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.
Archival documents as a source for the research of jewelry for church use
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
This article discusses the archival documents from the national archives and the archives of neighboring countries, which are directly relevant to the development of jewelry. The documents were systematized by the author on chronological (documents of the tsarist, interwar, and Soviet periods of time) and thematic (normative acts, inventories, formulary lists) principles. On the basis of archival materials of 1945-1955 concerned the inventory verifications held at St. George’s Church in Chișinău, St. Nicholas Church in the village Sireți of Strășeni district, the Balti cathedral, Holy Trinity Church in the village of Cucuieții Vechi in Râșcani district, and St. Nicholas Church in the Antonești village of the Ștefan-Vodă district, there were identified the main religious objects and ecclesiastical vestments from these temples. The analysis of archival sources makes it possible to present full picture of development of jewelry and other objects of religious worship in the Eastern Europe and significantly expand information on the availability and typology of objects made of precious and usual metals.
Liliana Condraticova
L’orfèvrerie ecclésiastique du Bessarabie (1812- 1827)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Liliana Condraticova
L’atelier d’orfévrerie du Chisinau dans les 1966-1972 année
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Liliana Condraticova
L’activité des orfévres de Moldova pendant les années ’70-’80 du XX-ém siécle (l’activité de la Fabrique de Bijoux de Chișinău)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Liliana Condraticova
Artistic processing of metal in the Dniester-Prut interfluve. Typology of articles made by local jewelers
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Liliana Condraticova
Ion Xenofontov, Războiul din Afghanistan (1979-1989) în memoria participanților din Republica Moldova. Realitatea istorică și imaginarul social. Iași: Lumen, 2010, 544 p.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.