#Exhibit of the Month

The Chișinău Diocesan Girls' School opened its doors on May 3, 1864, addressing a pressing need: in Bessarabia there were no institutions dedicated to the education of clergy's daughters. According to the 1864 circular, teaching was conducted in the Romanian language, a provision applied throughout the diocese. The school's first headmistress was Anastasia Rizo, of noble origin, invited by Archbishop Antonie.

The curriculum, approved by the Ministry of Public Education and the Chișinău Diocese, combined theoretical subjects with practical training. Students studied religion, reading and writing in Romanian, Slavonic, and Russian, arithmetic and exercises in calculation, world history and geography. The program was complemented by church singing and practical skills such as sewing, embroidery, knitting, as well as household management - baking bread and prosphora, preparing meals and preserves, caring for livestock, and cultivating gardens.

The composite, taken in 1911 at the studio of Z. N. Sumovski in Chișinău, depicts 29 graduates and 13 teachers. At the center are portraits of Bishop Serafim (Ciciagov), headmistress N. R. Mihelson, teacher V. E. Bejerian, and priests F. Ghiliarov and P. Jurikas. Among the teaching staff was Paraskovia Vasilievna Cuciurenko, a calligraphy teacher for 37 years, who in 1911 became senior educator and assistant headmistress. For her dedication, she was awarded the gold medal "For Long Service."

On the reverse of the vignette is a label from the store and workshop of frames, paintings, mirrors, and window glass owned by A. D. Kon'gova, Chișinău, Gogol Street no. 37, near the State Bank.

This graduation composite was donated at the end of 2025 to the National Museum of History of Moldova by the Dadiștian family from Drochia.

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Events Archive

Training workshop conducted by Vanessa Vaio, an expert in heritage interpretation

September 28, 2023

On Thursday, September 28, 2023, the Blue Room of the National Museum of History of Moldova hosted the training workshop "Innovative approaches to the interpretation of cultural heritage for the development of a tourism product through the prism of immersive experiences" conducted by Ms. Vanessa Vaio, an expert in heritage interpretation with more than 28 years of experience in this field. Vanessa Vaio is the Italian coordinator of Interpret Europe - the European Association for Heritage Interpretation. The opening of the event was attended by Ms. Svetlana Pociumban, head of the Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, who emphasized the role of museums in modern society and the importance of promoting and developing cultural heritage through education.

The workshop was organized within the European Heritage Days by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova and the National Museum of History of Moldova, in partnership with the Public Association "ICOM Moldova National Committee" and the National Association for Inbound and Internal Tourism of Moldova, with the strategic support of USAID Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project.

During the seminar, Vanessa Vaio shared her experience in the development of interpreting programs, interpreting planning, development and production management of advertising materials; the use of technology and multimedia in interpreting; creating content for different categories of visitors; developing accessible and inclusive interpretation strategies; integrating the results of scientific research into interpretation strategies.

The workshop was attended by more than 20 staff members from national and local museums, who develop educational programs and who will apply in practice the acquired knowledge in the field of public relations, so that the services provided to visitors meet European standards.

The National Museum of History of Moldova has the honor of organizing and conducting such important events, the purpose of which is to make the work of museum workers more efficient, increase the attractiveness of museum products, and also return museums to the ranks of cultural institutions that occupy leading positions in the country and abroad.