#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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Publications

Journal „Tyragetia"

vol. V [XX], nr. 2

Advertisements of trading houses and shops in the Bessarabian press (the late 19th - early 20th centuries)

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Vera Serjant

Advertisements of trading houses and shops in the Bessarabian press (the late 19th - early 20th centuries)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Among the many advertisements in Bessarabian periodicals the messages with socio-economic content occupied a special place. This paper offers its readers a wide range of advertising messages related to trade. It aims to identify and evaluate the content and form of “commercial” advertisements, to deﬁne their role and place on the pages of newspapers and other periodicals in the historical period under review. Due to the wide distribution and wide range of readers periodicals ranked ﬁrst among other means of advertising. Advertising is a good way to inform and persuade consumers in order to create a preference or to motivate them to consume a particular product. Bessarabian merchants who posted their advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and other publications were also convinced in this. The number of such advertising messages is impressive. Their classiﬁcation by content allows us to determine the level of trade in Bessarabia where at that time there was a large network of stores specializing in the sale of goods and products of Russian and foreign factories. At the same time, we ﬁnd that in the Bessarabian trade there were operated such commercial structures as trading houses established under contract to carry out a successful trade.

List of illustrations:

1. Ad unit of the “G. Kogan and Son” Trading House published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.257, December 5, 1914.
2. Advertisement of the department store of the „Barbalat and Co” Trading House published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.265, December 14, 1914.
3. Ad unit of B. Davidov’s hat shop published in the magazine “Наше объединение”, No.26, June 26, 1911.
4. Advertisement of О.P. Vorob’yov’s weapon store published in the magazine “Наше объединение”, No.26, June 26, 1911.
5. Ad unit of K.M. Yakovenko’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.204, August 21, 1909.
6. Advertisement of I.A. Belotserkovsky’s fur shop published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.260, December 9, 1914.
7. Ad unit of A.N. Nemirovsky’s watch shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.15, January 19, 1914.
8. Advertisement of Kuzma brothers’ haberdashery published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.225, October 10, 1910.
9. Ad unit of Barbalat’s department store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.29, February 5, 1914.
10. Advertisement of the pianos and gramophones store of F.F. Kapras published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.180, July 19, 1909.
11. Ad unit of V.I. Vorob’yov’s music store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.188, July 30, 1909.
12. Advertisement of the “Tertus” tea shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.212, September 1, 1909.
13. Ad unit of E. Taser musical instruments store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.17, January 21, 1914.
14. Advertisement of M. Syromyatnikov’s manufactory store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.51, March 2, 1914.
15. Ad unit of M. Vivodtsev’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.79, April 5, 1907.
16. Advertisement of the shop of K.D. Pupko , a representative of “J. Blok” Society, published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.56, March 4, 1906.
17. Advertisement of K. Sehter’s bookstore published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.211, August 17, 1905.
18. Ad unit of a store of the “Singer “Company published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.222, August
28, 1905.
19. Advertisement of bookstores of the “K. Sehter and Co” Trading House published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.33, February 9, 1914.
20. Advertisement of B.V. Belousov’s music store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.29, February 5, 1914.
21. Advertisement of S.M. Ol’shanetsky’s linen and trousseau shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.54, March 5, 1914.
22. Ad unit of I.A. Lapshuk’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.246, October 14, 1909
23. Advertisement of a manufactory store of the “Kogan and Son” Trading House published in the magazine “Кишиневские епархиальные ведомости”, No.4, February 15, 1904.
24. Ad unit of M. Vivodtsev’s shoe store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
25. Ad unit of M.A. Portnoi tobacco shop published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
26. Advertisement of M. Syromyatnikov’s manufactory store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
27. Ad unit of “Sor, Rozenfeld și Seinberg” Trading House published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
28. Advertisement of I.A. Lapshuk’s shoe store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.

29. Advertisement of B. Kaushansky’s store of furniture and mirrors published in „Иллюстрированный адрес-календарь Бессарабской губернии на 1913”, 1912.

Vera Serjant

Newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" and its role in the development of advertising in Bessarabia

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Vera Serjant

Bessarabian daily newspapers as a means of advertising. From the collection of periodicals of NMHM (end of 19th - early 20th centuries)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015

Vera Serjant

Petru Ungurean – an outstanding figure in the field of viticulture and winemaking (on the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Vera Serjant

The role of Bessarabian Zemstva in opening the school of viticulture and winemaking from Saharna

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie