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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

„Petru Lucinschi: Portrait Over Time”

January 27 - February 28, 2025

The exhibition marks the 85th anniversary Petru Lucinschi, second President of the Republic of Moldova. It features approximately 180 photographs, documents, distinctions, books, works of art, personal items, and other documentary evidence that reconstruct the most significant stages of the renowned politician and statesman's life and career.

Petru Lucinschi's biography is closely intertwined with the times in which he lived and worked with passion and dedication, as well as with the recent history of the Republic of Moldova, including its political and socio-economic transformations during the early years of independence and the international affirmation of the young sovereign state.
Born on January 27, 1940, in Rădulenii Vechi, Florești District, Petru Lucinschi graduated from the State University of Moldova, Faculty of History and Philology, in 1962. He is a member of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Russian Federation (Moscow) and holds a PhD in Philosophy (1977).

Between 1960 and 1971, he held roles as instructor, department head, secretary, and first secretary of the Central Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League (ULCT) in the Moldavian SSR. From 1971 to 1976, he served as secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldova (CCPCM). Between 1976 and 1978, he was first secretary of the Chișinău City Committee of the Communist Party. From 1978 to 1986, he worked as deputy section chief of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). From 1986 to 1989, he was second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan.

In 1989, he was elected first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldova, serving until 1990. Between 1990 and 1991, he was secretary of the Central Committee and a member of the Politburo of the CPSU. From 1991 to 1992, he worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of Socio-Political Research of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation and as executive director of the Fund for Social Science Development of the same academy. From 1992 to 1993, he served as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Russian Federation.

On February 4, 1993, he was elected President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. From December 1, 1996, to April 4, 2001, he served as President of the Republic of Moldova.

Petru Lucinschi was a deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR (1967-1980), the Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan (1986-1990), and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1986-1991). From 1990 to 1996, he was a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

Currently, he is the president of the Lucinschi Foundation for Strategic Studies and Development of International Relations.

In 2005, Petru Lucinschi was awarded the "Order of the Republic". He also holds prestigious international honors, including the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor (France, 1998), the Order of the Savior (Greece, 1999), the Grand Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem, 2000), and the Order of the Star of Romania in the rank of Collar (Romania, 2000).

The exhibition will be open to visitors from January 27 to February 28, 2025, in the upper-floor hall of the National Museum of History of Moldova, located at 121A 31 August 1989 Street, Chișinău.


 




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
  
April 6 – May 6, 2026
 
27 March – 30 April 2026
 
September 25, 2025 – September 1, 2026
 
August 11, 2025 – January 31, 2026
 
Over 2500 pieces made of precious metals with historic, artistic and symbolic value
  

Come to Museum! Discover the History!
  
Visit museum
Visit museum
Summer schedule: daily
10am – 6pm.

Winter schedule: daily
10am – 5pm.
Closed on Mondays.
Entrance fees:  adults - 50 MDL, Pensioners, students - 20 lei, pupils - 10 MDL. Free access: enlisted men (...)

WiFi Free Wi-Fi Zone in the museum: In the courtyard of the National History Museum of Moldova there is Wi-Fi Internet access for visitors.


#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

menu
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