#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

World Press Photo 2022

9 – 30 November 2022

Chisinau will host for the sixth consecutive time the World Press Photo International Exhibition, 2022 edition - a competition that recognizes quality photojournalism and rewards images and stories from around the world. The event is organized by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) with the support of the Office of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.

The exhibition includes the best photos taken in the world during 2021 and will be launched on November 9, at the National Museum of History of Moldova. The winners of the World Press Photo 2022 contest present stories that span a wide spectrum of issues - from the undeniable effects of the climate crisis or the civil rights movements and the right to access education, to the preservation of indigenous practices and identity.

Most of the winning stories of the World Press Photo 2022 contest are submitted by photographers who are close to these stories. 19 of the 24 awarded projects belong to photographers originating from the countries or communities where their winning stories were photographed. This year, out of 64,823 works sent to the competition by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries around the world, 24 regional winners and 4 global winners from 23 countries were selected: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Sudan and Thailand.

The four overall winners are:

● Photo of the Year Award: "Kamloops Residential School" by Amber Bracken, Canada, for The New York Times;
● Photojournalism of the Year Award: Saving Forests with Fire by Matthew Abbott, Australia, for National Geographic/ Panos Pictures;
● Award for long-term projects: Amazonian Dystopia by Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, for Folha de São Paulo/ Panos Pictures;
● Prize for multimedia project: Blood is a Seed by Isadora Romero, Ecuador.

For the first time, the "Photo of the Year" doesn't surprise people. The image, by Amber Bracken, commemorates the children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, an institution created to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children and where 215 unmarked graves were discovered. Residential schools began operating in the 19th century as part of a policy of assimilating indigenous people into Western and predominantly Christian culture. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that at least 4,100 students died in these schools. Kamloops became the largest educational institution in this system.

The general public is invited to discover the stories behind the winning photos at the National Museum of History of Moldova between November 10-30, 2022.

Useful information about the event:

● Exhibition launch: November 9, 3:00 p.m., National Museum of History of Moldova, based on invitations;
● Daily opening hours for the general public: 10:00 - 17:00. Friday - closed;
● Tickets can be purchased inside the museum;
● Ticket price: 10 lei/adults; 5 lei/students.

The annual World Press Photo international exhibition travels around the world. It is set up in almost 100 spaces from about 45 countries and is visited by over 4 million people every edition. The first edition of World Press Photo took place in 1955, when a group of Dutch photographers organized a competition to exhibit their work in front of an international audience. Over the years, it has become one of the most prestigious photography and visual journalism competitions in the world.

In Chisinau, the exhibition was organized for the first time in 2017.

The World Press Photo exhibition is organized in Chisinau by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.

#Exhibit of the Month

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

World Press Photo 2022

9 – 30 November 2022

#Exhibit of the Month