#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.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

"Memory of War"

(May 6 – June 28, 2010)

The Second World War is one of the most tragic pages in the history of mankind. It brought to death millions of people and caused incalculable material losses. Moldova also took many hardships of the war. Thousands of the Moldavians have been killed by enemy bullets on the fronts of the war; thousands of villages, houses, industrial buildings, farms have been erased to the ground during the bombing and military operations.

The best gesture of gratitude of the contemporaries to the generation that passed through the crucible of war, and especially to those who have fallen in battles, would be to keep the memory, to transmit from generation to generation their names and deeds.

The exhibition “Memory of War” is dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Victory over fascism and is to commemorate all the victims of the war irrespective of which side of the barricades they were. In it some museum items are exhibited for the first time: photographs, books, posters, military uniforms, weapons, soldiers’ personal belongings, front letters, war trophies, awards, etc. – the historical relics aimed to reconstruct the tragic events of the Second World War, crimes of fascism, the brotherhood in arms and the joy of victory.

Most of the exhibits are from the collections of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova and are divided into several conventional sections: The Beginning of War, The “New Order” instituted by the fascists in Europe, The Creation of Antifascist Coalition, The Liberation of the Peoples of Europe from the Fascist Occupation, The Fall of Fascism, and The Nuremberg Trials.

A special section of the exhibition includes photographs, documents and personal belongings of our citizens who participated in the biggest military operations during the war and were decorated with high military honors for heroism on the battlefields (D. Calaras, I. Coval, N. Lebedenko, I. Soltas, F. Zharchinsky, V. Ermuratsky, G. Odobescu, and others).

The exhibition is complemented by a collection of posters of the time and works of art on the military subjects created by the prominent painters (I. Toidze, M. Grecu, A. David, A.Vasiliev, V. Obuh, and others), as well as books on the history of the Second World War.

#Exhibit of the Month

Portrait of Mihai Eminescu by Alexandru Gușanov

"Memory of War"

(May 6 – June 28, 2010)

#Exhibit of the Month