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We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life. The spirit of the Resurrection is beautifully complemented by ten Easter-themed postcards from the heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, printed a century ago. These pieces were added to the museum's postcard collection over a decade ago following a successful acquisition; as the fund for Easter-themed illustrations is modest, we are in a constant search for new additions.

These postcards are "extraordinary" in terms of their postal, typographical, and chromatic effects-the primary reason for revisiting this genre of greetings. Unlike "classic" postcards, these are smaller in size (6.5 cm x 11 cm), made of cardboard (with the exception of one piece made of photographic paper in black and white), and feature "vivid" colors. Printed in Romania and Germany, they bear the marks of having been sent and circulated through the post.

The name of the holiday originates from the verb persach, meaning "to pass," a term adopted by the Jews from the Egyptians. It entered the Romanian language through the Byzantine-Latin form Paschae, signifying the "passage through death to life, the victory of life, and liberation from the bondage of sin." Easter is a holiday of tolerance and forgiveness, representing a bridge between the present and the past. The significance of this celebration is conveyed through its symbols, which are also featured on these postcards: Hand-painted eggs, the Easter Bunny and the Lamb, traditional sweet breads (cozonac and pască), biblical scenes related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Easter table also features pască-a ritual food reminiscent of ancient, bloodless "reconciliation" sacrifices. Its preparation is the exclusive task of women, the givers of life, as the leavened dough is considered "alive."

The most significant component of the Easter holiday, however, is the Light. The Ceremony of the Holy Light is associated with the miracle of the light appearing on Easter Sunday at Christ's Tomb in Jerusalem. The candle, often depicted in these images, carries a powerful message; it is with the Resurrection candle that we return home after the midnight religious service. Furthermore, the Easter Bunny represents the rebirth of nature, so eagerly awaited after a harsh winter.

Unlike Christmas, when the announcement and ritual integration of the community into sacred time was the duty of caroling groups, at Easter, "one does not go from house to house." Instead, the ritual meal is organized within each family, symbolizing a direct communion with God.


Virtual Tour


Events Archive

Scientific Conference „BESSARABIAN SCHOOL”

February 14, 2013

On 14 February 2013 the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova has organized the Scientific Conference "Bessarabian School". The event is part of a series of commemorative activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Theological Seminary in Chisinau (31 January 1813), the first institution of theological studies in the area between the Prut and Dniester. The event has a much broader concept, involving the religious and secular education system in Bessarabia during Tsarist period in the whole. The conference aimed at updating the cultural program of the Bessarabian School expressed by Alexandru Hâjdău as the trustee of schools of the Hotin County in his famous speech "In memory of the old glory of Moldova" (on 25 July 1837), in which he more than anyone else was able to present a high conscious position of Bessarabian Romanians to learn from temporary owners of their land, not adopting their spirit, because temporary political boundaries during the tsarist period (1812-1918) could never become the spiritual barriers between Bessarabian Romanians and the rest Romanian world.

The event was conducted with the participation of historians, museum curators, teachers from the Academy of Orthodox Theology of Moldova. There were presented reports and communications on a wide range of issues related to the history of Bessarabian school in the 19th century "under Russians": Foundation of the Chișinău Theological Seminary (Dr. Eugen Onicov); Periods of activity of the Theological Seminary, 1813-1913 (Dr. Veaceslav Ciorba); The Three Saints Theological Seminary (Victor Ceresău); Personalities who have worked in the Chișinău Theological Seminary (Onică Roman, Valentin Ceban, Tudor Gavriliță); Grigore Constantinescu, teacher of Romanian in the Chișinău Theological Seminary (Dr. Dinu Poștarencu), From the history of the library of Chișinău Theological Seminary (1813-1913) (Dr. Maria Danilov); Monastic education schools in Bessarabia of the late 19th - early 20th century (Dr. Silvia Scutaru); On the secular education in Bessarabia in the end of 1850s (Alexandru Argint); Education in Bessarabia between 1856 -1878 (Maria Tetiuhina); Development of the school system in the Bulgarian colony of Taraclia, the Akkerman County (1839-1918) (Ivan Duminică, The Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria), etc.

Participants in the Scientific Conference Bessarabian School (to the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Chisinau Theological Seminary) were invited by Dr. Eugen Sava, General Director of NMAHM, to submit their reports for publication in the journal Tyragetia, vol. XXII, 2013.



 

 


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

We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life...

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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.
©2006-2026 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.
©2006-2026 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

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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.
©2006-2026 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