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.
Сергей Разумов, Сергей Лысенко, Виталий Синика, Николай Тельнов
Early Bronze Age ritual complex from the left bank of the Lower Dniester
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Keywords: Early Bronze Age, Late Neolithic, funerary practice, Usatovo culture, Lower Dniester, dogs' burials.
Abstract: In 2015 the employees of the Pridnestrovian State University conducted rescue excavations of three barows from the group «Sad» near Glinoe Village, Slobodzeiya district on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. In the barrow 4, in addition to the seven secondary Early Iron Age graves, the burial of a small child and related constructions were found: 11 round ritual pits with animal bones and a fireplace located on the ancient horizon in a certain order, surrounded by a ring ditch with two gaps. Two pits contained dogs' burials, and the one pit - a young specimen of small cattle. Funeral practice and inventory of the main burial and features of the under barrow constructions allow to attribute this monument to the earliest stage of Usatovo culture - to the time, when its carriers had active contacts with the population of the Yamna cultural-historical community. Barrow 4 of the group «Sad» near Glinoe village is preliminary dated to the turn of the 4th-3rd millennia BC. The interpretation of this barrow as a sanctuary of Early Bronze Age, probably associated with the ritual sacrifice of animals and humans, is the most reasonable.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Geographical and topographical location of the barrow cemetery "Sad" near Glinoe village. Fig. 2. Plan of the barrow 4 of the cemetery "Sad". Fig. 3. Profiles of baulks of the barrow 4 of the cemetery "Sad". Fig. 4. Objects of the Early Bronze Age from the barrow 4 of the cemetery "Sad": 1, 2 - plan and section of the object 15; 3 - flint flake from the object 15; 4 - fragment of the vessel from the object 15; 5 - object 4; 6 - object 5. Fig. 5. Objects of the Early Bronze Age from the barrow 4 of the cemetery "Sad": 1 - object 1; 2 - object 2. Fig. 6. Objects of the Early Bronze Age from the barrow 4 of the cemetery "Sad": 1 - object 7; 2 - object 8; 3 - object 10; 4 - object 19; 5 - object 9; 6 - object 12; 7 - object 14. Fig. 7. Plan of the barrow 6 near Nikol'skoe village, Slobodzeja district on the left bank of the Lower Dniester (after Агульников, Сава 2004, рис. 22).
Виталий Синика, Николай Тельнов
Lamps in the funeral practice of the Scythians of the North Black Sea littoral
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică Chișinău, 2015
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.