Moldovan historian, curator turns 70

Chisinau, 29 August /MOLDPRES/ - Historian, curator and ethnographer, holder of the Labour Glory order Mihai Ursu marks his 70th birthday anniversary today.   

Mihai Ursu was born in the Lozova village, central Straseni district, on 29 August 1951. In 1973, he graduated from the History Faculty of the Moldovan State University (USM). Ursu worked as curator at the G.I Kotovski and S. Gh. Lazo Museum, director of the Republican Museum of Komsomol (Soviet Youth Union) from Moldova. He was curator, scientific employee, head of department and director general of the National Ethnography and Natural History Museum from Chisinau.   

According to the National Calendar, as director of the institution, he contributed to the restoration of the building’s museum, the creation of the topic-related exhibition, Nature.Man.Culture, nominated at the context, European Museum of the Year (1998) and the Hannover World Exhibition (2000). He participated in the working out of the State Programme on the construction of the Village Museum from Moldova, in the preservation of more history and culture monuments of national importance.   

In 1989-2009, he was busy with the restoration of the Botanical Garden of the National Ethnography and Natural History Museum and creation of  Vivarium with exhibitions of birds, reptiles and decorative fishes, which became an attractive place for visitors, an important centre of ecological education. Ursu contributed to the elaboration of the Law of Museums and Law on the protection of the cultural mobile heritage. He participated in the working out of the Strategy on Development of Tourism, assessing the museum tourist potential and implementation of various projects in the sector.

Starting from 2000, Mihai Ursu worked as superior lecturer at the department of artistic management and culturology of the Music, Theatre and Fine Arts Academy, where he delivered a course of museology.  

Ursu is author of over 70 works. He is member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Moldova, member of the UNESCO National Commission for Moldova, member of the National Council of Historical Monuments, member of the National Commission of Museums and Collections, member of the Museion Cultural and Scientific Association. He was awarded the title of merited man of Moldova, the Civic Merit Medal (1994), knight of the Labour Glory Order (2001).