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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.


Virtual Tour


Publications Journal „Tyragetia"   vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2


The Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council of Ministers of the USSR (1943-1965) – a special body for communication between the State and the Church
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

The Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council of Ministers of the USSR (1943-1965) – a special body for communication between the State and the Church

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015

Abstract

Normalization of relations between the Church and the State during the war led to the need to create a special body to establish relations between the State and the Russian Orthodox Church. Therefore, in August 1943 the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church attached to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formed. G. Karpov, a former member of the Soviet KGB, was appointed the head of the new body. Managing staff of the Council was picked from a list of party nomenclature. The Council was located in Moscow, Kropotkin Street, on the second floor of the building No. 20. Soon, the number of employees of this body has increased significantly.

The order of the Council stated that it would maintain links between the Government of the USSR and the Moscow Patriarchy on matters within the competence of the Government.

Among other things, the Council was to "improve" the image of the USSR abroad. Presidents of the Council regularly hosted foreign correspondents. Each meeting was followed by reports.

The responsibilities of Presidents of the Council included regular meetings with leaders of the Church for discussions and consultations on various issues.

It is believed that the creation of a special Council for relations with the Russian Orthodox Church was due to active patriotic activities of the Orthodox Church during the Second World War, as well as to the struggle for the international leadership of the USSR in the period of 1940-1950. In this context, the Moscow Patriarchy was supposed to be a kind of tool in the foreign policy of the USSR.

The analysis of the new archival documents allows concluding that the religious policy of the Soviet State during the second half of the 1940s was determined by the external and internal political situation in the postwar period. The attitude of the Party and Government towards the Orthodox Church were determined by pragmatic interests, rather than a desire to take into account the spiritual needs of citizens.

Nicolae Fuștei
The Church during the “Khrushchev Thaw” (1953-1964)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVII [XXXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Nicolae Fuștei
Pastoral-social service of the Metropolitan Gabriel Banulescu-Bodoni
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Nicolae Fuștei
Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni's attitude to some negative phenomena in society and the church during the period of Exarchate of Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bessarabia (1808-1812)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Nicolae Fuștei
The Soviet state bodies, aimed to address the problems of religious denominations in the interwar period (1918-1940)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Nicolae Fuștei
Religious Communities of Evangelical Christian Baptists in the MSSR (1944-1965)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie



 

 

Independent Moldova
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Bessarabia and MASSR between the Two World Wars
Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
Revival of National Movement
Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
Phanariot Regime
Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
Era of the
Great Nomad Migrations
Early Middle Ages
Iron Age and Antiquity
Bronze Age
Aeneolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Palaeolithic Age
  
  

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#Exhibit of the Month

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...

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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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

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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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC