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#Exhibit of the Month

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With the establishment of the Soviet regime after the territorial abduction, the Red Terror broke out in Bessarabia. Starting from June 28, 1940, on the territory of Bessarabia, then of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (August 2, 1940), state bodies carried out a series of mass political repressions - under the pretext of political, social, religious and national reasons - in the form of deprivation of freedom, deportation, expulsion and other coercive measures. The first victims of this terror were the national elites: mayors, teachers, judges, lawyers, officials, former members of the Council of the Country, accused of "anti-Sovietism", "counter-revolutionary activity", belonging to political parties in Romania, etc. They were the target of the first arrests and imprisonments of the Soviet repression organs. Later, from 1941, the deportations of the native population to Siberia and to labor correction camps followed, the deportations of the civilian population from July 5-6, 1949, as well as those from April 1, 1951. According to the data of the Commission for the Study and Assessment of the Totalitarian Communist Regime in the Republic Moldova, established on January 14, 2010, the number of victims deported and subjected to repressions in the years 1929-1951 was assessed at over 90 thousand people. In a barbaric way, the repression bodies also attacked the participants and supporters of the resistance movement in the SSR, considering them state criminals, traitors, bandits, robbers. Leaders of resistance organizations were usually sentenced to capital punishment by firing squad, and active members to 25 years in prison, serving their sentences in labor camps and prisons. The territory of the Soviet empire was littered with a hideous network of correctional labor camps and prisons called the GULAG. Millions of people were imprisoned in the GULAG system of the Soviet Union, many of them remained forever in the lands of Siberia, in mass graves and cemeteries without crosses. Most of the camps were correctional labor colonies, where inmates were subjected to labor in mines or in the construction of roads, canals, railways or buildings. Prisoners worked under threat of starvation or execution. Tens of thousands died each year from grueling work, unbearable conditions, summary executions and inadequate food.

A shocking testimony of the Soviet gulag is the exhibit "Political Detainee's Coat", displayed in this showcase. Museum piece - unique, it was purchased from the former political prisoner Vasile Cojocaru, domiciled in the city of Chisinau. It entered the heritage in 1995, during a period of intense activity of the museum's collaborators regarding the collection of pieces with the theme of communist repression.

Vasile Cojocaru was born in 1926, in the village of Chioselia Mică, Baimaclia district (currently, Cantemir district). On June 16, 1951, he was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment by the Military Court of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the SSR, according to article 54-1 (a) of the criminal code of the Ukrainian SSR - "treason", and escorted in a special camp in Kazakhstan, with prohibitions on rights and confiscation of property. Obviously, we ask ourselves the question: What guilt is hidden under this accusation of "traitor to the fatherland", which crippled his whole life?

In July 1941, his father, Cojocaru Petru Grigore, born in 1886, was arrested and qualified as an "enemy of the people" (he was a member of the National Peasant Party), all his wealth being confiscated. On August 15, 1942, as a "dangerous social element", he is imprisoned in the correctional camp in the city of Mariinsk, Kemerovo region, where he dies under unclear circumstances, most likely he was executed. Vasile, 14 years old, and his mother were left on the roads, without means of subsistence. Eventually, the house is returned to them and they start a new household. But in 1944 he was drafted into the Soviet Army and sent to the front line of the 2nd Belorussian Front, where he was wounded twice, becoming a war invalid, 2nd degree. Returning home in 1948, he found his mother on the road and ill. He dares to ask the authorities for part of the confiscated wealth, to which he receives a threat - that he will be sent in the footsteps of his father. For three years he was persecuted for this "daring", as in 1951, although he defended the Bolshevik country at the cost of his health, he was arrested and convicted. Here, in fact, is what is hidden under this accusation of "treason", imputed to this citizen. In 1956, he was released from detention and sent to Armenia, the city of Yerevan, the place of residence indicated by the camp authorities. For many years in a row he was pursued by the security organs, being far from home, as political prisoners were forbidden to return to their place of residence. Come home later. Through the certificate of 28.02.1992, issued by the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Moldova, he is rehabilitated at and restored to rights. On July 25, 1991, his father was also rehabilitated.

