#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. 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

The Round table “Unforgettable memories: the drama of the Bessarabians deported during the Operation ‘Sud’ of July 5-6, 1949”

Academy of Sciences of Moldova, July 4, 2024

On July 4, 2024, in the premises of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the Round table "Unforgettable memories: the drama of the Bessarabians deported during the operation ‘SUD' of July 5-6, 1949" took place, an event organized by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, in partnership with the National Museum of History of Moldova, the "Alecu Russo" State University of Balti, the Moldova State University, the "Bogdan-Petriceicu Hasdeu" State University of Cahul, the "Nicolae Iorga" Institute of History of the Romanian Academy, the Museum of the Country of Crișurilor from Oradea (Romania).

The full members, corresponding members and designated members of Academy of Sciences of Moldova, scientific researchers, teaching staff, museographers, among them: acad. Ion Tighineanu, mem. cor. of the ASM Ion Hadârcă and dr. hab. Liliana Condraticova (Academy of Sciences of Moldova), dr. hab., univ. prof. Anatol Petrencu and dr. hab. Zinaida Bolea (Moldova State University), dr. Ludmila D. Cojocaru (National Museum of History of Moldova), dr. Claudia-Florentina Claudia Dobre (Institute of History "Nicolae Iorga" of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest), as well as via online took the floor dr. Liudmila Chiciuc ("Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu" State University of Cahul), Maxim Avădănii (National Museum of History of Moldova), dr. Marina Miron (Moldova State University), Mariana Mihailevschi (Balti Museum of Ethnography and History). The speakers brought up topics such as the drama and resistance of Bessarabians deported in the second wave of Stalinist deportations; memory and the assumption of witness status by survivors of deportations; the traumas and overcoming the tragedy that thousands of Bessarabians went through, the psychological and emotional consequences following these people to this day; the return to the Moldavian SSR and their efforts to be integrated into society; the role of national and local museums in perpetuating the history and memory of people who passed through the Soviet Gulag; the experience of Romanian researchers in elucidating the phenomenon of totalitarianism and the problems related to the deportations in Bărăgan (June 17-18, 1951).

During the Round table took place the launch of the collection of studies "The drama of the Bessarabians: 75 years since the Stalinist deportations from the Moldavian SSR during the SUD Operation (July 5-6, 1949)" (Iași-Chisinau, 2024, 264 p. + il. ), coordinated by dr. hab. Liliana Condraticova, dr. Ludmila D. Cojocaru and dr. Lidia Pădureac. The publication brings to the attention of the general public the history and memory of the Stalinist deportations in the Moldavian SSR, the editors and authors being focused mainly on the events of July 1949. Researching the aspects as arrests, deportations, political repressions of the Soviet occupation, as well as the anti-Soviet resistance movement in the Moldavian SSR comes to contribute to the historical knowledge on the phenomenon of totalitarianism and its impact on today's society in the Republic of Moldova.

During the Round table, in the Gallery of Art, Innovation and Science of the ASM, the opening of the exhibition with reproductions of jewelry items made by the famous jeweler Alexei Marco (1935-1992), deported from the Moldavian SSR as a result of Operation "South", took place.

The participants of the event reiterated the importance of disseminating historical knowledge to the larger public, mentioning the open access offered by the National History Museum of Moldova to the four-volume collection "Memory Book. Catalog of the victims of communist totalitarianism" (coord. and scientific ed. Elena Postică).

Also, the participants of the Round table concluded that it is imperative for the state to pay attention to the issue of deportations by supporting scientific investigations within a state program, similar to the one implemented between 2015-2018 (coordinated by dr. hab., univ. prof. Anatol Petrencu), as well as the revision of some legislative acts with reference to the people who went through the experience of Stalinist deportations from the Moldavian SSR.