History Dr. Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu stressed the importance of the support from European partners in expanding the horizons of historical research in the Republic of Moldova.

The exhibition was accompanied by the round table with the participation of history teachers from Soroca district, students of the Alecu Russo State University Bălți and the State University of Moldova, as well as representatives of regional museums. Of particular interest were subjects related to the circumstances of forced schooling and labor training of children from families of "enemies of the people". The researchers discussed the transgenerational impact of the trauma caused by the totalitarian-communist regime and the need to study it, and museographers reiterated the importance of museographic development of the memory of deportations and political repressions in the Moldavian SSR and joining efforts to preserve this historical heritage.

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

The opening of the photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" at the Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca is a tribute to the memory of children who went through the atrocities of the totalitarian communist regime in the USSR, as well as to the memory of the child victims of the war in Ukraine.

The photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" is open to the public from April 28 to May 26, 2022.

The photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" was 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" (code 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”

Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca

April 28 – May 26, 2022

#Exhibit of the Month