The clothes on display - the waistcoat and trousers - are part of the prisoners' summer clothes, which also included a round cap, which the museum does not have. They are made of thick cotton fabric. The vest has long sleeves, collar, closes with four buttons, having two patch pockets on the sides. The pants close with buttons, have two side pockets. On both pieces is applied the number "CEE 893" - the holder code of Vasile Cojocaru. Three capital letters and three numbers are written in black paint on a piece of white cloth. The prisoner's number was applied in four places on the coat. One number was applied to the cap, another - to the back of the waistcoat, the third - near the heart, and the fourth - to the trousers, above the right or left knee. These four places, in fact, were also considered as sighting targets, in case the prisoner escaped. The number also applied to prisoners' winter clothes (down jackets, padded trousers, hats). As for footwear, the prisoners wore - in spring, summer and autumn - a kind of large galoshes made of rubberized fabric, less often, kirza boots, and in winter - felt. Usually, new arrivals were given second-hand clothes - old stuff with a terrible smell.

The exhibit has an indisputable museographic value. It gives the public the opportunity to see and understand the consequences of the establishment of the communist totalitarian regime in the SSR. By exhibiting it, we pay tribute to all the victims of the Red Terror in Bessarabia, on the eve of June 13 and July 5-6 - days when the two waves of deportations of our natives took place.

Virtual Tour


International relations

In the spirit of development and expansion of cooperation in scientific research and promotion of cultural heritage, between the National Museum of History of Moldova and similar institutions in other countries there were concluded the following agreements: 

  • Agreement of scientific cooperation between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and Eurasien Abteilung des Deutschen Archeologichen Institutes (Berlin, Germany), March 23, 2007
  • Agreement of cooperation between the Institute of Archaeology, Iași, from the structure of the Romanian Academy, and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova, from the structure of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, April 11, 2007
  • Agreement of cooperation between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and the Odessa Museum of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, April 12, 2007
  • Agreement of partnership between the District Museum of Mures (Romania), the Department of History, and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova, May 4, 2007
  • Agreement of partnership between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and the Museum of History of Transylvania (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) the District Museum Complex of Neamt (Piatra-Neamt, Romania), the National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians (Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania), May 14, 2007
  • Agreement of museum and scientific collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and the National Museum Complex “Moldova” (Iasi, Romania), February 4, 2008
  • Agreement of collaboration between the National Museum of History of Ukraine and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova, October 17, 2008
  • Agreement of collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and the National Museum of History of Romania, October 20, 2008
  • Record of collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and the Commercial and Cultural Centre GEOPAN (Burgas, Bulgaria), November 7, 2008
  • Agreement of museum and scientific collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and the Museum “Vasile Parvan” (Barlad, Romania), December 1, 2008
  • Agreement of collaboration between the Institute of Archaeology “Vasile Parvan” from the structure of the Romanian Academy and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova from the structure of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, December 10, 2008
  • Agreement of collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and the Institute of Material Culture of the Academy of Sciences of Russia, December 1, 2008
  • Agreement of collaboration between the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and Museum Europischer Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany, January 10, 2009Collaboration agreement between the Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan" from the structure of the Romanian Academy and the National Museum of History of Moldova, signed on November 12th, 2012. The agreement provides for the organization of research programmers with topics of common interest
  • Collaboration agreement signed between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the County Museum „Ştefan cel Mare", Vaslui (Romania), on December 4th, 2012. The object of the agreement is inter-museum cooperation with the aim to make more effective the activities of research and promotion of cultural heritage
  • Collaboration agreement signed between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Museum of National History and Archaeology from Constanța (Romania), on October 7th, 2013. The agreement provides for the organization of some common activities, mutually beneficial, in fields of scientific research and museology
  • Collaboration agreement between the German Institute of Archaeology (Berlin) and the National Museum of History of Moldova regarding the common publication of archaeological research results, signed on November 4th, 2013
  • Collaboration agreement signed between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Cultural-Historic and Natural Reserve „Kiev-Pechersk", Ukraine, regarding research and valorization of cultural heritage, January 15, 2014
  • Collaboration agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Museum of Archaeology from Odessa, Ukraine, regarding archaeological research and participation at scientific events, June 27, 2014
  • Collaboration agreement between the National Museum of History from Moldova and the Museum of Ethnography from Saint Petersburg, Russia, regarding research of ethnographic heritage collections and publication of volume „Bulgarians", 2015
  • Collaboration agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Museum of Archaeology from Batumi, Georgia, February 26, 2015. The agreement provides for participation in common research and scientific events
  • Collaboration agreement with the Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan" from the Romanian Academy, regarding scientific research, organization of common scientific events and exchange of publications, March 31, 2015
  • Loan contract signed between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the National Museum Complex „Moldova" from Iași, Romania, regarding the organization of temporary exhibition „Heritage values from the collections of the Museum of Science and Technique Ștefan Procopiu", July 25, 2015
  • Collaboration agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Czech Center from Bucharest regarding the organization of the temporary exhibition „Portrait of Václav Havel" in Chișinău, December 7, 2015
  • Contract for submission signed between the National Museum of History of Moldova and Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt., Hungary, regarding the organization of exhibition „Herend Glow", April 29, 2016
  • Partnership contract between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Polish Institute from Bucharest regarding the organization of exhibition „War in Polish poster. Krzysztof Dydo Collection", May 20, 2016
  • Collaboration Agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Academy of Science of Republic of Tatarstan regarding archaeological research and exchange of publications, June 2, 2016
  • Collaboration agreement with Sachsen-Anhalt Land and Prehistoric Museum from Halle, Germany, regarding participation in common archaeological research projects, June 6, 2016
  • Agreement of cooperation between the National Museum of History of Moldova and "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Romania, 08.04.2019
  • Agreement of cooperation between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Bucharest Museum, 13.03.2019
  • Partnership Agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex, November 3, 2022


