Teacher Ion Croitoru’s house, now a museum, is a cultural landmark in Ghiduleni
The house of Ion Croitoru, a boyar and teacher, has been transformed into a museum, becoming a new cultural landmark for the village of Ghiduleni in the Rezina district. Beginning in October 2025, this building, once home to Croitoru—who tragically died in a Siberian gulag—will host a museum dedicated to ethnography and local history. This initiative is the brainchild of history teacher Ion Tudose, whose vision has received strong support from the entire community. Local residents contributed to the museum's setup by donating objects that reflect the village's heritage and traditions.
After more than half a century dedicated to teaching, History professor Ion Tudose has fulfilled his dream of creating a space to preserve the memory of his hometown's history.
"As Nicolae Iorga said, 'A people who do not know their history are like a child who does not know their parents.' Guided by these words, I decided to open a museum here so that children can come and learn about their past, the present, and the heritage of their village," said Ion Tudose.
The Tudose are volunteers who successfully mobilized local residents, who generously donated objects that became part of the museum's exhibits.
"I have always supported him because it was his dream to create this museum. Here in the village, I feel like a stranger, but whenever I addressed someone, they would come to me and say, 'Mrs. Lidia, how are we doing?'" said Lidia Tudose, Ion's wife and a guide at the museum.
"They even used it to make flour; they made bulgur when they had nothing to eat," she added.
"I sewed the pillows and, along with my niece, Mrs. Zinaida, we started weaving carpets so that the youth could see this traditional craft."
"We decided to showcase precious items that we value but that usually go unseen in our homes."
Although the city hall cannot financially support the museum, it has repaired the former mansion that houses it and arranged the surrounding space.
"A museum of history and ethnography preserves ancestral values so that we can show children how life used to be," declared Vitalie Galamaga, the mayor of Ghiduleni village.
Visitors often experience surprises during their first visit to the museum.
"I am very moved because the old photograph shows my mother, a young teacher, who returned from Siberia in 1946," said Valeria Dascăl, a writer.
In addition to photographs, archival documents, and household items, the museum also houses an old iconostasis from the stone church constructed in 1867.
"This building itself serves as a museum; it was the home of Ion and Maria Croitoru, who were repressed and taken to Siberia," said Lidia Tudose.
The museum also features the literary works of Professor Ion Tudose and articles about the village's history. Currently, Ion Tudose is writing a book about the locality's history, documented as far back as June 1665.
