#Exhibit of the Month

One of the great technical achievements that revolutionized the idea of time and space, opening a new era in the history of communication, is telegraphy. It is based on the transmission of electrical signals through a cable over long distances, allowing people to communicate instantly. The telegraph spread very quickly and a network of wires stretched around the world.

In 1837, the American painter and physicist Samuel Morse invented the first electromagnetic device for telegraphy, patented in 1840. To send messages by wire, Morse developed in 1838 a simple code of dots and dashes, which represented the letters of the alphabet, known as "Morse code ".

Both Morse code and the telegraph machine were improved over time, with the telegraph becoming the most widespread system of communication and information transmission for more than a century, until the advent of the Internet. The telegraph system consisted of a series of stations repeaters along the transmission line route. Each station had an operator who received and transmitted messages by telegraph. The Morse machine transmitted about 25 words per minute, which were recorded in code on a paper tape. The operator in charge of transmitting the message would decode it and write it on paper using a special typewriter.

In Bessarabia, the telegraph entered in 1860: on April 8, the Bender telegraph station began its activity, and on April 24, the one in Chisinau, following the construction of the first Odesa-Chisinau-Leova telegraph line. Currently, telegraph services have been discontinued. The only ones who still use coded communication are radio amateurs.

The Morse telegraph machine shown comes from the Osinoostrovsky electrotechnical plant, Soviet Union, and dates back to 1934. The exhibit was restored by Mihail Culașco.

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Events Archive

Event honoring the cultural worker Ion Ungureanu

August 2nd, 2017

On August 2, in the Blue Hall of the National Museum of History of Moldova, was held an event to homage actor and director, Ion Ungureanu, deputy in the First Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, minister of culture in 1990-1994, People's Artist, Laureate of the National Award. The event was organized by the Department of Culture of Chișinău City Hall, in collaboration with the National Museum of History of Moldova, on the day when the renowned cultural worker would have turned 82 years old.

The program of the event included: the release of the CD „Cine m-a strigat" (Who called me?) - poems by Grigore Vieru in Ion Ungureanu's reading; musical recital performed by soprano Mariana Bulicanu (National Opera) and violinist Ionel Manciu (Guildhall Music Academy, London), accompanied by Rodica Caraulan.

The emotions during the show were most intense, and the ceremony enjoyed the presence of numerous audiences: cultural workers, writers, actors, colleagues and disciples of Ion Ungureanu.

Ion Ungureanu was born on August 2, 1935. In 1960 he graduated from "B. Scyukin" Theater School in Moscow. He was one of the founders of the "Luceafărul" Theater and director of this institution in its golden years, he promoted the national language and culture, actors, playwrights, composers and plastic artists from Moldova. Under accusations of "nationalism", he had to leave Chișinău and move to Moscow. He returned to Chișinău in the years of national rebirth, he was deputy in the first Parliament and the person who read the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova on 27 August 1991 in the Great National Assembly Square.

As Minister of Culture, during the period 1990-1994, Ion Ungureanu contributed to the awakening of the national consciences, relocation the statue of ruler Ştefan cel Mare it the original place, installation the monument of the Wolf-bearer in front of the National Museum of History of Moldova, renaming of the National Theater to "Mihai Eminescu", contribution to the opening of "Eugen Ionesco" Theater, Poetic theater "A. Mateevici", "Ciprian Porumbescu" High School, expanding the Alley of Classics and much more.

Ion Ungureanu died on January 28, 2017.