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.
On finding of once lost building plates of the 15th century from the fortress of Belgorod
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
For many years four Moldavian plates of the 15th century from the walls of the fortress of Belgorod were considered lost. The earliest publications of these most important epigraphic monuments (in 1848, 1889, and 1901) have long been a source for periodization of the defense complex of medieval Belgorod for several generations of its researchers. Without access to the originals, researchers had to trust to published translations, drawings, and photographs (not the best quality). In the beginning of 2013 these plates have been found in the collections of the Kherson Regional Museum. Even the preliminary work with them already revealed a family coat of arms of Moldavian Ruler Alexander II, as well as the fact that one of the plates, contrary to popular opinion in historiography, is not related to the construction of the fortress, which violates the generally accepted ideas about the chronology of the monument.
List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Plan of the Belgorod Fortress: a - number of towers; b - location of plates with dates.
Fig. 2. Drawing of the plate of 1452 (Войцеховский 1972, рис. 3).
Fig. 3. The plate of 1440. Collections of the Kherson Regional Museum/without number (photo by the author).
Fig. 4. The plate of 1454. Collections of the Kherson Regional Museum /without number (photo by the author).
Fig. 5. The plate of 1476. Collections of the Kherson Regional Museum /without number (photo by the author).
Fig. 6. The plate of 1478-1480. Collections of the Kherson Regional Museum /without number (photo by the author).
Светлана Иванова, Андрей Красножон, Олег Савельев
The “Primorsky Boulevard” multi-layered site in Odessa: from antiquity to the Middle Ages
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2021
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
