#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

Events Archive

The opening of the exhibition "War Up Close"

August 21, 2024

On August 21, 2024, at the National Museum of History of Moldova, the opening of the exhibition of virtual reality "War Up Close", organized in collaboration with the Office of the Republic of Moldova of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, took place.

The event was opened by the general director of the National History Museum of Moldova, Dr. Hab. Eugen Sava, who emphasized the efforts of the organizers to present a special and authentic project, which illustrates the devastating reality of the unjustified war triggered by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. He also mentioned that the exhibition uses peak technology, including panoramic photos, images captured by drones and 3D modeling, to transform suffering into sensitivity and provide a visceral experience.

Dr. Brigitta Triebel, director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in the Republic of Moldova, welcomed the guests at the event, offering an incursion to the main purpose of the exhibition: to bring to the global attention the extent of the human and material disaster, through images that surprise both civil infrastructure affected, as well as the devastated destinies of the millions of Ukrainians.

The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, Sergiu Prodan, was also present at the event, noting that this exhibition is not only a window to a grim world, but also a call to consciousness, an urge not to forget what is happening in the immediate vicinity, presenting a tragic vision of some actions initiated for personal reasons, where the suffering is carried by those whose existence is just beginning.

The president of the National Congress of Ukrainians in the Republic of Moldova, Dmitro Lecarțev, stressed the hope that this approach will inspire action and solidarity, reminding that each life matters and that together we can bring the change.

About the steps that were undertaken until this special presentation and the work behind the exhibition, Sophia Bilenko, project manager "War Up Close", told us, with the exhibition, together with the Serhii Vorobiov. She specified that each image, every detail, invites the visitor to discover and feel the tangible nature of this tragedy, to reflect on the human suffering and, most importantly, to tend towards the idea of uniting voices in the name of peace and democracy.