Colonel Cerchez's Campaign Trunk / The History of Romania in One Object

This week's object in focus brings us back to one of the most important moments in the creation of modern, democratic Romania, the War of Independence  of 1877-78. The siege of Plevna and the consequent surrender of the great Ottoman general Osman Pasha to Colonel Cristodulo Cerchez became an enduring symbol of bravery in battle and magnanimity in victory. Learn more about the era and its heroes through the story of Colonel, later General, Cerchez's campaign trunk, which accompanied him throughout the entire campaign. Text by historian and curator Sorin Iftimi. Video presentation by historian and curator Ioan Iațcu. Film by Mihai Neagu. A team of Moldavia's History Museum in Iași.

Watch and read on our FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and WEBSITE from Monday, December 14, 2 p.m. EDT (or anytime later).

Sorin Iftimi graduated from the Faculty of History of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași in 1993 and since 1995 he has been working at the History Museum, part of the "Moldova" National Museum Complex in Iași. He has a PhD in history (since 2006) and is an expert in movable cultural heritage (since 2015). He has published 25 books and exhibition catalogues, as well as over 150 studies and articles. He is also a specialist in urban history, military uniforms and decorations, knives, genealogy and heraldry. He gave a course on mobile cultural heritage within the master's program Mobile Heritage and Cultural Tourism, organized by the Faculty of History at the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași.

Ioan Iațcu is a curator at Moldavia's History Museum within "Moldova" National Museum Complex in Iași. He is a specialist in Late Antiquity and dedicated a series of volumes and scientific studies to this historical period, with a foscus on religious constructions, architectural sculpture and parietal painting. Dr. Iațcu curated numerous historical and anthropological exhibitions among which we mention “The Art of Pilgrimage. Christian Objects in the Eastern and South-Eastern Carpathian Space (4th-16th centuries)” and “Olfactive. Spices, Resins, Perfumes and Scents from Antiquity to the Modern Age."

Our online series THE HISTORY OF ROMANIA IN ONE OBJECT, developed in partnership with some of the most important history museums in the country, evokes decisive epochs in Romania's past starting from artifacts or vestiges with powerful symbolic, representative value.