The Gospel is a fundamental liturgical book of the Orthodox Church that brings together the four apostolic testimonies about the Son of God - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - "inspired by the same Holy Spirit, the one true and sole author of the Gospel." The Gospel, or the Good News, testifying to the Glory of Christ, refers to the full teaching and deeds of the Savior; the four Gospels are regarded as the four sustaining pillars of the Church. St. Jerome (c. 340-420), author of the first complete Latin translation of the Holy Scriptures, assigned to the four evangelists the living creatures that appear in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (1:5). Thus, the Evangelist Matthew, the first to relate the Nativity of the Lord, is accompanied in imagery by the angel who announced the miracle; the Evangelist Mark, likened to St. John the Baptist - "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" - is associated with the lion. The Evangelist Luke, who opens his Gospel with the priest Zechariah, is personified by the winged ox, recalling the ox's sacrificial role; and the Evangelist John, for his elevated theological vision, is associated with the eagle. This altar Gospel, printed in 1890 at the Lavra Pecerska printing house in Kyiv, contains - in addition to the four canonical Gospels - other liturgical texts: readings for Vespers, the Divine Liturgy, prayers, and services. It is a large-format Gospel measuring 37 × 48 cm, bound in cardboard and leather. The gilded metal cover is fitted with two metal clasps and gilt edges. Five vertical-oval icon plaques in polychrome enamel are applied to the cover, which is engraved with vegetal and geometric ornamentation. The central plaque depicts the "Resurrection of the Lord"; in the corners of the upper register appear the faces of the Evangelists Matthew and John, and in the lower register those of Luke and Mark. Printed in red and black, the volume comprises 428 leaves; the text is enriched with various typographic ornaments - vignettes, initials, engravings, frontispieces, etc. Pagination is indicated on the leaves, the folio number appearing in the upper right. The Gospel of Matthew is printed on pages 1-105, the opening page accompanied by the scene of the Nativity of the Lord. The Gospel of Mark continues on pages 104-168, its representative scene being the Baptism of the Lord. The Gospel according to Luke occupies pages 172-273, its opening page bearing the scene of the Annunciation. The Gospel according to John is included between pages 280-358, the evocative scene being the Crucifixion of the Lord.
The Lavra Pecerska printing house, cited in the colophon, has long roots - traditionally founded by Archimandrite Elisei Pletenetsky (1595-1624) in 1615 - although the precise dates of its earliest publications remain a matter of debate. This copy entered the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova under inventory number FB-23062-35; acquired in 1982, it was transferred to the MNIM collections in 1996 from the holdings of the Museum of the History of Religion.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Bessarabian clergy actively provided moral and material support to the victims of war. It was created a clerical department to help the soldiers and their families. Each district elected a delegate to be part of a clerical group that would be subordinated to this department. The members if this group were sent to the front line if needed. The medical centers opened by the Bessarabian clergy treated wounded soldiers not only from Bessarabia, but also from the remote provinces of Russia and from Serbia. The clergy that was faithful to imperial authorities also helped to collect donations for the Russian army, which they regarded as Christ-loving. The departure of church choristers to the front line led to significant degradation of church music during that period.
Another important aspect is that the monasteries also supported charity activities initiated by the tsarist authorities. Thus, the money raised was sent to cover various needs of the front and monks were assigned to perform religious services. Some monasteries provided shelter for children whose parents have died or been wounded in battle. The February Revolution of 1917 had a significant effect on the activity of the Bessarabian clergy, whose members began to publish articles on the problems of Bessarabia. They offered options for a peaceful reorganization of state and church based on new principles of Orthodox Faith. However, the socialist ideas have gained many supporters among soldiers and the faithful who believed that a new society could be built through destruction and anarchy. This caused persecutions of the clergy and even assassinations. Some priests supported the national movement and the principles of freedom and democratization of the church. However, assessing the impact of the First World War to Bessarabia, it should be recognized that the clergy supported the imperial power and subordinated to political interests of Russia.
Silvia Scutaru
Clergy’s requests during theeparchial congresses of 1917
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Silvia Scutaru
The activity of the Bessarabian school of church choristers (1889-1918)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015
The Gospel is a fundamental liturgical book of the Orthodox Church that brings together the four apostolic testimonies about the Son of God - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - "inspired by the same Holy Spirit, the one true and sole author of the Gospel." ...
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.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
