#Exhibit of the Month

This remarkable portrait of Mihai Eminescu, created by artist Alexandru Gușanov, is based on one of the four known photographs of the poet. The photograph that inspired this portrait was taken in 1869 in Wenceslas Square, Prague, when Eminescu was only 19 years old. The oval composition and harmonious color palette highlight the prominent personality and charisma of the young poet, capturing an expression that conveys both melancholy and intellectual depth.
Alexandru Gușanov (1929-2005), a Moldovan painter of Ukrainian origin, distinguished himself through his extensive work, comprising approximately 5,000 pieces - portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings. Settled in Moldova since 1945, Gușanov graduated from the Republican Art School "I.E. Repin" in Chișinău in 1952. His works were showcased in numerous national and international exhibitions and were highly appreciated in countries such as France, Hungary, Russia, and Yugoslavia. The artist dedicated a significant part of his career to creating portraits of historical and cultural figures, including Dimitrie Cantemir, Mihail Kogălniceanu, and Alexei Mateevici, which are part of the National Museum of History of Moldova's collection.

The subject of the portrait, Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), is the most significant poet in Romanian literature, whose works reflect profound thought, sensitivity toward nature, and national identity. At the age of 19, when the photograph that inspired this portrait was taken, Eminescu was in the midst of his intellectual formation, preparing to become the iconic voice of Romanian culture. Among his most famous works is the poem Luceafărul (The Morning Star), a masterpiece of universal literature.

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Exhibitions

“History of Military Headgear”

(May 18, 2010 – December 31, 2011)

The exhibition aims to familiarize the public with some valuable items from the collections of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova.

To give a general view of all the museum collections of military exhibits, the most spectacular ones, the exhibition brings to the public attention the obligatory accessories of military clothing – headdresses.

This type of military artefacts is exhibited separately for the first time.

The exhibition includes a selection of about 100 the most representative museum items of the kind. The presentation is made in evolutional order, from the 4th century B.C. to the present, in terms of the type of headgear.

The museum collection of headgear was constituted in the second half of the 20th century through donations and fortuitous discoveries. It includes more than 300 items from the oldest times to the present illustrating the evolution of this element of military costume in Europe. Some of the headdresses from the collection belonged to the military persons of figure.

The exhibition of headgear lets us to retrace the main changes in uniforms occurred as a result of the development and improvement of the military institution.

The exhibited items originate from the Russian Empire, Prussia, Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Romania, the Ottoman Empire, Germany, USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova.

These military artefacts are of various types - helmets, shakoes, garrison caps, fezes, hats, berets, kepis, caps, of daily, field or ceremonial wearing.

The oldest and most valuable items shown in the exhibition are two helmets, one of them of the Phrygian type, dated from the second half of the 4th century B.C. and found in 1958 in a hoard from Olanesti (the Stefan Voda District), and the other one of the 14th century, found at the Orheiul Vechi.

The latest headgear belongs to the National Army of the Republic of Moldova: hat, kepi, and cap of the 1992 model.

The exhibition is complemented with headgear accessories: plume, pompon, egret, cockades, and other items: epaulettes, belts, pouch, map case, whip, shabrack, protective mask and glasses, holster, weapons, etc. On mannequins there are presented several types of uniforms: of an uhlans’ trumpet-player (1855), of a hussar (1855), of the “Rosiori” lieutenant-colonel (1934), and of a soldier of the National Army Honour Guard (1992). On the walls there are photographs presenting images of the military from different countries of Europe in their uniforms. All these contribute to the reconstruction of the European military history.

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#Exhibit of the Month

Portrait of Mihai Eminescu by Alexandru Gușanov

“History of Military Headgear”

(May 18, 2010 – December 31, 2011)

#Exhibit of the Month