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.
The Medal “For Works on Excellent Performance of General Mobilization in 1914” from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015
Abstract
In the collections of NMHM there are a military award, which has a particular symbolic value in view of the centenary of the First World War, which was celebrated in 2014 the medal "For Works on Excellent Performance of General Mobilization in 1914".
The medal was established by the decree of 12 February 1915 and was awarded to persons who had participated actively in the work associated with drawing up plans for mobilization, recruitment in military service, the supply of troops in dressings, providing military vehicles, as well as the transport of troops and military cargo. In addition, it was awarded to persons directly involved in the execution of works during the mobilization of 1914. Later the provisions were completed, so that the medal could be awarded to persons responsible for pre-military training of young people. The main issue (50000 copies) was made at the Petrograd Mint, and 800 medals were sent to Bessarabia, according to the request of its governor M.E. Gilhen.
Regarding the piece that is kept at NMHM, we shall mention that it entered the museum's collections from the disbanded Museum of Military Glory. It was donated to this museum in 1977 by a resident of Chișinău Vladimir Șirevschi. The donation included, in addition to this, other four military medals of the time and a photo of their former owner Onufrie Filipovici Shirevsky, the donor's father, who fought on the battlefields of the First World War.
The close analysis of the medal suggests that it was not made at the Petrograd Mint; most likely it was minted in a private workshop, located either at Kerki, the town in Turkestan, where the regiment of O.F. Shirevsky was stationed at the beginning of the First World War, or in Tashkent, the administrative center of Turkestan Region. It is known that, due to the large number of requests and the exhaustion of the original stock, private workshops in some gubernias, with the permission of the authorities, produced replicas of this medal. These replicas were awarded to those who, in local authorities' opinion, was worthy of this medal. In the archive file on awarding the medal "For Works on Excellent Performance of General Mobilization in 1914" in Bessarabia there is no mention of such initiatives of the local governor. This fact strengthens our assumptions, although in the questionnaire of O.F. Shirevsky, filled on March 18, 1916, there is no mention about the awarding this medal.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Shirevsky Onufrie Filipovici. On his chest one can see three crosses of the Order of St. George of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes, the 4th class St. George Medal, and the medal "In Memory of the 300th Anniversary of Romanov Dynasty". On the left pocket flap there is a badge of the 11th Rifle Regiment of Turkestan. Fig. 2. The medal "For Works on Excellent Performance of General Mobilization in 1914" from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova. Fig. 3. The medal "For Works on Excellent Performance of General Mobilization in 1914" made at the Petrograd Mint.
Andrei Emilciuc
Personnel of the Danube quarantines in Bessarabia: dynamics, structure and wages (1812-1856)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVIII [XXXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Andrei Emilciuc
Commercial navigation on the Dniester River (1812-1853)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Andrei Emilciuc
Agents of guild merchants in Bessarabia: legal framework and entrepreneurship sphere (1812-1853)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Andrei Emilciuc
Western European dictionaries and encyclopedias from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Andrei Emilciuc
Entrepreneurial transhumance in Bessarabia (1812-1853)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], 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
