#Exhibit of the Month

The Gospel is a fundamental liturgical book of the Orthodox Church that brings together the four apostolic testimonies about the Son of God - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - "inspired by the same Holy Spirit, the one true and sole author of the Gospel." The Gospel, or the Good News, testifying to the Glory of Christ, refers to the full teaching and deeds of the Savior; the four Gospels are regarded as the four sustaining pillars of the Church.
St. Jerome (c. 340-420), author of the first complete Latin translation of the Holy Scriptures, assigned to the four evangelists the living creatures that appear in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (1:5). Thus, the Evangelist Matthew, the first to relate the Nativity of the Lord, is accompanied in imagery by the angel who announced the miracle; the Evangelist Mark, likened to St. John the Baptist - "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" - is associated with the lion. The Evangelist Luke, who opens his Gospel with the priest Zechariah, is personified by the winged ox, recalling the ox's sacrificial role; and the Evangelist John, for his elevated theological vision, is associated with the eagle.
This altar Gospel, printed in 1890 at the Lavra Pecerska printing house in Kyiv, contains - in addition to the four canonical Gospels - other liturgical texts: readings for Vespers, the Divine Liturgy, prayers, and services.
It is a large-format Gospel measuring 37 × 48 cm, bound in cardboard and leather. The gilded metal cover is fitted with two metal clasps and gilt edges. Five vertical-oval icon plaques in polychrome enamel are applied to the cover, which is engraved with vegetal and geometric ornamentation. The central plaque depicts the "Resurrection of the Lord"; in the corners of the upper register appear the faces of the Evangelists Matthew and John, and in the lower register those of Luke and Mark. Printed in red and black, the volume comprises 428 leaves; the text is enriched with various typographic ornaments - vignettes, initials, engravings, frontispieces, etc. Pagination is indicated on the leaves, the folio number appearing in the upper right.
The Gospel of Matthew is printed on pages 1-105, the opening page accompanied by the scene of the Nativity of the Lord. The Gospel of Mark continues on pages 104-168, its representative scene being the Baptism of the Lord. The Gospel according to Luke occupies pages 172-273, its opening page bearing the scene of the Annunciation. The Gospel according to John is included between pages 280-358, the evocative scene being the Crucifixion of the Lord.

The Lavra Pecerska printing house, cited in the colophon, has long roots - traditionally founded by Archimandrite Elisei Pletenetsky (1595-1624) in 1615 - although the precise dates of its earliest publications remain a matter of debate. This copy entered the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova under inventory number FB-23062-35; acquired in 1982, it was transferred to the MNIM collections in 1996 from the holdings of the Museum of the History of Religion.

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Launch of the international photography exhibition World Press Photo 2022

November 9, 2022

On November 9, 2022, the launch of the World Press Photo international photographic exhibition took place at the National Museum of History of Moldova.

The General Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Eugen Sava, an institution that has been the host of this event for five years, expressed confidence that the public will appreciate the exhibition at its true value. "These photographic works reach the public because they are made by the best photographers in the world. By the value they represent, with certainty, they can be attributed to the category of genuine works of art. The doors of the National Museum of History of Moldova are open for all photography lovers to admire these works of art," said Eugen Sava.

The Head of the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau, Floris van Eijk, highlighted the fact that the organization of this event in Chisinau has become a beautiful tradition. "The exhibition is valuable not only because we have the most beautiful photographs on display, but also because they try to tell us something important (...) I am sure that you will find here photographs that say something, that make us think and have a better idea of things. We support the independent press, we support quality journalism from Moldova, and this is an additional reason why we also support this exhibition", said Floris van Eijk.

The Coordinator of the World Press Photo Exhibition, Netherlands, Marika Cukrowski, sent a video message, welcoming the launch of the collection in Chisinau and highlighting the importance of World Press Photo's mission to connect the world to the stories that matter.

Nadine Gogu, executive director of the Center for Independent Journalism, highlighted the increased interest of the public around the world in photojournalism. "A proof of this is the large number of photographers participating in this international competition. The jury certainly had a difficult task because, out of 4,066 photographers from 130 countries, only 24 winners were selected. Their works are part of the heavy category, works that make us think, ask questions and act", said Nadine Gogu.

Photojournalist Nicolae Pojoga noted that although this year's exhibition does not say anything about the war in Ukraine, because the photos were taken during 2021, however, "several explosions before this inhumane conflict" can be felt. "I want to draw the attention of my fellow photographers that we work for justice. Through relevant and responsible photographic documents, we hope to contribute to the justice we all expect", said Nicolae Pojoga.

The winners of the World Press Photo 2022 contest present stories that span a wide spectrum of issues - from the undeniable effects of the climate crisis or the civil rights movements and the right to access education, to the preservation of indigenous practices and identity.

Photography lovers can visit the World Press Photo exhibition at the National Museum of History of Moldova for the next three weeks until November 30.

The event is organized by the World Press Photo Foundation from the Netherlands, in partnership with the Center for Independent Journalism, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.

#Exhibit of the Month

Altar Gospel (1890)

Launch of the international photography exhibition World Press Photo 2022

November 9, 2022

#Exhibit of the Month