#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. 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.

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Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Elena Ploșnița

Museum. Museumification of the immovable cultural heritage

Biblioteca „Tyragetia” XXXIV, Chișinău, 2021, 232 p. ISBN 978-9975-80-903-0; 978-9975-166-26-3

A museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions. Over time, the concept of a museum has undergone many changes, the institution being approached from different points of view. Today, the concept of a museum is the subject of extensive debate in the world of museum professionals. New approaches and interpretations related to the mission and vision of a museum are proposed, new models of museum institutions appear. A museum is becoming an indispensable cultural institution for a modern society that preserves and develops the heritage. The development is a universal way of preserving cultural heritage, contributing to tolerance and cohesion in society. The level of development of the heritage also determines the level of development of the society. Effective development of the heritage is achieved through museumification. Museumification leads to the promotion of monuments, their successful use for educational purposes, complex study, interdisciplinary approach and amplification of the process of knowledge and awareness of the need to protect them. The subject of this book is the preservation and optimal development of cultural heritage through museumification, in order to sustain the development of society, the spiritual development of people. The approach to this topic starts from the belief that such research is necessary and can be useful. Museumification is seen as a tool for the protection and development of immovable cultural heritage. This paper presents an important page in the history of national culture, concerning museums and museumification, heritage and heritageization. The topic touched upon here, we believe, relates to museology, heritage science, the areas that are complex, but important for national culture. Museumification is a complex process involving the transformation of cultural and natural heritage into museum objects with the aim of maximizing their preservation, revealing their historical, cultural, scientific, artistic value, and for their promotion. Museumification is considered as an optimal way to protect and relay the socio-cultural experience through the use of memorial houses, archaeological sites, religious monuments, literary and memorial complexes. The process of museumification in the Republic of Moldova is presented in the paper in historical dynamics, in various forms in which it manifested itself - as a museum activity, as a way of preserving and using historical monuments, and as an important factor in the development of the museum system and museography in general. The work includes three chapters with a complex documentary and bibliographic basis.

CONTENTS

Preface (by Liliana Condraticova)

A book about museum and museumification (by Ioan Opriș)

Argument

I. MUSEUM INSTITUTION. PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE MUSEOGRAPHIC FIELD

I.1. About a museum
I.2. National and international organizations as important tools in forming the professional community
I.3. Professional training of museographers
I.4. Specialized press in the professional communication system
I.5. Professionalization standards: Code of ethics
I.6. Accreditation of museums as a new stage in the professionalization of the museographic field

II. MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC MONUMENTS IN THE INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM

II.1. Institutional structures dedicated to museums
II.2. Museum institution. Legislative aspects
II.3. The contemporary museum between tradition and modernity
II.4. Heritage and heritageization
II.5. Historical monuments in the institutional system
II.6. Legislation regarding historical monuments

III. MUSEUMIFICATION OF IMMOVABLE HERITAGE

III.1. The grammar of the museumification of cultural heritage
III.2. Muzeumification of memorial houses
III.3. Museum and church: problems of museumification
III.4. Archeology and the museumification process
III.5. Museumification of medieval fortresses
III.6. Museumification of historical sites

CONCLUSION

Bibliography

List of abbreviations

Abstract

Резюме

Annexes

Index of proper names

Index of museums

Index of historical monuments