#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.

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Events Archive

Opening of the Exhibition “Show Me Your Pain” Vol. III

October 21, 2024

On October 21, 2024, in the context of the European Day against pain, the National History Museum of Moldova hosted the opening of the exhibition "Show Me Your Pain," the result of a unique performance conducted during a scientific seminar in Salzburg, Austria, earlier this year. The project randomly paired eight volunteers with eight artists, each volunteer completing a detailed questionnaire that included demographic data, pain intensity scores, and comparisons of pain with basic sensory experiences.

The ceremony was held in English, being opened by Iana Burmistr, president of the Society for the study and combat of pain, presenting the other artists involved in the project.

In private sessions, the artists met with the volunteers to discuss anything except pain, with the pain descriptors extracted exclusively from the completed questionnaires. The exhibition brought together the resulting paintings, offering a visual interpretation of pain through the sensory experiences described by the volunteers.

Visitors were invited to experience these pains through a collection of unique artworks, each reflecting the artist's interpretation of the volunteer's pain. This included opportunities to touch and taste pain, inviting the audience to connect emotionally and sensorially with the displayed works. The original paintings, held by the artists, were accompanied by digital copies that were nearly identical in size to the originals, providing a rare opportunity to contemplate the complexity of human pain.

This event was carried out by the Moldovan Society for the Study and Combat of Pain in partnership with Art Forum Salzburg, the WHO and the US Government, as part of a wider pain awareness campaign aimed at encouraging open discussions about pain experiences, promoting thus empathy and a better understanding of pain management.

The exhibition "Show Me Your Pain" explored the interaction between pain and color perception, highlighting how sensory experiences influence pain perception. This initiative underscored the importance of effective communication in pain management and the relevance of innovative approaches to understanding this complex issue.

The "Show Me Your Pain" exhibition can be visited until November 8, 2024.