April 13, 2023

The visit of the ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Chisinau H.S. Yan Wenbin at the National Museum of History of Moldova

On April 13, 2023, the National Museum of History of Moldova had the honor of receiving the visit of H.E. Yan Wenbin, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Chisinau. The purpose of the meeting was to intensify cultural relations between Moldova and China through history, culture and museum education. In this regard, the organization of joint exhibitions, scientific conferences and study visits was discussed in order to deepen the exchange of experience in the field of research and museography...

November 3, 2022

Signing of the Partnership Agreement between the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex

On November 3, 2022, a Partnership Agreement was signed between the National Musuem of History of Moldova and the Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex. The parties were represented by the General Director of the National Musuem of History of Moldova, dr. hab. Eugen Sava and the Manager of the Țării Crișurilor Museum - Museum Complex, univ. prof. dr. Gabriel Moisa...

June 27, 2022

ARHICUP

Press release

  ...

October 15th, 2021

New ICOM Red List to focus on objects from Southeast Europe

Focusing on 10 countries in Southeast Europe, ICOM worked with experts and coordinators from across the region to create a Red List which features 119 objects from 45 museums from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia...

June 16, 2021

ARHICUP

Press Release

 ...

July 30, 2020

ARHICUP

Press release

 ...

July 17, 2020

ARHICUP

Press release

...

2016

From March 2 to April 10, 2016 the National Museum of History of Moldova organized an event celebrating an emblematic personality of the Czech Republic - Václav Havel. The temporary exhibition „Portrait of Václav Havel" was brought to Chișinău by the Czech Center from Bucharest...

2015

Dr. hab. Elena Ploșnița, scientific secretary of the museum, participated between 22 and 27 February, 2015 at training on museum documentation in Warsaw and Gdańsk, Poland, organized and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland...

2014

In the period of November 17-21, 2014, Lilia Calughin, head of section Informatics, participated in training on digitalization of cultural heritage organized by the Polish Institute from Bucharest in Warsaw, Poland...

2013

The museum participated with two objects - a porcelain cup and a mirror fragment, China, 13th-14th centuries at the international exhibition China's Treasuries, which was organized by the National Museum of History of Romania in collaboration with the Center of Heritage Exchange from the People's Republic of China in the period of April 29th - September 30th 2013 in Bucharest (Romania)...

2008-2010

In collaboration with Deutsches Forschung Gemeinschaft (Bonn) and Institut Praehistorische Archaeologie, Frei Universitat (Berlin) in the period of July 1 – August 31, 2008 there were conducted archaeological field excavations in the Late Bronze Age settlement from Odaia (Drochia district, Republic of Moldova).  Interdisciplinary studies: accumulation of soil samples to perform chemical, palaeobotanical, and palaeozoological analysis to determine the palaeoeconomy of the Late Bronze Age...



 

 


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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#Exhibit of the Month

With the establishment of the Soviet regime after the territorial abduction, the Red Terror broke out in Bessarabia. Starting from June 28, 1940, on the territory of Bessarabia, then of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (August 2, 1940), state bodies carried out a series of mass political repressions - under the pretext of political, social, religious and national reasons - in the form of deprivation of freedom, deportation, expulsion and other coercive measures...

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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.
©2006-2023 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.
©2006-2023 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.
©2006-2023 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