Opened in 2018, the Museum of History and Ethnography in Crihana Veche attracts hundreds of visitors every year, both children and adults, passionate about discovering local history.
Housed in a traditional local house, the museum houses over 300 exhibits, most of which have been donated by local people.
The museum collection is organized into four themed rooms. One of them, called “The Big House”, evokes local traditions by displaying carpets, folk costumes and a loom. The other rooms feature ceramics, metalwork and various religious and household artifacts.
The museum is part of the VIA Cahul tourist cluster and since 2024 has a tourist sign and an information board at the entrance.
These improvements were made with the support of the program “EU4Moldova: Key Regions”, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF.
The Museum of History and Ethnography preserves the remains discovered in the archaeological site in the locality of Crihana Veche.
A burial mound stands on the hill where the remains on display in the museum were discovered. Archaeologists discovered several tombs from different periods.
In one of them was discovered the skeleton of a man from the 1st-2nd century BC, with several skull deformities. This is by far one of the museum’s most impressive exhibits. The curved or fetal position in which most of the skeletons were found is reminiscent of a rebirth rite.
The Greek amphora, found in one of the tombs, dates back to the 2nd cent. 2nd B.C.E., is another eye-catching find.
Every year, the museum is visited by many groups of children and adults eager to discover local history and take on the role of little archaeologists.