#Exhibit of the Month

This is a challenge cup, which used to be awarded to the winners in sports competitions between the teams-members of the Dynamo Voluntary Sports Society, organized by the City Committee responsible for physical culture and sports in Chișinău.

The voluntary sports organizations (DSO: Dobrovol'noe sportivnoe obshhestvo) were created in the mid-30s of the twentieth century in the Soviet Union and over the years had spread in the socialist states. They brought together groups of amateur athletes from district, regional and republican enterprises and educational institutions based on the territorial principle. They were engaged in the education of the young generation in the field of physical culture, sports and tourism in order to solve the problems of the development of mass physical culture. The winners used to be awarded with diplomas, badges, sports medals of various categories and a multitude of sports cups.

The sports cup presented in this exhibition has the shape of a decorative vase and consists of three parts. The upper part, cylindrical in shape, consists of ten openwork components, the decor of which represents vines with bunches of grapes; it is topped with a hemispherical lid. The upper part is missing an element, usually a sculpture, symbolizing the field of athletics corresponding to the competition. The central part is shaped like a lidded bowl with richly ornamented handles. On its surface the inscription is engraved in Russian: City Committee for Physical Culture and Sports. Challenge prize in athletics among the teams of the Dynamo Voluntary Sports Society, Chișinău. 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951. The third part, which is the foot of the cup, has a band decorated in relief with stylized flowers and fruits with niello.

Accession: MNIM, FB-8736
Metal: silver-plated brass
Dimensions: 300 x 230 x 210 mm.

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National Museum of History of Moldova

Restoration

One of the main museum activities is restoration of museum exhibits. Annually there are conserved or restored about 150 objects, which were in a poor state because of their age.

The Department of Conservation and Restoration was established in 1994. It is divided into laboratories for the restoration of old books, icons, metal objects, ceramics, textiles, and pieces of furniture.

Laboratory for the restoration of old books

Among the cultural values, which were brought back to life by skillful hands of restorers, there are:

metal objects: coin hoards from Hiriseni (3^rd – 4^th cent.), Vadul lui Isac (2^nd – 4^th cent.), and Capriana (17^th – 19^th cent.), buckles, bracelets, two chain mails (16^th – 18^th cent.), two medieval guns from Orheiul Vechi;
old books: “Antologhion” (Iasi, 1726), “Apostol” (Bucuresti, 1743), “Tridion” (Iasi, 1747), “Apostol” (Iasi, 1756), “Liturghie” (Ramnic, 1787), “Psaltire” (Iasi, 1790), “Biblia” (Blaj, 1795), and many other ecclesiastical books;
icons: "Virgin on the Throne". "St Nicolas", "Saints", "St Archangel Michael" (1796), "Epiphany", and many others;
textiles: "Carpet with a rose" (1896), a wall carpet (19th cent.), a ritual rug "pocrovat" (19th cent.), two theatre costumes from the opera "The Tsar's Bride" (1930s), details of national costumes, and many other museum objects;
ceramics: archaeological vessels found at the sites of Saharna „La Revechin" (the Getae culture, 5th - 4th cent. B.C.), Giurgiulesti, Orheiul Vechi. Among them there are funeral vessels, bowls, pots, cups, etc.

In 2009 - 2010 the laboratories for restoration of books, metal objects, and furniture were equipped with advanced machinery through two projects funded by the Foundation THE HEADLEY TRUST from the United Kingdom and the Government of Japan.

#Exhibit of the Month

Challenge Sports Cup

Restoration

#Exhibit of the Month