Around thirty icons from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova feature Saint Nicholas the Hierarch and Miracle Worker. While most represent the later iconographic tradition, a few early images stand out as rare examples due to their composition. In the icon "Saint Nicholas with Scenes from His Life", the hierarch is depicted bust-length, blessing the Gospel. He is framed by two round medallions showing Christ and the Mother of God, who hand him the Gospel and the omophorion. Saint Nicholas, earlier than other saints, was portrayed with scenes from his hagiographic cycle. The first images of his life date back to the 11th century, represented on a folding icon from the Monastery of Saint Catherine at Sinai.
The museum icon dates from the early 19th century, preserving the traditional chest format typical of classical icons. Twelve panels illustrate episodes from the saint's life, arranged from left to right: four on the upper register, four on the lower, and two on each side, as follows: Birth of Saint Nicholas (1), Baptism of Saint Nicholas (2), Miracle of Healing the Crippled Woman (3), Apprenticeship of Young Nicholas (4), Ordination as Deacon (5), Ordination as Bishop (6) Vision of Constantine (7), Saint Nicholas Saves Three Voivodes from Execution (8), Miracle of Rescue from Drowning (9), Miracle of Saving Basil from the Arabs (10), Dormition of Saint Nicholas (11), Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas to Bari (12).
Saint Nicholas the Hierarch is commemorated by the Orthodox Church twice a year: on December 6/19, the day of his birth, and on May 9/22, the day his relics were transferred from Myra to Bari (1087). Among all saints of the Christian world, the image of Saint Nicholas is one of the most popular, easily recognizable even to those unfamiliar with iconography.
He was born in the Roman Empire, at Patara in the province of Lycia, between 260-280, though early sources omit the exact date. Coming from a wealthy family, he rejected fame and luxury. From an early age he devoted himself to prayer and the study of Holy Scripture, while also mastering other disciplines. He avoided noisy gatherings and idle talk, attended church regularly, and pursued a life of chastity. Later he dedicated himself to pastoral ministry, defending the Christian faith with perseverance and firmly opposing heresies. Through his care for people and the benefactions he performed everywhere, he became highly venerated not only in Myra but also in the surrounding regions. The grace of the Holy Spirit dwelling in his heart was revealed through miracles performed both during his life and after his death, earning him the enduring title of "Miracle Worker." Saint Nicholas passed away in the 330s (circa 334-337), and his remains were placed in a sumptuous marble tomb in the episcopal cathedral where he had served for many years. This soon became an important center of pilgrimage. Holy Tradition has preserved with accuracy the features of his portrait, and his appearance in icons is marked by a distinct individuality. Ecclesiastical art has produced numerous iconographic representations, ranging from bust images to full-length depictions. The diversity of these representations suggests that the final iconography of Saint Nicholas was not yet established, taking shape only in the 10th-11th centuries. It is said that an authentic icon from the basilica in Myra, executed during the saint's lifetime and mentioned in written sources as early as the 11th century, played a significant role in his veneration. Icons depicting the hagiographic cycle of Saint Nicholas spread widely in both Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, confirming the importance and popularity of his cult.
Ion Tentiuc, Valeriu Bubulici, Mariana Vasilache, Livia Sîrbu
The results of archaeological research in the Mazarache Church of Chișinău in 2010
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In the summer of 2010 archaeological excavations in the historic part of Chișinău were carried out. The earliest written records about the Chișinău show that the historic core was located in the lower part of the modern city, near the river of Bâc. Apparently, the locality already existed in the 14th century, before the Golden Horde was ousted from the south-eastern part of the Carpathian-Dniester land in 70s-80s of this century. On the opposite, left side of the river there was located the settlement of the Tatar times mentioned in the sources.
On the right bank of the Bâc River, on top of a hill at the foot of which there was a spring, there is the Intercession (Mazarache) Church that was built in 1739-1740 (Eșanu 1998, 56), 1742 (Ciocanu 2002, 39-43) or, according to some data, in 1752 (Kishinev 1984, 324). According to researchers, the stone church was built on site of an ancient wooden one, burned by Turkish troops in 1739 during the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739 (Eșanu 2001, 147).
