#Exhibit of the Month

The work In Memoriam. In Memory of the Heroes Who Fell at the Nistru (1992) was developed within the Center for Culture and Military History and published under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the Bureau for Reintegration, and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova. Authors: Gheorghe Bălan, Vitalie Ciobanu, Gheorghe Cojocaru.

This work provides a retrospective of the events that led to the outbreak of the war on the Nistru, accompanied by photographs of the heroes who lost their lives in the battles to defend the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

On March 2, 1992, the political conflict in the Nistru region escalated into a true fratricidal war. Under the fabricated pretext of "defending Russia's southern borders," political adventurers from the former Soviet metropolis encouraged Transnistrian separatism by arming secessionist paramilitary groups. At the same time, thousands of mercenary Cossacks and prisoners released early from jails, along with tanks and missiles, were sent against Independent Moldova, in a desperate attempt to revive the fallen empire.

Russia's undeclared war against the Republic of Moldova left behind hundreds of dead and wounded, shattered families, and villages in ruins. More than 50,000 peaceful residents from the conflict zone were forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge from the horrors of war.

For the sake of freedom and the future, Moldova's defenders faced death, enduring the hardships and humiliations of war.

During the Nistru war, 198 soldiers of the National Army and 89 personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs lost their lives, while 40 combatants went missing without a trace, and nearly 300 were left disabled.

Virtual Tour

Events Archive

Presentation of the book “History of Bessarabia. Vol. 1: Preludes. From Paleolithic to the end of Antiquity” by Ion Ţurcanu

November 30, 2016

The National Museum of History of Moldova and the Editorial-Polygraphic House „Ştiința" have organized a book launch event on November 30, 2016, in the Blue Room of the museum, with presentation of publication signed by Țurcanu Ion - „Istoria Basarabiei. Vol. 1: Preludii. Din paleolitic până la sfârșitul Antichității" (History of Bessarabia. Vol.1: Prelude. From Palaeolithic until the end of Antiquity), Chișinău, 2016, 868 p. + 32 plates.

The first volume of History of Bessarabia covers a large historical period of Prut and Dniester Rivers interfluves' past - from the early Stone Age, about 1.5 million years ago, until the sunset of the ancient civilization in the 4th-6th centuries AD.

Part I, entitled Stone Age, which commonly is called prehistory and chronologically is the largest historical period, highlights the emergence and evolution of human society with all the complexity of events that characterize it: physical evolution of man, technological progress, great changes in social relations, spiritual culture.

In Part II, Age of Metals, dated between about the second half of 4th millennia BC and the 3rd century BC, known as proto history, introduces Bronze Age cultures in Bessarabia, then describes the Thracian civilization in this region and the presence of the Scythians.

Part III, Classical Antiquity, covers the history of Greek and Roman cities of Tyras and Nikonion at the Lower Dniester, presents testimonies of the Getae-Dacian civilization in it's most developed stage and the habitat of free Dacian from Bessarabia, and temporary stay in this space of migrating peoples. The presentation ends with a description of daily life of the local Dacian-Roman population at the end of Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

At the book launch event participated dr. hab. Eugen SAVA, general director of the National Museum of History of Moldova; dr. hab. Oleg LEVIŢCHI, director of the Center of Archaeology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage, ASM; dr., assoc. prof. Octavian MUNTEANU, head of Universal History Chair of the State Pedagogical University "Ion Creanga", Larisa CIOBANU, researcher at the Centre of Archaeology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage, ASM; Gheorghe PRINI, director of the editorial-polygraphic house „Știința"; researchers, museographers, scholars and artists.