#Exhibit of the Month

The history of this icon traces back to the 10th century at the Protaton Monastery on Mount Athos. In one of the cells named "The Dormition of the Mother of God," an elderly hieromonk lived with his disciple. They preserved a superb depiction of the Virgin Mary. This old icon became renowned through the revelation of the prayer "It Is Truly Meet."
Between the years 980-982, on a Saturday evening before an all-night vigil, the elder monk left for the nearby church, instructing his disciple to continue the religious routine in the cell. Being obedient, the disciple followed the instructions. When he reached the 9th Ode of the Canons, "More Honorable Than the Cherubim...," he suddenly heard someone beginning to chant alongside him: "It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos..." It was a mysterious pilgrim monk who had appeared unexpectedly and joined in the prayers. At that moment, the icon began to radiate light, as if it were broad daylight. Astonished by the events, the disciple asked the mysterious monk to write down the verses. The monk wrote them on a tile with his finger as if it were soft wax and said, "From now on, this is how you Orthodox Christians should chant," and, saying this, he vanished. Left alone, the disciple realized he had witnessed a great miracle. Enlightened, he understood that the pilgrim was none other than the Archangel Gabriel, who had come, as he had before, to deliver the word of the Highest to humanity.

The icon was transferred from the cell to the Holy Altar of the Protaton Church, where a similar icon is preserved to this day. The tile with the divine hymn was taken to Constantinople and included in the Orthodox Church's liturgical books. Soon after, Archangel Gabriel's prayer was incorporated into the Divine Liturgy, immediately following the Consecration of the Gifts of Bread and Wine. The valley with the cells has since been called Adin, meaning "to chant," "chanting."

The icon "It Is Truly Meet" is of inestimable value and has become the protector of Mount Athos. The icon is celebrated on June 11/24, commemorating the miraculous appearance of the Archangel, and on July 13/26, in honor of the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.

This icon, of the Eleusa type, portrays gentleness and tenderness in its central figures. The Virgin holds the Child with her right hand, while her left hand, placed beneath His feet, grips the hem of His tunic. The small Jesus wears a short tunic reaching His knees and holds a scroll in His right hand inscribed with the words of the Axion hymn. His left-hand slips under the veil of the Virgin towards her left shoulder. Both figures are crowned with golden halos. Two angels flank the Virgin's halo, while the Almighty in an open heaven blesses with both hands.

Crafted using tempera on wood, the icon is adorned with gold leaf and multicolored enamel, giving the image a unique delicacy. The inscription on the lower frame indicates that the icon was created by the painter Ioasaf in 1905.

The painter monk Ioasaf Berghie (1862-?) of the New Neamț Monastery resided there between 1887 and the 1940s, occupying three rooms to set up his studio, where he worked continuously on icons and church artworks. Born into the family of a church teacher in Jabca village, Ștefan Berghie, Ioan Berghie developed a passion for sacred iconography from an early age. In 1890, Andronic, the abbot of the New Neamț Monastery, blessed him to paint icons. Taking monastic vows in 1895 under the name Ioasaf, he traveled by foot to visit major ecclesiastical centers nearby and further afield, learning the art of iconography. Starting with naive-style interpretations, he eventually mastered professional painting techniques and acquired new decorative skills. His works became highly popular throughout Bessarabia and abroad. Painting a significant number of icons, they were often mistakenly sold as coming from major artisan workshops. To prevent such confusion, he received the abbot's blessing to sign his works, earning recognition and fame for his name.

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Exhibitions

“Victor Rotaru: Reflections in Colors”

September 21 – October 31, 2023

On September 21, in Room no. 1 of the National Museum of History of Moldova, will take place the opening of a unique exhibition, entitled "Victor Rotaru: Reflections in Colors" which includes an impressive number of paintings by the plastic artist, collected and kept by the Kliuchnikoff family, most of which will be exhibited to the general public for the first time.

Victor Rotaru (1949-2020) is a prominent name in the world of Moldovan art. From an early age, he showed an artistic nature, discovering his special talent for drawing. Although they had in front of them a promising future artist, the times in which he grew up were marked by the strictly ideological demands of socialist realism, imperative in the Soviet period.

However, Victor Rotaru chose a less conventional path. Instead of joining the socialist realism movement, he preferred to maintain his artistic integrity and make a living in another way. He worked as an assistant stage designer at the "Moldova-film" Studio and later at the "Maria Bieșu" Opera and Ballet Theatre. He was also a painting and drawing teacher at children's art schools in the villages around Chisinau. It was a brave decision to give up his career as an artist, simply to stay true to his own artistic vision and not submit to the ideological pressures of the era.

During his career, Victor Rotaru revealed his artistic influences, inspired by artists such as Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso and Dali, from impressionism and post-impressionism. Today, Victor Rotaru's works retain the imprint of the difficult times in which he lived, but each of them conveys a deep philosophical message, reflecting his artistic essence. His compositions are unique in their energy and dynamics, as well as in their color combinations. They reflect the experiences and personality of an artist who said: "Loneliness is my way of being. I am a sentimental nature. Feelings, sometimes full of light, sometimes abysmal, guide me all my life."

Victor Rotaru cared a lot about his family, he had special relationships with his parents and sisters. He was an open person, he liked guests and soulful conversations. They were colleagues and close friends with Tudor Braga, Andrei Sârbu, Petru Jereghe and Mihai Țăruș.

In the creative activity, he manifested himself in portraiture, still life, genre painting, but also in scenography. Having to create and confirm himself under the restrictive conditions of the Soviet regime, he was an artist with a difficult fate, because he did not want to promote socialist realism in art. In this situation it was practically impossible to survive as a painter and for this reason he retired. He regretted wasting a lot of time...

"When I realized that I would never be able to reach Mihai Grecu's height, I gave up!"

Victor Rotaru is a remarkable artist whose personal and artistic choices have defined him in a unique way. He remained true to his own artistic vision and refused to submit to the ideological pressures of the age, demonstrating his courage to follow his own path in the art world.

The painting exhibition "Victor Rotaru: Reflections in Colors" can be visited between September 21 and October 21, 2023, in Room no. 1 of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.

#Exhibit of the Month

The Mother of God “It Is Truly Meet” (“Axion Estin”)

“Victor Rotaru: Reflections in Colors”

September 21 – October 31, 2023

#Exhibit of the Month