Rare 1911 girls' school photo exhibited at Chisinau history museum
Moldova's National Museum of History unveiled a rare 1911 graduation photograph capturing teachers and students from Bessarabia's Diocesan Girls' School to mark the start of the new academic year.
Pioneering women's education in Bessarabia
The century-old photograph, selected as the museum's Exhibit of the Month for September, depicts 29 graduates and 13 instructors from the first educational institution established specifically for daughters of the clergy in Bessarabia. Founded in the mid-19th century, the educational complex took four years to construct between 1860 and 1864 before opening under Archbishop Anton.
While designed to prepare young women for domestic life, the curriculum provided comprehensive academic training. Students studied arithmetic, history, geography, and religion, alongside reading and writing in Romanian, Russian, and Church Slavonic. Instruction also included practical skills such as church singing, needlework, and household management.
Crucially, the Romanian language remained part of the school's coursework, despite being transcribed in the Cyrillic script under tsarist imperial administration.
Cradle of the national anthem
Beyond academics, the school maintained a prominent choir that forged an enduring link to modern Moldovan identity.
“It was a significant educational complex offering an entire spectrum of extracurricular activities,” said Olga Andronovici, deputy director of the National Museum of History of Moldova. “The choir of this diocesan school was the first ensemble to perform 'Limba noastră' (Our Language). Alexandru Cristea, who composed the music for Alexei Mateevici's poem that now serves as Moldova's national anthem, taught at this school.”
The institution also served as a launchpad for prominent public figures. In 1911, the directorship was held by Elena Alistar, who later became the sole female deputy in Sfatul Țării, Bessarabia's regional parliament.
“Most of the teachers captured in the image were women,” said Andronovici. “Female education was actively encouraged, particularly within ecclesiastical circles where a village priest's wife was expected to be literate. The school motivated young women to pursue studies and eventually become teachers themselves.”
Donation and curatorial restoration
The photograph was captured in 1911 at the studio of photographer Sumovski, located at 35 Bodoni Street, just steps from the current museum building.
Donated to the museum in December 2025 by the Dadiștean family from the northern district of Drochia, the piece was formally accessioned following an evaluation by the museum's acquisition board. The photograph arrived intact in its original 1911 wooden frame and underwent conservation before its public debut.
“Although the artifact was in sound condition upon entering our holdings, it underwent restoration to prepare it for public viewing this September,” Andronovici explained.
The exhibition remains open to visitors throughout September at the National Museum of History of Moldova in Chișinău.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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