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.
Aspects of the Moldavian Soviet writers' activity in 1942-1944
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
After June 22, 1941 the Soviet Writers’ Union of Moldavia was inactive for almost a year. In June 1942 the Group of Moldavian Writers under the rule of I. Ciobanu consisted of I. Canna, V. Galiț, L. Deleanu, V. Polyakov (composer), M. Kakhana, and L. Barsky. After the conference of Moldavian writers held in Moscow in September 1942 there were written many letters to the CC of the C(b)P of Moldavia and to the leadership of the Moldavian Writers’ Union. Kakhana wrote about the lack of organization, Canna – about mistakes made by the Writers’ Union in 1940-1941, when such writers as N. Costenco, M. Curicheru, Barcari, and Țurcan were ignored. In January 1944 Bucov criticized Canna and Istru for “Moldovenism”. In his report of March 3, 1944 Canna summarized the work done by 11 members and five young writers of the Union during the war. He also mentioned the necessity of a literary journal and the need to write theater plays about the “historical people’s heroes” – the hospodars Stephen the Great, Vasile Lupu, Alexander the Good, Dimitrie Cantemir and the Bolsheviks Grigory Kotovsky, Sergey Lazo, and others. The first meeting of the writers after their return (with the Red Army) took place on May 26, 1944 at Soroca. The main discussed issues were the work on the hymn of the Moldavian SSR, preparing for the celebrations on June 28, publication of brochures with literary works of members of the Union, etc. This study is based on the documents from the Archives of the Socio-Political Organizations of the Republic of Moldavia (Fund 51, Inventory 1, Folder 107), which contains documents on the activities of the Soviet Writers’ Union of Moldavia from 1942 to August 1944.
List of attachments:
Attachment 1. Meetings held at the Soviet Writers’ Union of Moldavia (January-May 1941) – the date, the author discussed, the referent and participants.
Attachment 2. Timesheet of writers’ presence at the discussions in February-May 1941.
Attachment 3. Work plan of the Group of Moldavian Writers attached to the CC of the C(b)P of Moldavia for the period of from June 1 to October !, 1942.
Attachment 4. Part of the letter of Moses Kakhana-Ardeleanu to the Secretary of the CC of the C(b)P of Moldavia N. Salogor and the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars M. Konstantinov (15 January 1943).
Attachment 5. The letter of I. Canna to the Secretary of the CC of the C(b)P of Moldavia Zelenchuk concerning the works sent to the State Publishing House of Moldavia (16 September 1943).
Attachment 6. Fragment of Emilian Bukov’s letter in which he criticizes Bogdan Istru and Ion Canna for “Moldovenism” (10 January 1944).
Attachment 7. Report of the Moldavian writer’s organization sent to CC of the C(b)P of Moldavia by I. Canna (3 March 1944).
Marius Tărîță
The Khrushchev Thaw in the literature: the Republican Conference of Young Writers (Chisinau, November 22-24, 1957)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015
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 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.
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.
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.
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31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
