#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”

ȚĂRII CRIȘURILOR MUSEUM – MUSEUM COMPLEX

January 16 – March 1, 2024

On January 16, 2024, the Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repressions of the National Museum of History of Moldova together with the Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex, in partnership with the Bihor County Council and the Oradea City Hall, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, organized the opening of the photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" (curator Dr. Ludmila Cojocaru).

The exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" presents photo-documentary images that reflect the life of Bessarabian children condemned to deportation, starvation, Russification, indoctrination and forced separation from their families based on the repressive policies of the totalitarian-communist regime in the Moldavian SSR, in the periods 1940-1941 and 1944-1953. The exhibition brings together about 180 photo-documentary images, accompanied by memories and archival documents from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova, the Edineț County Museum, the Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca, the Pro Memory Institute, from the archives of the local memory communities, as well as from the family archives of the totalitarian-communist regime's victims.

The vernissage was opened by the public speeches by Prof. Dr. Gabriel Moisa, manager of the Oradea Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex, Dr. Cristina Liana Pușcaș, museographer, and via video by the curator Dr. Ludmila D. Cojocaru, Museum of Victims of Deportations and Political Repressions, branch of the National Museum of History of Moldova. Among those present at the Opening were: SE Virgil Bercea, the Greek-Catholic bishop of Oradea, deputy Ioan Mang, as well as students from the "Iuliu Maniu" Greek-Catholic High School, the "Emanuil Gojdu" National College and the Orthodox High School "Roman Bishop Ciorogariu" of Oradea.

The exhibition is hosted by the Oradea City Museum section (Emanuil Gojdu Street no. 39-41) until March 1, 2024, and can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The photo-documentary exhibition "Childhood in the Gulag" was made with the support of "The Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion Programme" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.