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.
Military operations of the 2nd Mountain Division in the territory between the Prut and Bug (July 3 - August 17, 1941)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
In the attack on the Soviet Union on June 22 , 1941, on the front stretched from Finland to the Black Sea, there were involved more than three million German soldiers and about 500,000 Romanian, Slovak, Finnish, Hungarian and Italian soldiers and the French and Spanish “volunteers”. The 3rd Romanian army under the command of General Petre Dumitrescu, which consisted of the Mountain Corps and the Cavalry Corps, covered the border from Bukovina to Cârlibaba. The 2nd Mountain Division led by General Ion Dumitrache was acting on the border with Bucovina, between Rădăuți and Suceava, and had the main attack vector Novoselytsia – Hotin. Three weeks after crossing the Prut River, the 2nd Mountain Division crossed the Dniester moving to the east-southeast. On August 17, 1941 the troops which were under General Dumitrache’s command reached the right bank of the Bug River. This study is based on the collection of documents of General Ion Dumitrache stored in the archive of the Brasov County Museum of History and formed on the basis of materials donated to the museum by the Dumitrache family from 1984 to 1999. List of illustrations:
Photo 1. Turyatka. Romanian soldiers get milk from the farmers of Bukovina.
Photo 2. Novoselytsia set on fire by Russian troops.
Photo 3. Weapons captured by the Romanian Army in Hotin.
Photo 4. Russian prisoners in Hotin.
Photo 5. Barbershop in the open air at Secureni.
Photo 6. At the Secureni Brewery.
Photo 7. Ukrainians read manifestos.
Photo 8. Romanian soldiers processing the wheat at Obodovka.
Photo 9. Romanian soldiers processing the wheat at Obodovka.
Photo 10. Religious funeral service at the grave of driver Nichifor Constantin.
Photo 11. Posthumous rewarding of soldier Nichifor Constantin.
Photo 12. General Dumitrache’s car hit by a shell.
Photo 13. Pontoon bridge across the Bug.
Photo 14. Russian peasants tell about the hardships of the Bolshevik regime.
Photo 15. Zaredarovka. Brigade priest baptizes children born under the Bolshevik regime.
Cristina Tănase
Clock on the Tower of the Council House in Braşov: Pages of history
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Cristina Tănase
Participation of the inhabitants of Braşov in the Austro-Hungarian patriotic efforts. The action “Gold gab ich fur Eisen” (“I give gold for iron”)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Cristina Tănase
Statutes and decisions on the concession on omnibuses and fiacres in the Brașov County
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Cristina Tănase
Charitable activities of the Stroesku’s family in Brașov
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Cristina Tănase
Mateiaș (Brașov County): the emergence of the monument to the heroes of the First World War
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie 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.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
