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.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Materials under discussion are in the main documentary evidences concerned the history of a private library of the first half of the 19th century belonged to Dimitrie Gobdela (1780-1831), a lecturer at the Academia Domnească from Iași. The book collection of the Dimitrie Gobdela’s famous library that numbered 2733 volumes in different languages: Greek, German, French, Latin etc. was brought to Bessarabia and given in pawn by its owner (April 1, 1825) to a boyar Dimitrie Carastati in exchange for 335 Dutch gold coins. Official correspondence from the Chișinau National Archives (the Fund of the Bessarabian Marshal of the Nobility and the Fund of the Office of the Civil Governor of Bessarabia) fills in some unknown or little-known pages of the destiny of the Dimitrie Gobdela’s library. Our task is to clarify and to highlight the historical and cultural value of that imposing collection of books, that later was found in the library of the Chișinău Regional Gymnasia. There are several reasons for attaining these objects: • Insufficient historical data on the collection of books from the libraries of Bessarabia of the 19th century. • Lack of scientific information on the catalogue of the Dimitrie Govdela’s Library. • Specificity of the restrictive system of the tsarist censorship concerned foreign books brought to Bessarabia.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Catalogue of books in French from the library of Dimitrie Govdelas (ANRM, F. 88, inv. 1, d. 719, f. 25). Fig. 2. Catalogue of books in Latin from the library of Dimitrie Govdelas (ANRM, F. 88, inv. 1, d. 719, f. 16 001).
Maria Danilov
Florin Marinescu, Vlad Mischevca, Cărțile românești din biblioteca mănăstirii athonite Sfântul Pavel, Atena, 2010, 285 p., ISBN: 979-960-85542-3-8
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
The Bessarabian manuscript of the Anthim’s sermons
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Press and Censorship in Bessarabia at the beginning of XXth century
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Valuable books from the library of Paul Gore (Identification and/or inventory of sources)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Pedagogical literature of Bessarabia: editions, impressions and imposed models (1814-1918)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2007
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.