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.
Playbills from the collection of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
This paper is the result of a research of the collection of playbills from the National Museum of Archaeology andHistory of Moldova. The majority of playbills refers to the modern period (1941-2910) and reflects mainly the activity of national theaters, while playbills of provincial theaters are in a very small number (a few copies). It was found the total lack of playbills of 1918-1940, although it is known that in the interwar period in Bessarabia there were theaters. Depending on the form and content, the playbills were distributed by us in three categories. Playbills of the first category include the standard elements: name of the theatre, name of the play, director, producer, and composer, at times even distribution of roles, date and place of performance, the address of printing house. The second category of playbills includes complex information: together with the names of the author and the actors there are images of scenes from the performance. The third category of playbills combines the elements of the first and second categories: some of them include scenes from the performance, the others – only the names of the ac- tors and authors. The same category includes playbills with images of main actors and famous authors.
List of Illustrations: 1. Playbill. The opera “A Singer from Palermo”, libretto by B. Buchbinder. Tour of the operetta troupe of the Odessa Russian Theatre at the B. Grossman’s Theatre in Chișinău, 1897. 2. Playbill. The play “Sentimental Waltz” by O. Litovsky. The Chișinău Russian Drama Theatre, 1941. 3. Playbill. The opera “Madame Butterfly” by G. Puccini. The Moldavian Opera and Drama Theatre, 1947. 4. Playbill. The play “Much Ado About Nothing” by W. Shakespeare. The Moldavian State Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after A. S. Pushkin, 1983. 5. Playbill. The opera “La Traviata” by G. Verdi. Tour of the soloist of the National Opera of Slovakia (Bratislava) Sidonia Goleakova in Chișinău, 1984. 6. Playbill. The play “Doina” by I. Druță. Tour of the Moldavian State Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after A. S. Pushkin at the Maly Theatre in Moscow, 1985. 7. Poster. The All-Union Festival “Ion Druta and Contemporary Theater”, Chișinău, 1988. 8. Playbill. The performance “Danila Prepeleac” by I. Creangă. The “Licurici” Republican Theatre, 1985. 9. Playbill. The performance “The Story of Petrișor” by P. Cărare și Gh. Urschi. The “Licurici” Republican Theatre, 1990s. 10. Playbill. The repertoire of the Tambov Dramatic Theater named after A. Lunacharsky on tour in Chișinău, 1982. 10. Playbill. The play “The Bald Soprano” by E. Ionesco. The “Eugene Ionesco” Theatre, 1990s. 11. Playbill. The play “The Loveliest Afternoon Of the Year” by John Guare. The “Eugene Ionesco” Theatre, 1990s. 12. Playbill. The play “The Sisters-in-Law” by Michel Tremblaу. The “M. Eminescu” National Theater, 1990s. 13. Playbill. The performance “What is human life” by A. Arkanov. The “Satiricus I.L. Caragiale “ Theatre, 1990s. 14. Playbill. The opera “Madame Butterfly” by G. Puccini. The Opera and Ballet Theatre, 1990s. 15. Playbill. The performance “Field Flowers” by C. Condrea. The Rybnitsa People’s Theater, 1961. 16. Playbill. The performance “The Lazy Daughter-in-Law”. The Taraclia People’s Theatre, (undated).
Vera Stăvilă
Post-war social poster as a means of public information (from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Vera Stăvilă
The National Theater „Vasile Alecsandri” from Bălți: historical retrospective
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Vera Stăvilă
Female images on Soviet posters from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Vera Stăvilă
Movie posters from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Vera Stăvilă
Soviet propaganda posters of the Second World War in collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], 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
