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#Exhibit of the Month

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The history of this icon traces back to the 10th century at the Protaton Monastery on Mount Athos. In one of the cells named "The Dormition of the Mother of God," an elderly hieromonk lived with his disciple. They preserved a superb depiction of the Virgin Mary. This old icon became renowned through the revelation of the prayer "It Is Truly Meet."
Between the years 980-982, on a Saturday evening before an all-night vigil, the elder monk left for the nearby church, instructing his disciple to continue the religious routine in the cell. Being obedient, the disciple followed the instructions. When he reached the 9th Ode of the Canons, "More Honorable Than the Cherubim...," he suddenly heard someone beginning to chant alongside him: "It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos..." It was a mysterious pilgrim monk who had appeared unexpectedly and joined in the prayers. At that moment, the icon began to radiate light, as if it were broad daylight. Astonished by the events, the disciple asked the mysterious monk to write down the verses. The monk wrote them on a tile with his finger as if it were soft wax and said, "From now on, this is how you Orthodox Christians should chant," and, saying this, he vanished. Left alone, the disciple realized he had witnessed a great miracle. Enlightened, he understood that the pilgrim was none other than the Archangel Gabriel, who had come, as he had before, to deliver the word of the Highest to humanity.

The icon was transferred from the cell to the Holy Altar of the Protaton Church, where a similar icon is preserved to this day. The tile with the divine hymn was taken to Constantinople and included in the Orthodox Church's liturgical books. Soon after, Archangel Gabriel's prayer was incorporated into the Divine Liturgy, immediately following the Consecration of the Gifts of Bread and Wine. The valley with the cells has since been called Adin, meaning "to chant," "chanting."

The icon "It Is Truly Meet" is of inestimable value and has become the protector of Mount Athos. The icon is celebrated on June 11/24, commemorating the miraculous appearance of the Archangel, and on July 13/26, in honor of the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.

This icon, of the Eleusa type, portrays gentleness and tenderness in its central figures. The Virgin holds the Child with her right hand, while her left hand, placed beneath His feet, grips the hem of His tunic. The small Jesus wears a short tunic reaching His knees and holds a scroll in His right hand inscribed with the words of the Axion hymn. His left-hand slips under the veil of the Virgin towards her left shoulder. Both figures are crowned with golden halos. Two angels flank the Virgin's halo, while the Almighty in an open heaven blesses with both hands.

Crafted using tempera on wood, the icon is adorned with gold leaf and multicolored enamel, giving the image a unique delicacy. The inscription on the lower frame indicates that the icon was created by the painter Ioasaf in 1905.

The painter monk Ioasaf Berghie (1862-?) of the New Neamț Monastery resided there between 1887 and the 1940s, occupying three rooms to set up his studio, where he worked continuously on icons and church artworks. Born into the family of a church teacher in Jabca village, Ștefan Berghie, Ioan Berghie developed a passion for sacred iconography from an early age. In 1890, Andronic, the abbot of the New Neamț Monastery, blessed him to paint icons. Taking monastic vows in 1895 under the name Ioasaf, he traveled by foot to visit major ecclesiastical centers nearby and further afield, learning the art of iconography. Starting with naive-style interpretations, he eventually mastered professional painting techniques and acquired new decorative skills. His works became highly popular throughout Bessarabia and abroad. Painting a significant number of icons, they were often mistakenly sold as coming from major artisan workshops. To prevent such confusion, he received the abbot's blessing to sign his works, earning recognition and fame for his name.

Virtual Tour


Exhibitions

“The Tricolor – Symbol of Dignity”

April - May 2022

The photo-documentary exhibition "The Tricolor - Symbol of Dignity" is dedicated to the Day of the State Flag, the main symbol of the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova.

The participants of the Great National Assembly on August 27, 1989 demanded official recognition of the tricolor by a special resolution "On National Symbols", which, in addition to repeating the resolution of the Popular Front of Moldova, contained two articles:
Article 1. Consider the tricolor (blue, yellow, red) with the historical coat of arms of Moldavia on a yellow background as the national flag of the MSSR.
Article 2. Consider it necessary to develop a new coat of arms and a new anthem of the republic in accordance with the historical tradition and the everlasting aspirations of the Moldavian people.

On October 19, 1989, the Commission of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR was established to study the state-national symbols of the MSSR. The commission carried out a historical study and duly substantiated the legitimacy of the tricolor in the new Moldavian state. The report of the commission was presented by Alexandru Moșanu at the historic meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the MSSR on April 27, 1990. At this meeting, the Law on Amendments to Article 168 of the Constitution of the Moldavian SSR was adopted. The new edition of the article said: The national flag of the Moldavian SSR - Tricolor - is a rectangular canvas, consisting of three stripes of equal size, arranged vertically in the following sequence of colors from the flagpole: blue (azure), yellow, red. The State Emblem of the Moldavian SSR is printed in the center on the yellow stripe. From this date until November 3, 1990, when the new State Emblem was adopted, the state flag was used without the coat of arms.

On April 23, 2010, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova voted to declare April 27, the day of the adoption of the Tricolor in the Republic of Moldova in 1990, as the State Flag Day.

On September 17, 2010, a new Law on the State Flag of the Republic of Moldova was adopted, which clarifies the color nuances and detailed proportions of the flag, the way it is raised and handled, and other issues related to it.

The recognition and approval of the national tricolor of the Romanian nation in our country was desired and promoted by large masses of people, led by figures in the field of culture, science and politics, who realized the inevitability of a return to the Tricolor.

The exhibition "The Tricolor - Symbol of Dignity" brings together over 70 museum pieces, especially photographs reflecting epochal events in the recent history of the Republic of Moldova. These are the Great National Assemblies of August 31, 1989 and August 27, 1991, the Flower Bridges, the first celebration of the National Language Day on August 31, 1990, which culminated in the reopening after restoration of the monument of Stephen the Great, the spiritual epicenter of the national renaissance.

The photographs captured the moments of the hoisting of the State Flag on the building of the Moldavian Parliament, on the top of Mount Everest and at the Barcelona Olympics in honor of the victory won by the Olympic champion Tudor Casapu.

Among the most significant exhibits presented at the exhibition are handmade tricolors worn by the participants of the first Grate National Assembly on August 31, 1989, the first postcards and postage stamps with the Coat of Arms and the State Flag of the Republic of Moldova, stamps issued on the occasion of the proclamation of the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, the accession of our country to the UN and the OSCE, the signing of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union.

A special compartment of the exhibition refers to the functioning of the Law on the State Flag of the Republic of Moldova, to the ways of hoisting the flag. The compartment includes images from various political, military or public events, high-level meetings, images of public institutions, over which, according to the law, in certain cases, the State Flag of the Republic of Moldova flies permanently or temporarily.

The national flag of the Republic of Moldova - Tricolor - symbolizes Romanian origins, belonging to European culture, commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy. 


 




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
  
  

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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

The history of this icon traces back to the 10th century at the Protaton Monastery on Mount Athos. In one of the cells named "The Dormition of the Mother of God," an elderly hieromonk lived with his disciple. They preserved a superb depiction of the Virgin Mary...

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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.
©2006-2025 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.
©2006-2025 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.
©2006-2025 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