#Exhibit of the Month

It is a sports trophy obtained at an inter-school oina (a bat-and-ball game) competition in interwar Bessarabia. We don't know which schools participated in this competition, nor the venue, we only know that one of the winners received the second prize and that the event was held on May 13, 1934. In this way we learn about the existence of different sports competitions organized by schools, including the oina game. Oina is a beautiful and complex sports game that promotes the development of body and spirit, courage and the desire for self-improvement. Oina is a treasure of the Romanian people, which must be sacredly kept and passed on to future generations.

The oină or hoina game is considered a Romanian national sports game having a history of at least six centuries. The oina game is practiced continuously, according to the chronicles and deeds of the time at least from the 14th century, being mentioned for the first time in 1364, during the reign of Vlaicu Vodă. The game requires complex sports qualities (good running speed, fast reflexes in self-defense movements against the balls, accuracy in throwing and hitting the ball with a bat or stick). Oina is a sport that identifies us to the same extent as trânta, our national wrestling. The game becomes attractive among young people in the villages, enters the school curriculum through physical education lessons. Through the Education Reform of 1898, as well as through other ministerial decisions, Education Minister Spiru Haret introduces the compulsory oina lessons in all schools, as well as the annual oina competitions.

On May 9, 1899, in Bucharest, the first national oina championship was organized, the teams being made up of high school students. The winner was the team of Nicolae Bălcescu High School from Brăila.

In 1912, the Federation of the Romanian Sports Society (Bucharest) was created, which consisted of 13 sports commissions including the oina commission.

After the Union of 1918, the Federation of the Romanian Sports Society was reorganized in 1923, including the other oina sports commissions of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia.

In 1932, the Romanian Oina Federation was founded.

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National Museum of History of Moldova

Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Natalia Mateevici

Greek Amphorae in Barbaric World of North-Western Coast of Pontus Euxinus in 6th – Early 2nd Centuries B.C.

Series “Biblioteca “Tyragetia” XIV, Chisinau, 2007, 284 p.

The given monographic study is the first synthesis work on the development of trade relations between the ancient Greek civilization and the indigenous tribes of the area between the Eastern Carpathians and the Southern Bug.
The work is focused on study and research of a single category of artifacts of Greek imports – amphorae, the special vessels for storage and transport of liquids, especially wine and olive oil, the main categories of Greek-barbarian trade. Being also the largest category of Greek imports in the barbarian world, amphorae accurately reflect all stages of development of Greek-barbarian trade in ancient times.

In the paper there was studied and published amphora material from the collections of institutions from three countries: the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine.

Using an impressive number of original sources makes this work an exhaustive, thereby raising its value to science.
Study of Greek amphorae and their spreading in the barbaric world enables researchers to keep a relatively accurate dating of archaeological sites of the natives of the north-western Black Sea area.

The text of the work is complemented with a great number of illustrations which include images of the vessels themselves and 18 maps. There is also the first catalog of Greek amphora stamps found in this area that was compiled by the author and contains about 370 stamps.