#Exhibit of the Month

Bronze cauldrons of the Scythian time are rare in the Northern Black Sea region, especially on its western borders. Therefore, those few items found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupy a worthy place in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM). In particular, in the archaeological exhibition, two bronze cauldrons are displayed, discovered near the village of Nicolscoe in 1988 in burial mounds no. 14 and 15. In addition, in 2020, two bronze cauldrons without any accompanying documents were found in the collection of NMHM; however, they were visually identified as coming from various excavations in the Low Dniester region, such as burial mound no. 45 near Dubăsari and burial mound no. 1 near the Răscăieții Noi village.

The object presented as the exhibit of the month is a little-known find discovered in 1979 in barrow 1 near the village of Răscăieții Noi in the Ștefan Vodă district. In addition to its outstanding size (about 10 m high), this mound is known for discovering a cast bronze finial in the Scythian animal style on its surface in 1953. However, by the beginning of excavations, the locals had damaged part of the mound and a Scythian cast bronze cauldron was found near it. The cauldron was seriously damaged by mechanical impact, as a result of which the rim was deformed, and the walls, with one preserved vertical handle, were bent inwards. Fragments in the upper part of the body and one handle have been lost. The total reconstructed height of the cauldron is 24 cm (excluding the handles), the reconstructed diameter of the hemispherical cauldron is 30 cm, and the weight is 6.5 kg. In 2020, data on the chemical composition of the bronze cauldron alloy were obtained, revealing that it was cast from an alloy of almost 95 per cent copper. Unfortunately, due to the loss of information on the context of the discovery of the cauldron at Răscăieții Noi, it is impossible to link its discovery with one or another Scythian burial of the barrow. Moreover, the grave goods of other Scythian burials of Barrow 1 do not allow them to date below the 4th century BC. However, the cauldron with vertical handles from Răscăieții Noi most likely belongs earlier. This may be indicated by a bronze finial from the first half of the 5th century BC, which was found on this barrow in 1953. In addition, burial 7 from the nearest excavated barrow 2 at Răscăieții Noi, containing a plaque depicting a rolled predator (a copy of which is also on display at the NMHM), belongs to the mid- 5th century BC. Thus, there is a high probability that the cauldron from Barrow 1 at Răscăieții Noi is associated with the late Middle Scythian period or the mid-5th century BC.

Scythian bronze cauldrons in the west area are concentrated in three main regions: Bukovina-Podolia, the Lower Danube, and the Lower Dniester. Some Scythian cauldrons have no reliable archaeological context. Nevertheless, in combination with the same "stray" finds like the Scythian statues, the finds of Scythian cauldrons mark the Scythian presence, most likely not earlier than the late 6th century or even the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The cauldrons first appeared in Bukovina, where they have been known since the middle of the 7th century BC. Bronze cauldrons (with their carriers) entered the steppe region 150-200 years later, and the "military" burials that appeared in the western steppe regions were no earlier than the middle of the 5th century BC. Most burials with cauldrons (and, apparently, the stray finds) are dated back to the second half of the 5th century BC. Then, in the early 4th century BC, their quantity was reduced, and after the first quarter of the 4th century BC, they completely disappeared from the cultural practice of the population of the steppes of the North-Western Black Sea region.

Virtual Tour

“The train of pain”

The monument that is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the deportations of the communist regime (unofficially, also called the "Train of Pain") is a memorial that holds the memory of tens of thousands of Moldovans (Bessarabians) deported in the years 1940–1953 during the communist regime.

The location of the monument in the square of the Chisinau Railway Station has a special connotation: it was from here that most of the Bessarabians were forcibly taken to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Documentary materials about the deportees and their families are included in four volumes of the Memory Book. The volumes contain data on individuals subjected to repression (name, surname of the repressed, year of birth, place of origin, year and reason for repression, place of detention (deportation), data on rehabilitation) in the municipalities and districts of the Republic of Moldova. The documentary material is structured according to the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Moldova until 12.11.1998. Within the district, the materials are distributed by communes, within the commune - in alphabetical order and respecting the chronology of repressions. To ensure maximum accessibility, the Memory Book has been digitized and encoded in a QR Code.

The monument is made by the sculptor Iurie Platon. The inauguration of the monument took place on August 23, 2013. The bronze sculpture is 3 meters high, 12 meters long and weighs 15 tons.

IURIE PLATON

Painter, ceramist, sculptor, organizer of numerous international projects of intercultural exchanges, teacher of art education,

visual artist with work in public and private collections from all around the world,

awarded with prestigious prizes and distinctions at contemporary art competitions.

Studies:

1974 – 1981 Republican High School of Fine Arts Igor Vieru, class of Professor Victor Marinescu, Chisinau

1982 – 1987 Institute of Arts, class of teachers Eve Mardna, Leo Rohlin, Tallinn, Estonia, Specialization: Fine and Applied Arts

Devotion:

1985 He made his creative debut with painting at the Youth Theater, Tallinn, Estonia

1987 The republican exhibition of decorative art participates with the work Memories

1987 Full member of the Association of Young Visual Artists and Art Critics of the USSR Union of Fine Artists

1991 Full member of the Union of Visual Artists of the Republic of Moldova

1997, 1998 Initiator and organizer of the International Symposium of small bronze sculpture, Chisinau

1996, up until now he continues to be an freelance visual artist in Germany and the Republic of Moldova

Teaching activity in art education:

1987 – 1996 P Professor at the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts, Chisinau. He led the first class of graduates at the ceramics department, of which Oleg Dobrovolschi, Elena Mogorean, Ion Niţa, Vladimir Tabac integrated in the contemporary creative process.

2000, 2003, 2008 Professor of stone sculpture at the Summer Academy at the An der Copelschleuse Creation Center, Meppen, Germany

2005 Outdoor painting teacher at courses organized by the Imbert Gallery, Aix-en-Provance, France

Solo Exhibitions:

From the beginning of his artistic activity up until now, he carries out an extensive creative activity, accumulating in his record more than 60 personal and group exhibitions in the country and abroad: Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary.

Monumental works for public:

Argentina, Czech Republic, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania

Works in public and private collections:

Argentina, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania

Distinctions / scholarships:

1991 Youth Prize for Fine Arts, awarded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Moldova

1994 Iulian Antonescu Museum Complex Award, Bacău, Romania

1996 Lotus Company Award, Romania - awarded at the exhibition-contest of contemporary art Salons of Moldova: Romania-Republic of Moldova

1997 First Prize of the Radio Free Europe Sculptors Symposium, Czech Republic

2000, 2003, 2008 Scholarship awarded by the An der Copelschleuse Creative Center, Meppen, Germany

2006 Scholarship awarded by the International Confederation of Visual Artists' Unions of Moscow at the Cité Internaionali des Arts, Paris, France

2009 Prize of the Union of Visual Artists of the Republic of Moldova