Moldovan churches & monasteries: a spiritual treasure

"A church is a church, you have seen one, you have seen them all," said a weary tourist after an exhausting sightseeing tour at which half a dozen of ancient and not so ancient churches had been visited. We should not condemn this particular tourist for his cultural indifference and lack of interest in the historical and cultural heritage of a nation that he was totally alien to. But as there are "tourists and tourists", there are still a lot of people who are eager to see an ancient church either for purely aesthetic reasons or motivated by the desire to look deep into the past in order to be spiritually inspired by the cultural achievement of the past ages.

In this issue we will talk about Moldovan churches and monasteries which represent the most valuable spiritual treasure of the republic and remind of the country's rich historical background.

Located in one of the most picturesque places of the Codry, the oldest Moldovan monastery - Capriana - dates back to the early 1420s. The Capriana Monastery was initially built of wood. It was much later, in 1545, that the Church of St. Gheorghe was erected in stone on the territory of the monastery. Times change, and architectural and aesthetic tastes change with them, and since the Church continued to be used for worship - and had not become just a relic of the past to be revered in its original form - some modifications were introduced to suit the new tastes. In the Soviet times the Capriana Monastery was closed for visitors and only in the year 1989 it resumed its activity.

Situated about 110 km north of the Moldovan capital, the Holy Trinity Monastery of Saharna is considered to be one of the biggest centers for religious pilgrimages in Moldova. According to one of the local legends, one day a monk saw the shining figure of St. Maria on top of one of the highest rocks. When the monk reached the rock he discovered a footstep left by St. Maria on the ground. The event was considered to be enough evidence for the holy purity of the place. Near that place a wooden church was built and the Holy Trinity Monastery was founded in 1777. Later the wooden church was replaced by a brick one built in an old Moldovan style and richly adorned with frescoes. Unfortunately the frescoes are in a very poor state of preservation. Art historians are of the opinion that the frescoes were executed by local artists who evidently had some knowledge of the religious art.

In 1678, in the Moldovan Codry Mihail Hincu, the Moldovan ruler erected a convent for his daughter who decided to leave the ordinary world and live a religious life in a community. She became a nun under the name of Parascheva. In the late 17th century the wooden church of St. Parascheva and its cells were frequently invaded by the Tartars. That is why, in such turbulent years the convent and its surroundings were desolate. Today the beauty of the convent and of the place itself where it sits attract a lot of people who come to enjoy the sight.

The Hirjeuca Monastery is situated about 70 km north-west of the Moldovan capital city. The first religious community emerged there in 1740. Later, a number of wooden churches with small dark cells were constructed. In the middle of the 19th century the monastery was surrounded by a wonderful park with lakes, fountains and alleys. In the Soviet times it was closed for visitors, and a sanatorium functioned on its territory. In 1993, the religious services resumed in the Hirjeuca Monastery and it once again acquired its proper status.

It was in the 18th century that the Uspensky Church was built in the southern part of the present-day Moldova. In the 19th century it was damaged by a fire and a lot of restoration work was done to preserve its original exterior. The Uspensky Church produces a majestic impression upon the viewer. When you walk inside, you cannot help being impressed by the lavishness and at the same time graceful beauty of the interior decorations. It has its own unique mood, which it gives to anyone who cares to catch it. Once you have caught it after going around it and exploring it inside you begin to realize that a hundred years of Moldova is beside you as you gaze at the church. Its interior walls are richly adorned with frescoes and mosaics. The architectural ornamentation has once been called "music frozen in stone", "stone chronicles", and "books with stone pages".

All the churches and monasteries mentioned above are a true architectural marvel, and one has to see them all with one's own eyes.

Prepared by Vlada Popushoi