#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. 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

“Echoes of War”

4-31 October, 2023

"Echoes of War", witness silent symphony of tales etched in forsaken homes and faded toys - remnants of laughter and life once vibrant. Amidst the rubble, silent voices hum and whisper. From this void, new stories arise, life persists.

In this deeply poignant exhibition, the Syrian photographer Omar Sanadiki provides a reflective visual journey contrasting the silent echoes and turbulent atmospheres from the war that broke out in 2011 in Syria with those captured in 2023 in Ukraine.

In his body of work, Sanadiki captivates the essence of shared human resilience and struggle evident in the faces, landscapes, and stories immortalized in each photograph. This exhibition is not a mere depiction of wars; it unearths the universal human spirit encased in time and space, a whispering echo between two disparate nations intertwined in a common saga of conflict and hope.

The photographs reveal the stories of those who have been forced to endure the irreversible consequences of political folly, the echoes of their silent voices resonating through the powerful imagery of destroyed homelands and shattered lives. It is a contemplative exploration of war, weaving together a mosaic of suffering, strength, loss, and survival, transcending geographical and cultural or linguistic boundaries.

The exhibition has been created as a result of the study visit organized by the European External Action Service to Ukraine in June 2023.

The War as I Saw it:

It is not my habit to talk about anything until I see it with my own eyes.
When I got the chance to visit Ukraine and see the war first-hand, I had an instant flashback to the war in Syria and I started remembering...
...remembering hundreds of images that I had seen in Syria, stories I have heard before, the suffering inflicted by the war and the photographs I had taken there. I began to compare the realities of the two wars: their commonalities and their contrasts.
War is war, wherever it happens, with its repercussions of homelessness, death and widespread destruction. Regardless where and when it happens, civilians are the first ones to suffer the consequences of a manmade tragedy.

The exhibition can be seen from October 4 to 31, 2023 on the fence of the National Museum of History of Moldova.