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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. XVII [XXXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVII [XXXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Chişinău, 2023

Researches


Lilia Zabolotnaia
Epistolary heritage of women’s texts. Private correspondence of the Cantemir sisters

Andrei Emilciuc
Organization and functioning of the cordon sanitaire on the Danube borders of the Russian Empire (1812-1856)

Radu Florian Bruja
The difficulties of a diplomatic mission. The Slovak legation in Bucharest (1939-1944)

Papers and surveys


Şarolta Solcan
The fate of women in Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania in the context of the wars in the 17th century

Victor Țvircun
Unknown pages from the biography of Ivan Ilyinsky-Yaroslavets, secretary of Dimitrie Cantemir

Игорь Сапожников
Maps and plans of the Bendery Fortress and its environs in the 18th century: archaeological and spatial components

Валентин Томулец, Анастасия Гуцу
Bessarabia in the system of trade relations of Russia with the Austrian Empire (1812-1830)

Игорь Сапожников, Ольга Айсфельд
Sarata District of German Colonies in 1820s - 1890s: Archeology, Cartography, Historiography

Sergiu Demerji
The language policy within the Orthodox Church in Bessarabia according to the Chisinau Diocesan Gazette “Kishinevskie Eparhial’nye Vedomosti” (1867-1871)

Valentin Tomuleț
Peasant unrest in the village of Tabani, Khotyn Uyezd in connection with the agrarian reform of 1868

Александр Пеший
Historian A.I. Markevich: on the 175th anniversary of his birth

Artur Leșcu
The Bessarabian Gubernial Gendarme Directorate against the Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) (1902-1917)

Felicia Aneta Oarcea
The destinies of some Romanian nobles. The Alb de Boroșeni (of Borosjenő) family from Arad

Alexandru Molcosean
Machine and horse stations in the MASSR: Experience of the nationalization of animal husbandry in the first years of collectivization

Eusebiu Narai
Romanian-french relations between February and May 1932, reflected in the pages of the daily newspaper “Vestul”

Nicolae Fuștei
The Church during the “Khrushchev Thaw” (1953-1964)

Александр Стыкалин
The mood of the Romanian intelligentsia in the early 1960s through the eyes of a young Soviet playwright

Iurie Bostan
Utilization of the Fonds of the General Directorate of the National Archive for Socio-Legal and Scientific Purposes

Andrei Latushkin
All-terrestrial charters in the archive of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania: composition, signs of provenance and modern places of storage of originals

Ana Grițco
Scientific activity in Bessarabia as reflected in works of some figures (1812-1918). From the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova

Elena Ploșnița
Scientist Ovidiu Bădina: museographic contributions

Marinela Trandafir
A few considerations on the activity of museums in the cultural propaganda of the communist regime. Case study: regions of Buzău- Ploiești (1948-1968)

Vera Serjant
The collection of Professor Gheorghe Rașcu from the holdings of the National Museum of History of Moldova as an important source on the history of education in interwar Bessarabia

Anatolie Povestca
House Museum of A. Shchusev in Chișinău: Historical retrospective

Adelaida Chiroșca
Nativity of Christ: interpretation of the plot in icons from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova

Lucia Marinescu-Tonu
Returning to the buckles...

Silviu Andrieș-Tabac
Territorial symbols registered in the General Armorial of the Republic of Moldova in 2022

Ana Grițco
An exhibition full of lights

Paper and book review


Anatolie Povestca
Dmitri Hmelnițki, Alexei Șciusev, un arhitect al stilului imperial stalinist (traducere din engleză de Nicolae Pojoga, consultant științific Boris Gangal). Chișinău: Cartier, 2022, 176 p., ISBN 978-9975-86-632-3

 



 

 

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