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.
Pages from the history of the Hâncu Monastery library
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
The Hâncu Monastery dedicated to the St. Paraskeva is considered to be one of the oldest monasteries of Moldova between the Prut and the Dniester. It was founded in 1677 by the Moldavian nobleman Mihalcea Hâncu. The monastery library, until its closure by the Soviet authorities in 1950, contained old charters, manuscripts and books printed in Bucharest, Iași, Râmnic, Neamț Monastery, Sibiu, Brașov, Chișinău, Vienna, and St. Petersburg. The first religious books in the library of the monastery were handwritten, and only at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th centuries there appeared printed books from Buzău, Bucharest, and Iași. After the dissolution of the monastery these treasures have disappeared without trace. Only some of the books have been found in libraries of other monasteries or in Chisinau. At present in the library of this monastery there are 75 books published in various Romanian and foreign centers. Most of them were printed in Chișinău and the Neamț Monastery, and the oldest ones were published in the 18th century in Bucharest, Râmnic, Iași and other Romanian centers of printing.
Igor Cereteu
The Transylvanien printings from Basarabia (from the second half of XVIIIth and the first decades of XXth centuries
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Igor Cereteu
On the distribution of early printed books published in Chișinău
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Igor Cereteu
Historic events from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries attested in notes from manuscripts and old books from the Principality of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Igor Cereteu
Priest Gheorghe Armaşu: victim of the repression of the totalitarian communist system
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIX [XXXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie, Chişinău, 2025
Igor Cereteu
A manuscript about clergymen of the Nativity Cathedral in Chișinău during 1840-1851
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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
