#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

“Vestiges of the Cucuteni–Trypillia Culture from the Republic of Moldova”

September 24, 2026 – September 1, 2027

The Cucuteni-Trypillia civilization, which flourished between the 5th-3rd millennia BC across present-day Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine, is one of Europe's most fascinating prehistoric cultures. With its impressively large settlements, refined artistic expression, and technological achievements, the Cucuteni communities left behind an exceptional heritage that continues to captivate researchers and the wider public.

The exhibition "Vestiges of the Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture from the Republic of Moldova" presents, in an integrated manner, the archaeological heritage preserved in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova. The artifacts on display originate from numerous archaeological sites - Florești, Rogojeni, Isacova, Coșernița, Cărbuna, Ruseștii Noi, Cuconeștii Vechi, Duruitoarea, Putinești, Vărvăreuca, Brânzeni, Costești, Ofatinți, and Oxentea - and reflect the diversity of economic, social, and spiritual activities of Eneolithic communities.

Visitors will admire painted ceramics of remarkable beauty, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, flint, stone, bone, and antler tools, copper pieces displayed in a dedicated showcase, as well as dwelling fragments with constructive and decorative elements. Many of these artifacts are presented for the first time, offering a unique opportunity to discover previously unseen objects recovered during decades of archaeological research.

Through this approach, the exhibition illustrates the chronological and functional evolution of the Cucuteni culture, highlighting both the artistic and practical dimensions of its material heritage. It provides insight into the social organization, beliefs, and relationship between humans and their environment in the prehistory of Eastern Europe.

The exhibition is part of the European Heritage Days 2026 program and contributes to the integration of Moldova's archaeological heritage into the European cultural circuit. It also supports the certification of the Transnational Cucuteni-Trypillia Cultural Route as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe and the process of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The exhibition "Vestiges of the Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture from the Republic of Moldova" can be visited between September 24, 2026 - September 1, 2027 in Hall 2 of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chișinău, 121A 31 August 1989 Street.