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         Ensamble "Stefan Voda", Museum Director M.Ursu and Ambassador V.MotulaitėOn June 26 the Exhibition of Lithuanian and Moldovan National Saches Opened at the Museum of Ethnography and Natural History.

The Exhibition which has more than 100 Saches on display is organized by the the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania and the Museum of Ethnography and Natural History and is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Moldova.

“This exhibition is an evidence of how alike and how different we are. National costumes of both our nations are unimaginable without sashes, on the other hand colors and patterns were different,” said Lithuanian Ambassador Violeta Motulaite.

Lithuanian diplomat noted that “national sash is traditional and ancient branch of Lithuanian folk art.  Sashes accompanied Lithuanians through all their live: from the birth to the death and meant connection, tie – both with each other and with the upper world.”

Mr.Mihai Ursu, the director of the Museum, in his opening speech talked about the Moldovan national saches.

Saches are used as a waist girdle in the national costume, to make women's headpieces, as bookmarks, neckties, accent pieces, and also widened into table runners.  National sashe is a traditional and ancient branch of Lithuanian folk art that lately has been reviving. Sashes are produced by twisting, twining and weaving techniques. Sashes are known in Lithuania since the 4th century.  

Author of sashes presented - Antanina Didzgalvienė - was born in Southern part of Lithuania, in Dzukija. She weaved sashes since her childhood. During the year she managed to weave around 100 sashes. For the first time her sashes were exhibited in 1965. Her works can be found  in Museums in Lithuania.  Sashes of A.Didzgalviene were exhibited in Latvia, Poland, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, United States and Japan.

Visitors of the exhibition have a chance to compare the unique motifs and colors of Lithuanian and Modovan traditional saches, and feel the love and the beauty that was put in saches by the artists. A live making of sache using the traditional Moldovan machine and the exposition of traditional Lithuanian national costume also were presented to the visitors of the opening of the exhibition.  A famous ensamble „Stefan Voda“ played national Moldovan songs.

The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Chisinau organizes a serious of events „Two States, Two Destinies, and Two Decades of Diplomatic Relations“  to mark the 20th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Moldova.  These events present Lithuanian history, traditions, culture and will also look at the similarities and differences of Lithuanian and Moldovan history and people.

The two countries established the diplomatic relations on July 8, 1992.