#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

Exhibitions

“War on the Dniester”

March 2 - 21, 2021

March 2, 2021 marks the 29th anniversary of the outbreak of armed conflict in the eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova, a conflict provoked by political adventurers and pro-imperialist revenge forces of the former Soviet empire.

Under the invented pretext of "defending Russia's southern borders", they encouraged Transnistrian separatism, armed paramilitary guards, and sent thousands of mercenary Cossacks, criminals released from prisons, tanks, and Alazan missiles, hoping that with their help they will be able to revive the lost empire.

On March 2, 1992, when the President of the Republic of Moldova Mircea Snegur delivered, in the plenary session of the UN General Assembly, the speech of thanks on the occasion of the reception of the Republic of Moldova in the United Nations, groups of guards and Cossacks armed with submachine guns and armored vehicles stormed the headquarters of the Dubăsari district police station. There were the first fallen. To the south, in Vulcăneşti, another armed group attacks the district police headquarters. The same happens, simultaneously, in Tighina, Grigoriopol and Cocieri... Among the first to fall on duty then are: lieutenant-colonel Mihai Moraru, commissioner of the Hânceşti district police station; Iurie Bodiu, Valentin Slobozenco, Tudor Buga, Sergiu Ostaf, Vitalie Păvăluc, Victor Lavrentsov, Russian of nationality, a native of Tighina; Boris Dovgani from Pârâta, Serghei Culaţchi, the son-in-law of the brave fighter General Anton Gămurari... The lifeless bodies of Sergeant V. Purice and driver N. Galben from Tighina were taken from the waters of the Dniester.

Thus, the political conflict in the Dniester area degenerated into a real fratricidal war. Peaceful people were being attacked, entire villages were being held under Cossack fire, and more than 50,000 peaceful inhabitants of the Dniester area were forced to leave their homes, saving themselves from the scourge of war.

The ordeal begun in Dubăsari left behind hundreds of dead and crippled, orphans, widows, mothers with souls hardened by grief; it caused immeasurable material damage and loss on both banks of the Dniester.

More detailed sketches and chronicles of those dramatic events can be found in various sources: albums, monographs, collections of documents, memoirs, newspaper reports.

The commemorative exhibition "War on the Dniester" is also an attempt to reconstruct the reality of the Dniester tragedy.

It was conceived as a tribute to all participants in the struggles for the defense of the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova and, first of all, to those who sacrificed their lives on the altar of freedom of the Fatherland.

The exhibition brings together shocking images made in the conflict area by photojournalists T. Iovu, N. Pojoga, M. Vengher, A. Mardare, S. Voronin, T. Anghel, and others. The images reconstruct the ordeal that Moldavian defenders went through in the battles of Dubăsari and Tighina, on the plateaus of Cocieri and Coşniţa, immortalized the heroism and manhood of Moldavian police and volunteers, the hardships and humiliations of war, destroyed families, houses and villages, faces of women and children contorted by the pain of losing loved ones.

A special section of the exhibition is dedicated to the fallen fighters in defense of the independence and integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

The exhibition "War on the Dniester" was organized on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the outbreak of the armed conflict on the Dniester and is dedicated to all defenders of the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova.