#Exhibit of the Month

The Chișinău Diocesan Girls' School opened its doors on May 3, 1864, addressing a pressing need: in Bessarabia there were no institutions dedicated to the education of clergy's daughters. According to the 1864 circular, teaching was conducted in the Romanian language, a provision applied throughout the diocese. The school's first headmistress was Anastasia Rizo, of noble origin, invited by Archbishop Antonie.

The curriculum, approved by the Ministry of Public Education and the Chișinău Diocese, combined theoretical subjects with practical training. Students studied religion, reading and writing in Romanian, Slavonic, and Russian, arithmetic and exercises in calculation, world history and geography. The program was complemented by church singing and practical skills such as sewing, embroidery, knitting, as well as household management - baking bread and prosphora, preparing meals and preserves, caring for livestock, and cultivating gardens.

The composite, taken in 1911 at the studio of Z. N. Sumovski in Chișinău, depicts 29 graduates and 13 teachers. At the center are portraits of Bishop Serafim (Ciciagov), headmistress N. R. Mihelson, teacher V. E. Bejerian, and priests F. Ghiliarov and P. Jurikas. Among the teaching staff was Paraskovia Vasilievna Cuciurenko, a calligraphy teacher for 37 years, who in 1911 became senior educator and assistant headmistress. For her dedication, she was awarded the gold medal "For Long Service."

On the reverse of the vignette is a label from the store and workshop of frames, paintings, mirrors, and window glass owned by A. D. Kon'gova, Chișinău, Gogol Street no. 37, near the State Bank.

This graduation composite was donated at the end of 2025 to the National Museum of History of Moldova by the Dadiștian family from Drochia.

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Exhibitions

“The Division of Europe. Consequences of the Ribbentrop-Molotov (Hitler-Stalin) Pact”

July 31 – September 6, 2025

Between July 31 and September 6, 2025, the National Museum of History of Moldova will host the traveling exhibition "The Division of Europe. Consequences of the Ribbentrop-Molotov (Hitler-Stalin) Pact", organized in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Moldova Office, the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum, and the National Association of Young Historians of Moldova.

The exhibition opening will take place on July 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM on the ground floor of the National Museum of History of Moldova.

This exhibition was developed by the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum and the Chair of East European History at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, marking 85 years since the signing of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. Signed on August 23, 1939, between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the pact was more than a non-aggression treaty-it was a secret agreement to divide Central and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, with tragic consequences for millions of people.

Through archival documents, maps, photographs, and personal testimonies, the exhibition reconstructs the historical context of the pact and highlights its impact on Poland, the Baltic States, Romania, and other countries in the region. Deportations, forced occupations, loss of sovereignty, and human suffering are presented not only as historical facts but also as warnings for present and future generations.

This educational and commemorative initiative reflects the core values of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation: the defense of democracy, the promotion of the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the cultivation of responsible historical memory. In an era when historical truth is often contested or relativized, it is essential to provide the public with tools for critical understanding of the past.

The exhibition is part of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's broader efforts to support civic education and European dialogue. It offers a space for reflection for young people, educators, historians, and the general public, encouraging a deeper analysis of the tragedies caused by the pact and the dangers posed by historical silence or distortion.

Previously, the exhibition was presented at the Museum of the Edineț Region from June 5 to 30, 2025. By the end of the year, it will be shown in several other cities across the Republic of Moldova, in collaboration with local museums.