#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. 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

Services

Admission to Exhibitions

Entrance fees:

General Admission:

Adults - 50 lei
Pensioners, students - 20 lei
Pupils - 10 lei

Free admission:
Preschool children (under 7 years old), Children from residential institutions, Children with disabilities (under 18 years old) and their companions,Adults with severe and accentuated disabilities (disability degrees I and II), Conscripts, Official and cultural delegations (within the museum's operating hours), Employees of the national museum network, the Ministry of Culture, and national cultural heritage institutions, Holders of ICOM and ICOMOS cards.

Free entry for all visitors: the last Thursday of the month.

Closed: Monday and on January 1, 7, and 8; March 8; the first and second day of Easter; May 1 and 9; August 27 and 31; October 14; December 25.

Guided Tours

The museum offers guided tours in Romanian, Russian, and English upon request for organized groups or individual visitors (groups of 5 to 30 people). Tours must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by phone (022240426) or email (muzeuldeistorie@gmail.com), specifying the date, time, group profile and size, and preferred language.

Guided Tour Fees:

For a group of 5 to 30 people:
Adults - 150 lei
Students, pupils, pensioners - 100 lei

Guided tours in foreign languages (Russian, English):

Adults - 300 lei
Students, pupils, pensioners - 200 lei

Free guided tours:
For children from residential institutions and military conscripts.

Educational Activities

Fees (per hour):

Educational Workshops - 20 MDL
Interactive Lessons - 20 MDL

Photo and Video Filming in the Museum

Photographing/Scanning Museum Pieces

For a museum piece - 250 MDL
For reproduction of a piece, commercial publications - 1000 MDL
Special video/photo shoots in museum rooms
(per hour) - 1500 MDL

Photography or photocopying of the Museum exhibit items by juridical persons is possible only with the permission from the Museum administration, obtained in written form.

Specialized assistance

Selection of textual and illustrative material from the Museum's Heritage - 30 MDL

Approval of exhibition documentation (for one author's sheet) 500 MDL

Expert Examination of Cultural Values

• in the Museum: 150 MDL for an object;
• within the city limits: 300 MDL for an object;
• outside the city: additionally includes the traveling and accommodation costs, at the expense of a client

Library

The Museum Library’s collection includes more than 10,000 books on a wide range of subjects, such as archaeology, history, museum studies, and scholarly reference works of interest to the Museum staff. The Library is also available to the public.

Costs:

to borrow a book: 5 MDL / a day;

Rent of Museum Space

The 1^st floor hall and the temporary exhibition room may be rented for temporary exhibitions, scientific and cultural events. For additional information and reservations, contact the Accounts Department, by phone: + 373 (22) 23-82-69, or the Deputy Director for Public Relations, by phone: + 373 (22) 23-83-13.

Museum Shop

In the Museum Shop can be purchased publications concerned archaeology and history of Moldova, exhibition catalogues, booklets and museum guides, and replicas of exhibit items are available.