#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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Research Research Projects

"Identification, documentation, research, and promotion of the museum collections" (2011-2012)

Currently the museum realizes a project on identification, documentation, research, and promotion of the museum collections (2011-2012).

The museum's property as a part of national heritage is an important factor for preservation of the identity and cultural and national values, sustainable development, social harmony, and intercultural dialogue in the country and abroad. The museum's property is indispensable for a balanced and complete life; it must be documented, researched, preserved and made accessible to the public and scientists. Research and presentation of the values are a means to guarantee everyone the right of access to resources of cultural values for the better understanding of the national and world history and culture, both at present and in the future. Knowledge and the scientific and public use of museum collections should be recognized a natural consequence of the role and place of museum institutions in contemporary society.

The project is focused on two main objectives:

- Scientific documentation of the archaeological collections, which involves the identification of their origin, identification of the conditions under which they were found, establishing their cultural and historical (museum) significance. This documentation is essential and fundamental for the scientific research, conservation, and knowledge of archeological artifacts;

- Research of the collections of documents, which will result in the new forms of publication of the research results: scientific catalogs, directories, encyclopedic editions) and also contribute to the democratization of the museum and broadening of the public access to museum property values.

The project will contribute to the development of quality standards for scientific records of museum values, to scientific and cultural dialogue on the national and international level based on the reporting of the research results, and to awakening in the society the consciousness of cultural and historic heritage values.