Archaeological excavations conducted in the immediate vicinity of the Mazarache Church revealed some ceramic materials of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, as well as ample evidence of the existence of a settlement and burial site of the medieval and modern times.
Among the most interesting finds we can mention an earthen fortress moat, which refers, apparently, to the 16th-17th centuries. Having a depth of 4,5 m and width at the top to 5,1 m, it would close access to the cape, where the cemetery was located. To the west of the cape the remains of a dwelling with a stone vault, referring to the 17th-18th centuries, were investigated. There were found well-preserved remains of a monumental architectural structure of red brick, determined by us as a part of the urban water supply catchment galleries constructed by A.I. Bernardazzi in the late 19th century (Bubis 1997, 59-62).
Excavations were carried out in the south-western periphery of the cemetery and directly at the northern apse of the church. The excavation area is 88 sq. m. There were investigated 52 burials. All of them are in the Christian tradition. More than half of the skeletons belong to children or teenagers. Skeletons lie on the back, face up, or on the right or left side. The arms are bent at the elbows, hands on chest, abdomen or, more rarely, on the collarbone. A special attention was drawn to a children’s burial, the head oriented to the west, in a highly flexed position on the right side.
Inventory of burials is quite poor. In different burials there have been found from one to five coins, as well as bone, bronze or silver buttons of various types, earrings, rings and fragments of ceramics. In burials of the Mazarache Church cemetery of Chisinau 29 coins were found. Of these, 13 specimens belong to the Hungarian issuers of the 16th - early 17th centuries, a silver poltorak of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the early 17th century, and a silver Swedish shilling of the second half of that century. A third, undefined, poorly preserved European coin, obviously, refers to these issuers. Ottoman coins (13 pieces) are in the majority of 18th - early 19th centuries. Three Ottoman coins belong to the 16th-17th centuries.
Discovery of these coins in burials can be explained by the fact that the Hungarian silver denarii depict Our Lady with the Child and were worn in 6th-17th centuries as an icon, mostly by children and women (at least according to our observations in the course of investigation of burial grounds). It must be noted that the finds of coins in the graves of the Mazarache Church cemetery were observed only in the graves of children, adolescents, and, rarely, women. This shows the existed practice of wearing of silver coins as a talisman, both in the Middle Ages and in modern times. If they originally worn the coins with the image of Our Lady with the Child, later, in the 18th - the beginning of 19th century, they become to wear, symbolically (Dautova 1977, 75-78), any silver coins, including the Ottoman akçe and para.
As a result of the investigation of the medieval cemetery in Chisinau it can be also stated that in the middle and in the second half of the 16th century a territory of the cape around the supposed wooden church was fully occupied with the local Christian community burials.
Recent burials refer to the first two decades of the 19th century, until 1827, when a stone wall around the church was built, and burials were prohibited.
Ion Tentiuc
Sergiu Matveev, Procesele etno-culturale din spațiul carpato-nistrean în secolele II-XIV. Istoriografia sovietică. Chișinău: Pontos, 2009, 230 p. text + 5 tabele
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Tentiuc
Sergiu Musteață, Populația spațiului pruto-nistrean în secolele VIII-IX. Editura Pontos, Chișinău 2005, 189 p., rezumat în limba engleză, indice, 10 tabele, 7 diagrame, 4 hărți, 78 planșe cu figuri, 12 foto, ISBN 9975-926-43-6
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Tentiuc
About horse rider pendants from the early Medieval period in the Prut-Dniester area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Vasilache
Cornelia Magda Lazarovici, Gheorghe Lazarovici, Arhitectura neoliticului și epocii cuprului din România. I. Neoliticul, II. Epoca cuprului, Iași: Editura Trinitas, 2006, Vol. I - 734 p. ISBN 978-973-7834-7; 2007, Vol. II - 524 p. ISBN 978-973-7834-74-4
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Tentiuc, Valeriu Bubulici
The hoard of early medieval tools and weapons found at Sadova-Călăraşi, the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Around thirty icons from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova feature Saint Nicholas the Hierarch and Miracle Worker. While most represent the later iconographic tradition, a few early images stand out as rare examples due to their composition...
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
