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#Exhibit of the Month

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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"


Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Chișinău, 2016

I. Researches


Lilia Zabolotnaia, Sorin Iftimi
Portrait of Maria (Lupu) Radziwill in the works of the Polish painter Korneli Szlegiel (1851)

Victor Țvircun
Dimitrie Cantemir's posthumous mystery

II. Papers and surveys


Vasile Mărculeț
The Bulgarian-Wallachian Empire and the Crusaders during the reign of the Tsar Boril Asen (1207-1218). From armed conflict to the political and military collaboration

Игорь Прохненко, Мария Жиленко
Korolevo Castle of Nyalab in possession of descendants of Moldavian Voivode Szasz

Евгения Куйкина
„Proskynitarion of the Holy Mountain Athos" by John Komnenos Molivd in Slavonic translation by hierodeacon Damaskin (1701)

Игорь Сапожников
From the history of fortification and mapping of Bessarabia and Moldova: F. Kauffer's works in 1793-1797

Игорь Сапожников
Materials for the study of Bessarabian fortresses of 1807-1820s

Irina Cereș
Imports from the Russian Empire into the Principality of Moldavia at the end of the 18th century - the beginning of the 19th century

Alina Felea
From the history of a family in Bessarabia of the early 19th century: the husband's inability to perform the conjugal duty

Valentin Tomuleț
Historiographical considerations regarding the status of ruptashi in Bessarabia under Tsarist domination (1812-1847)

Valentin Tomuleț, Angela Baxan
On the question of competence of the Supreme Council of Bessarabian Oblast (August 28, 1816 - February 29, 1828)

Sergius Ciocanu
Buildings of the Capriana monastery in the first two decades of the 19th century

Cristina Gherasim
Aspects of influence of the tsarist legislation on the status of the Bessarabian nobility in the 1st half of the 19th century

Eugen-Tudor Sclifos
Bessarabian question reflected in the reports of the French ambassador in Petersburg Charles Auguste de Morny (1856-1857)

Maria Danilov
Unique manuscript from the archive of Paul Gore (1860)

Andrei Emilciuc
Preparation and implementation of the notarial reform of April 14, 1866 in Bessarabia

Lăcrămioara Manea
Notes and the ex-libris of Archimandrite Dosoftei Crihană. Case study

Alexandru Argint
Creation of rural primary schools in Bessarabia at the end of 1860s

Cristina Tănase
Statutes and decisions on the concession on omnibuses and fiacres in the Brașov County

Svetlana Suveică
"Filled with Sense of Duty"?! On the Loyalty of the Bessarabian Public Servants in 1940

Nicolae Fuștei
Institution for communication between the Soviet government and religious cults - the Council for Religious Cults Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1944-1965)

Юрий А. Пятницкий
Coptic textile from Count Alexey Bobrinsky's collection in the State Hermitage: the history of one mistake

Татьяна Исаченко
About Milescu-Spătaru's manuscript from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova (to the 380th anniversary of the scholar)

Adelaida Chiroșca
Eucharistic icons of Jesus Christ in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova

Vera Stăvilă
Soviet propaganda posters of the Second World War in collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova

Андрей Крупенко, Юрий А. Пятницкий
Restoration and attribution of The Virgin of Tenderness (a new acquisition of the Byzantine collection of the Hermitage Museum)

Vera Serjant
The exhibition "Advertisements in Bessarabia"

Elena Postică
Ion Ungureanu, a destiny enlightened by the Morning Star

Elena Ploșnița
On museumification of the historical site Camp of Swedish King Charles XII at Varnița

III. Paper and book review


Вячеслав Степанов
Zabolotnaia Lilia, Dreptul la proprietate și la moștenire al femeilor din Moldova și țările vecine (secolele XIV-XVII). Studii și documente. Istoria la feminin. Chișinău: Cardidact, 2015, 351 p. ISBN 978-9975-9609-7-7

Ioan Opriș
Elena Ploșnița, Muzeul și publicul. Istorie și realități. Chișinău: Bons Offices, 2015, 252 p. ISBN 978-9975-87-047-4

 



 

 

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

menu
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