#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.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“The Unbroken – Light Through Darkness”

22 – 26 August 2025,
Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
26 August – 26 September 2025,
National Museum of History of Moldova

The National Museum of History of Moldova, in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Culture, and the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, is honored to invite the public to the inauguration of the photographic exhibition "The Unbroken - Light Through Darkness," signed by Ukrainian photographer Serhii Himyush.

The exhibition is organized on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, marked annually on 24 August, and will be open to the public at the Parliament until 26 August 2025. It will then be displayed on the exterior railings of the National Museum of History of Moldova until 26 September 2025. The vernissage will take place on Friday, 22 August 2025, at 10:00, in the main entrance hall of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

Originally from Chișinău, Serhii Himyush, aged 33, was severely injured in 2022 during a humanitarian mission in Ukraine. Despite his suffering, he transformed his personal experience into a powerful visual testimony of human resilience. His photographs capture not only the traces of war but also the faces of those who, amid tragedy, preserve their dignity, hope, and courage.

This collection of images documents not only the destruction caused by war but also the inner strength of people who choose to remain united, dignified, and full of hope. Serhii Himyush was gravely wounded during a humanitarian mission in the Kharkiv region, losing both legs. Nevertheless, his camera became once again an extension of his will-a means to bear witness, to heal, and to inspire.

Each photograph tells a story: evacuations, destroyed homes, gazes that speak of loss, but also of light. The exhibition offers a deeply human perspective on war, seen from within by someone who lived alongside those he photographed.

"The Unbroken - Light Through Darkness" is a tribute to Ukrainian resilience and a call for international solidarity. Moldova, the place of Serhii's childhood, thus becomes the host of a visual testimony that transcends borders and speaks of the courage to move forward.