#Exhibit of the Month

The National Museum of History of Moldova collects, preserves, researches and exhibits, for the purpose of knowledge and education, material evidence related to the history of Bessarabia. The museum collections are constantly enriched through acquisitions, donations and archaeological excavations.

In the first half of 2018, the museum collections were replenished with new material values, related to the history of the nobility in Bessarabia. As a result of the field investigations, carried out in the village of Brânzeni, Edineț District, five pieces of furniture were purchased, which belonged to Vasile Stroescu: a cabinet, a sofa, a chest of drawers, a chair and a wall mirror. The pieces were purchased from Elizaveta Gureu, the granddaughter of Gheorghe Tincu, who was the manager of the Brânzeni estate, owned by the Stroescu family.

Recently restored, the chair displayed in this showcase dates from the late 19th century - early 20th century. It is made of oak wood in a Russian workshop and has an invaluable memorial value. Its significance is explained by the fact that in the upper part of its back there is an engraved monogram in Cyrillic letters: "СВ", representing the initials of the name and surname of Vasile Stroescu.

This year marks 175 years since the birth of the great Bessarabian philanthropist and patriot, who was called the patron of Romania, Vasile Stroescu, one of the few boyars who put his whole life and fortune in the service of the Romanian Nation.

Vasile Stroescu originated from an old Moldovan boyar family. He was born on November 11, 1845, in Trinca village, Khotin Uyezd (now Edinet District), in the family of Vasile Ion Stroescu (1795-1875) and Porfira Manoil Guţu (1808-1856).

He was one of the most remarkable Romanian figures of Bessarabia, proving himself, through his patriotism, as a political visionary, as a promoter of the reunification of the nation and, especially, as one of the most generous Romanian philanthropists, who promoted all the most beautiful and sacred in the culture of the Romanian people.

His life and tireless activity testify to the complexity of the personality of the man whom the historian Nicolae Iorga called "a great Romanian of kindness and a generous benefactor". The great philanthropist Vasile Stroescu was and remains an example of service to the Romanian people, fully deserving our respect for his memory and deeds.

National Museum of History of Moldova

Chronological Axis

Aeneolithic Age

(late 5th millennium B.C. - early 3rd millennium B.C.)

The archaeological collections related to this period are the most representative ones. The development of material and spiritual culture testifies to the existence of different communities of farmers and nomadic cattle-breeders. Representatives of the Cucuteni-Tripolye culture inhabited the vast territory from the Carpathians to Dnieper for about 1,500 years (late 5^th millennium B.C. – early 3^rd millennium B.C.).

In the territory of the Republic of Moldova there are known more than 600 settlements of farmers, some of which were archaeologically investigated: Floresti, Rogojeni, Rusestii Noi, Radulenii Vechi, Petreni, Varvareuca, Brinzeni, etc. At this time there were first produced metal (copper) items. Tools made of bone and stone are predominant. The earthenware collection is remarkable for the variety of vessels decorated with carving or painted in diverse ornamental styles. The ornamental compositions contain cosmologic scenes, astral symbols, fantastic animals, and anthropomorphic deities. The spiritual life of the communities is represented by an impressive collection of zoo- and anthropomorphic figurines.

At the same time in the south of the Prut-Dniester area there was spread the Bolgrad-Aldeni culture represented by an impressive material.

Cattle-breeding tribes from North-Pontic steppes, which are represented here by the archaeological monuments of the Suvorovo-Novodanilovca and Cernavoda type, played an important part in the history of Aeneolithic communities. The stages of transition from the Aeneolithic to the Bronze Age in the Prut-Dniester area are represented by the archaeological cultures like the Brinzeni, Gordinesti, and Usatovo ones, which have harmoniously combined elements of the Cucuteni civilization and features of the cultures of the North-Pontic cattle-breeders identified with the ancient Indo-Europeans.

1.Vessel, the Bolgrad-Aldeni culture

2.Vessel, the Bolgrad-Aldeni culture

3.Female figurine of “Orante” type, the Bolgrad-Aldeni culture

4.Painted amphora with zoomorphic representations, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

5.Head of anthropomorphic figurine representing a slipping female deity, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

6.Anthropomorphic top of lid representing male deity, the Early or the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

7. Female figurine sitting on the zoomorphic “throne”, the Early Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

8.Female figurine, the Early Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

9.Stemmed “fruit dish” vessel with lid, with incised and excised decoration, the Early Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

10.Stemmed “fruit dish” vessel with incised and excised decoration, the Early Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

11.Stemmed “fruit dish” vessel with painted design, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

12.Painted anthropomorphic amphora with lid, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

13.Painted amphora with representation of the Great Goddess possessing animals, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

14.Female figurine, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

15.Bowl with zoomorphic representations, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

16.Painted pear-shaped vessel, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

17.Painted vessel, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

18.Female figurines, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

19.Female figurines, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

20.Painted amphora, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

21. Copper items, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

22. Painted dishes and bowls, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

23.Painted vessels, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

24.Binocular vessel, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

25.Figurine of a bull, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

26. Painted vessels: lidded anthropomorphic amphora representing a female deity and bowl, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

27. Binocular vessel, the Middle Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

28. Fragment of design of a painted amphora with zoomorphic representations, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

29.Fragment of design of a painted amphora with zoomorphic representations, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

30. Fragment of design of a painted amphora with zoomorphic representations, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

31.Fragment of design of a painted amphora with the scene of a ritual dance, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

32.Copper axe, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

33. Bone daggers, the Late Cucuteni-Tripolye culture

Chair that belonged to the great Bessarabian philanthropist and patriot Vasile Stroescu (1845-1926)

Fabergé inkwell

Bronze satyr

The icon of Our Lady of Hârbovăţ

#Exhibit of the Month

Aeneolithic Age

(late 5th millennium B.C. - early 3rd millennium B.C.)

#Exhibit of the Month