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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.

Virtual Tour


Publications Journal „Tyragetia"   vol. X [XXV], nr. 1


Nouvelles découvertes défensive dans l'ouest du promontoire Butuceni, Orhei (Recherche archéologique en 2015)
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Nouvelles découvertes défensive dans l'ouest du promontoire Butuceni, Orhei (Recherche archéologique en 2015)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Mots-clés: système défensif, fortifications, fossé, vallum, palissade, berme.

Résumé: Les recherches archéologiques menées dans l'été de 2015, à l'Ouest du promontoire Butuceni Orhei, est une suite logique des études qui ont été réalisées en 2013-2014. La complexité des résultats précédents ont soulevé plusieurs questions, et dans la recherche de solutions, les priorités ont été i déterminés par la nécessité de l'évaluation de la configuration du système de défense dans le point extrême ouest du promontoire, ainsi que l'appréciation des éléments composants ce système. Il était nécessaire de corréler les segments défensifs trouvés avec des traces d'une parcelle relativement bien préservées de la fortification, représentée comme les fossés et vallum disposés dans la partie supérieure du promontoire. Avant l'étude en 2013, on a cru que l'accès au côté ouest du promontoire a été bloqué par un système de protection rectiligne, qui commence exactement à ce point, en sui- vant le chemin vers l'ouest, dans la direction du canal rivière Raut. Nos observations nous ont amenés à croire que la ligne défensive, que nous avons identifiée et explorée dans les années précédentes, aurait un trajet différent de celui qui a été considéré comme traditionnel. Pour tester cette hypothèse, ont été organisées en 2015 des fouilles, à la suite desquelles est détecté un nouveau segment défensif. Il convient de noter, cependant, que les structures observées ont aucun rapport avec les précédemment étudiés et ne contribuent pas à la confirmation de l'hypothèse. Dans le même temps, il n'y a pas suffisamment de preuves pour le rejeter catégoriquement, laissant ainsi la place pour d'autres recherches plus approfondies.

Liste des figures:
Fig. 1. Promontoire Butuceni. Vue d'ensemble du nord-ouest avec les points de marquage qui ont été identifiés traces de fortification. La ligne pointillée-interrompu: la trajectoire établie de la ligne défensive; la ligne in- terrompu: la trajectoire hypothétique du système de défense.
Fig. 2. Butuceni. Section nr. 1. 1 - Vue d'ensemble du nord; 2 - vue du sud sur les fossés; 3 - vue du nord sur les fossés; 4 - vue du nord sur les fossés au moment de l'identification; 5 - vue du sud sur les fossés au moment de l'identification.
Fig. 3 Butuceni. 1 - Vue du sud sur la section nr. 1 dans l'espace des constructions en pierre; 2 - profil de l'Est dans l'espace des constructions en pierre; 3 - profil de l'Ouest dans l'espace des constructions en pierre; 4 - délimita- tion de l'agglomération des pierres dans la construction lithique; 5 - traces des pieux de la construction en bois: vue de l'Ouest; 5 - traces des pieux de la construction en bois: vue du Nord.
Fig. 4. Butuceni. Section nr. V. Vue du nord sur les traces de la construction défensive: 1 - au moment de l'identification de l'agglomération des pierres; 2 - après la évacuation de remplissage.
Fig. 5. Butuceni. Ortofotoplan de la zone de l'Ouest du promontoire avec la délimitation hypothétique de la trajec- toire de la fortification.
Fig. 6. Butuceni. 1-3 - L'agglomération des pierres sur le secteur de l'Ouest de promontoire.
Fig. 7. Butuceni. L'agglomération des pierres sur le secteur de Sud-Ouest de promontoire.
Fig. 8. Butuceni. Vue du nord sur l'espace qui a été établi pour la section no. VI.
Fig. 9. Butuceni 2015. Section no. VI. 1 - Profil de l'est; 2 - plan, les couches 4-6; 3 - plan, les couches 1-3; 4 - profil de l'Ouest.
Fig. 10. Butuceni 2015. 1 - Profil de l'Ouest dans l'espace de la section no. VI; 2, 3, 4 - vue sur la part inférieure du fossé (angles et étapes différentes de recherche).
Fig. 11. Butuceni 2015. 1 - Vue du nord sur la section no. V au moment de l'identification de l'agglomération des pierres; 2 - vue du nord sur la section no. V au moment de l'identification de l'agglomération des pierres.
Fig. 12. Butuceni 2015. Traces de fosses de l'alignement du sud traversant la couche de gravier (vue en plan et profil).
Fig. 13. Butuceni 2015. Traces de fosses de l'alignement no 1.
Fig. 14. Butuceni 2015. Traces de fosses de l'alignement.
Fig. 15. Butuceni 2015. Traces de fosses de l'alignement no 3.
Fig. 16. Butuceni 2015. Traces de fosses de l'alignement no 2.
Fig. 17. Butuceni 2015. Fosse de période getique sectionnée par le fossé de la fortification.

Octavian Munteanu, Vasile Iarmulschi, Nicolae Batog
Two Almgren 69 brooches discovered at Mîrzoaia, Republic of Moldova (reconfirming the presence of sedentary communities in the Prut-Dniester area at the beginning of the 1st millennium AD)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022
Octavian Munteanu, Ion Tentiuc
A house of the 15th century explored in the fortified settlement of Horodca Mică
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Octavian Munteanu, Nicolae Batog, Valeriu Prohniţchi
The Getic defensive system of Butuceni-West: details regarding the West No. 2 defensive line trajectory
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Octavian Munteanu
Élements defensifs dans la fortification gete du Horodca Mare, districte Hâncești
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică Chișinău, 2015
Octavian Munteanu, Vasile Iarmulschi, Veronica Perju, Livia Ermurachi
The first building-phase of the fortification at Horodca Mică
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică



 

 

Independent Moldova
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Bessarabia and MASSR between the Two World Wars
Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
Revival of National Movement
Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
Phanariot Regime
Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
Era of the
Great Nomad Migrations
Early Middle Ages
Iron Age and Antiquity
Bronze Age
Aeneolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Palaeolithic Age
  
  

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#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...

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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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

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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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC