So much more than a museum, The Village Museum in Bucharest is a delightful day out. Also known as the Bucharest Ethnographic Museum, this open air museum dedicates itself to Romania’s historic buildings. Consisting mostly of relocated houses, churches and other small village structures from bygone eras, The Village Museum is a wonderful way to explore Romania’s history.
The architecture here is an eclectic mix from the regions of Moldavia, Dobruja, Muntenia, Oltenia, Banat and Transylvania and range from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Today there is a wonderful atmosphere with many people, families and friends out exploring in the mild Autumn weather.
I start with the northernmost end of the village, consisting primarily of Moldavian houses from the 17th to 19th centuries and a lovely relocated church from 1773.
The Windmill
This Windmill from the first half of the 20th Century operates on the principle of direct transmission of motion. The windmill uses a mechanism to drive the four blades using only wind power. The building’s foundation is circular stone, while reeds make up the frame and roof.
Originally from Enisala in Tulcea county, it was reassembled at the museum in 1965. Previously is served the purposes of family milling for wheat and corn for the household, being located in the yard next to the family home.
Răpciuni Church
Răpciuni was a village in the north east of Romania, lost during the 1950’s due to hydropower dam works carried out along the Bistrita River. One of 22 flooded villages, the church from 1773 was saved and relocated to the museum in 1958.
Known as the Holy Voivodes Church, it is a valuable monument of religious architecture. With a stone base and carved spruce beams joined in dovetail, the rectangular nave with two lateral alcoves gives way to a pentagonal aspe. Carved crosses and rosettes decorate eight pillars as well as arches, windows and door frames.
Inside, the iconostas are typical 18th century. There is a baptismal font carved from a tree trunk and paintings by local masters colour the walls and ceiling. The paintings include a depiction of the Last Judgement by Ioan Zugravul in the narthex and traditional patterns and floral designs surrounding religious scenes on the ceiling.
Just outside the door, cyrillic numerals carved into the frame attest the year 1773. Also inscribed in cyrillic script near the door are specific historical facts “when the Moskals entered Modavia, in the year 1828, April the 23rd” reminds of the Russo-Turkish war. There are notes of a particularly snowy winter in 1830, cholera epidemics in 1831 and 1865 and a locust invasion in 1867.
Timișeni Church
Remarkably, the Timișeni Church from Groj county in the south west of the country also dates from 1773. This church was relocated to the museum in 2002 after nearly being destroyed due expansion of the nearby coal mine.
Originally an Orthodox church known as Holy Hierarch Nicholas, it was re-consecrated as St. Pious Demetrius the New, protector of Bucharest, after being relocated.
The church is of a similar design to the Răpciuni Church, having a limestone base, sills and walls made of dovetailed oak beams and is also designed with distinct areas of porch, narthex, nave and altar.
The iconistas are by Mihai Zugrav in the peasant style in 1773. This includes the Holy Doors (the Annunciation), the sovereign icons (Mother of God with the Child and Jesus Christ on the Throne), feast icons of the Apostles,the True Cross and the molebens. Nearly a century later, in 1856, Gheorghe painted the interior walls of the altar. Just over a century after building began, the belfry was raised and the final paintings were completed in 1874. This included the group of three saints in the nave, eight prophets on the southern exterior wall, the reemberence list of the parish founders from the village and the Last Judgement and Heaven on the exterior porch wall.
A Holy Table, crosses, candlesticks and incense burners also adorne the nave.
Piatra Șoimului House
This late 19th century house was found in the woods near Pietra, Neamț County in western Moldavia. The stone based structure has plastered and white washed fir beamed walls and a sloped hip roof. covered in shingles.
A verandah surrounds three sides of this small, four room house. The verandah, decorated with lovely wood carved flowers, also helps with insulation. The living room contained the necessities for daily living including a stove and hearth, cookware, a shelf for storage, a bed and loom.
The guest room contains a table, dowry chest and beds with decorative fabrics adorning the walls.
There are also tools specific to the textile industry and some used for log rafting, an industry in which many villagers worked. Besides this, the also bread cattle and cultivated cereals, linen and hemp.
Half Buried Houses
Two nineteenth century half buried houses sit side by side, one from Castranova, Dolj County, the other from Drăghiceni, Olt County, both located in the south of Romania.
Both structures borrow ancient techniquest using oak planks to construct the outer walls, waterproofed by fire. The interior walls are brick, reinforced by forks supporting the building’s main beam. The roof is made from oak carved trunks. Covered with various layers of reed, earth and straw helps with insulation.
The design of the half buried houses stem from the harsh climate where they provide protection from wind and cold in winter and assist cooling in summer. They are also designed to be camouflaged in the landscape. Appearing as a mound, this helped to protect against Ottoman incursions from the north of the Danube.
Other Notable Attractions
In addition to the above there are some other notable structures. Of particular interest are the stone sheep winter shed and the moving hut.
The former was used as a sheep yard for shelter during winter time, the latter as a summer shelter for shepherds during the migratory sheep herding.
Good To Know
Today at the Village Museum there are also markets with lots of local produce and crafts as well as a concert with Romanian folk dancing and music.
Hanul da Bariera, the on site restaurant, has a tempting menu of local fare. On a day such as this the restaurant is the perfect spot to pause for a bite to eat.
Would I Return?
No. As interesting as it is, I’m not sure I would dedicate time to another visit of the Village Museum. At least not without a specific reason or event.
