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.
The pottery kilns at the Maeothian settlements of the Kuban river and the Don river regions
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In 2005-09, three pottery kilns were unearthed at the Maeothian settlements of the first centuries AD in the Kuban River region. Together with 20 kilns excavated in the 1970s they formed a typologically compact group of pottery kilns in the region. All kilns are two-storey structures and differ only in size and design of the heating chambers. The diameters of kilns range from 0,9 to 2,6 m, with ca. 2,0 m on average. The roof of the heating chamber was supported by the partitions long-trapezoidal in shape. The openings for fire are mainly facing the east or northeast, for the western and southwest winds in summer did not cool the kilns. It allows us to suggest the seasonal use of these kilns, mainly for the summer.
The kilns dated to the 2nd-1st centuries BC at the Elizavetinsky settlement located in the same region had served as prototypes for the kilns in study. The kilns of the similar design are known neither from the Greek or Roman pottery workshops, nor was it in use by the craftsmen of Central Asia. Some features makes parallel the Maeotian kilns of the Kuban region with kilns found in the Northwest Black Sea and Transcarpathian regions, the areas connected to the Celtic traditions. These traditions could be adopted by the Meothian craftsmen from the Celts lived in Asia Minor.
The potters of the Kuban region, re-settled by the nomads to the Lower Don area in the 1st century AD had reproduced there their customary type of the pottery kilns. It explains the complete identity in the construction of kilns in both regions.
The medieval pottery kilns in the Northeast Caucasian region did not continue the tradition. These were more primitive in design and easier to make.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. The pottery kiln at the necropolis of the Sporny 1 settlement: plans and cross-sections of different levels. Fig. 2. Pottery kilns of the Kazansky 1 settlement: 1 - the 2005 field season; 2 - the 2009 field season. Fig. 3. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - kilns Nrs. 7-9, the plan and cross-section; 2 - kilns Nrs. 1-6, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 4. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 10, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln Nr. 11, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 12, the plan and cross-section; 4 - the kiln nr. 14, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 5. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 13, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln nr. 15, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 20, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 6. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 18, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln nr. 16, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 19, the plan and cross-section; 4 - the kiln nr. 17, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 7. Pottery kilns of the Maeotian settlements in the Lower Don region: 1 - the Kobyakovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1961, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the Kobyakovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1955; 3 - the Podazovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1959. Fig. 8. The kiln unearthed in 2009, pahsa slabs from the Kazansky 1 settlement. Plate 1. The main features of pottery kilns from the Kuban and the Lower Don regions, the first centuries AD.
Борис Раев, Юрий Рассамакин
Елене Избицер - 60
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Борис Раев, Максим Белов, Анна Жадаева
A grave of a Cuman noble woman in the Kislyakovsky 13 kurgan cemetery (Krasnodar kray)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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
