#Exhibit of the Month

The work In Memoriam. In Memory of the Heroes Who Fell at the Nistru (1992) was developed within the Center for Culture and Military History and published under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the Bureau for Reintegration, and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova. Authors: Gheorghe Bălan, Vitalie Ciobanu, Gheorghe Cojocaru.

This work provides a retrospective of the events that led to the outbreak of the war on the Nistru, accompanied by photographs of the heroes who lost their lives in the battles to defend the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

On March 2, 1992, the political conflict in the Nistru region escalated into a true fratricidal war. Under the fabricated pretext of "defending Russia's southern borders," political adventurers from the former Soviet metropolis encouraged Transnistrian separatism by arming secessionist paramilitary groups. At the same time, thousands of mercenary Cossacks and prisoners released early from jails, along with tanks and missiles, were sent against Independent Moldova, in a desperate attempt to revive the fallen empire.

Russia's undeclared war against the Republic of Moldova left behind hundreds of dead and wounded, shattered families, and villages in ruins. More than 50,000 peaceful residents from the conflict zone were forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge from the horrors of war.

For the sake of freedom and the future, Moldova's defenders faced death, enduring the hardships and humiliations of war.

During the Nistru war, 198 soldiers of the National Army and 89 personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs lost their lives, while 40 combatants went missing without a trace, and nearly 300 were left disabled.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

„World Press Photo”

21 November - 12 December 2019

The most important photographic exhibition in the world was opened at the National Museum of History of Moldova on November 21, 2019. At the opening event participated ambassadors accredited to Chișinău, partners of the Independent Journalism Center and journalists.

Among the guests of the event were Floris VAN EIJK, Head of the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chișinău; Anita AWOLAJA, World Press Photo Foundation, The Netherlands; Nadine GOGU, Executive Director of the IJC and Nicolae POJOGA, photojournalist.

Visitors are invited to discover the stories behind the 140 most beautiful photos of 2018, starting with November 23 and until December 12, 2019.

The winning photographs of this year's edition of the World Press Photo were selected from a total of 78,801 works, made by 4,738 photographers from 129 countries. The jury nominated 43 photographers from 25 countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Holland, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, UK, USA and Venezuela. Of the total number, 14 photographers are women (32%), a significant increase compared to 2018, when only 12% of the nominated photographers were women.

The annual international exhibition World Press Photo is traveling around the world. It is installed in almost 100 spaces in about 45 countries and is visited by over 4 million people at each edition. Before arriving in Chișinău, the exhibition was organized in New York, Naples, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Chicoutimi, Maastricht, Valencia, Guayaquil, Gavoi, Maia Taipei, Paris, Amsterdam, Oldenburg, Washington DC etc.

The event is organized by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.