Chisinau is the capital of the Republic of Moldova. According to historical documents, the community was mentioned for the first time in 1466, in a charter of Stefan cel Mare, who sold a small property to Vlaicu Parcalab for 100 Tatar golden coins. Vlaicu Parclab descendants sold it to a boyar called Dragos, for 500 golden coins. Up to 1641 Chisinau was owned by several boyars and starting 1641 – by Iasi monasteries. Located on the commercial way Iasi-Tighina-Crimea, Chisinau became under the reigning of Vasile Lupu a trade and manufacture centre that connected the East with the Vest.
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Rural tourism in Moldova sees its brisk deployment, with new households ready to receive tourists established year by year. All this is possible because Moldova has managed to preserve its originality and peculiar life-style able to express its rich culture, customs and rites of the nations residing in this country.
Rural tourism complexes are mainly represented by households run on the basis of ordinary peasant houses. Despite the seemingly obsoleteness of a house, visitors are sure to enjoy all necessary facilities: heating, comfortable furniture, bathroom. The hosts are going t...
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55 Orthodox Sacred Cloisters are opened in Moldova as of yet: 22 monasteries and 6 cloisters for monks, 24 monasteries and 2 cloisters for nuns, and 1 monastery for Old-Believers. The territories of present-day Moldova have been historically attracting people of faith who believed this land to be consecrated. To the turn of XVIII century the country saw more than 30 monasteries and cloisters opened.
Every cloister has a proper history that can reveal multiple captivating events. All the cloisters are located in the most picturesque places of Moldova, in deep forests or onto mount ...
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First Natalia Sicard’s Museum was opened in Moldova in the year 1876 in Vadul-lui-Voda resort settlement close to Chisinau. The museum exhibited a rich collection of antique items from Egypt, Italy, Greece and other countries.
In 1880s Ion Suruceanu, scientist acclaimed worldwide, established Pont Scythian’s Museum in Chisinau. The collection of this museum was replenished with exhibits from the deposits of Natalia Sicard. By the turn to ХХ century, Ion Suruceanu’s and Natalia Sicard’s Museums were abolished. In the year 1889 Bessarabia’s Zemstvo Museum was established on the basi...
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Festivals are rather popular and are celebrated in crowds. As a rule, official national holidays are accompanied with competitions, launch of new products, trade fairs, concerts, mass events and many other manifestations.
Every settlement of Moldova celebrates its Hram (holiday day of a settlement, which is different for every village or town). During Chisinau’s Day, into the central street of the city enterprises advertise and sell its products, scientific institutes demonstrate its achievements, artists deliver performances, ethnographic societies introduce customs and cultures...
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The celebration of Easter begins with the liturgy in church. It begins in the middle of the night in every church of Moldova. We recommend you to come earlier or you will stay outside because at this very night all the churches are overcrowded.
Every year the Gracious Fire is brought from Jerusalem to Moldova in the Holy Night. Officials of the country, priests and common people wait for the fire in the central cathedral in Chisinau. The candles are lit from this very fire brought from Jerusalem. Then, the candles, as the symbols of faith and blessing go to many other churches, monasteries, and houses of Moldova. After the end of t...
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Monastery “Dormition of the Mother of the God”, Capriana
The encyclopaedia “Literature and Art of Moldova” (edition of the year 1985) provides a reference that Capriana Monastery was founded during the reign of Alexandru cel Bun (1399-1432), and got reconstructed by Stefan cel Mare (years of reign 1457-1504) prior to the year 1470 that is usually considered its foundation. In the monastery they tell that the cloister was supervised by Alexandru cel Bun and Stefan cel Mare since 1420s.
It is also known that in 154...
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Monastery “Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary”, Curchi
The monastery was established in the years 1773-1775 by Boyar Iordache Curchi from Marazini settlement onto the lands that once belonged to his grandfather. At first, the principle temple of the cloister was a wooden church. Yet, to the turn to XIX century a marvelous temple was erected that remained for long span the highest temple in Moldova (32 metres). There are suppositions that the temple was constructed by the project of the great architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In the year 1811 a seminary was opened b...
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Monastery “Ascension of the God”, Noul Neamt
The lands that host Noul Neamt monastery at present belonged in XIX century to Neamt Lavra in Romania (founded in XIV century). The construction of a new replica monastery was insisted upon by the Head of Bessarabia Lavra estates Arch-monk Theophanous and the Spiritual leader of the Larva Arch-monk Andronicus. In the year 1859 they dispatched a petition pertaining to construction of Neamt monastery in the Lavra’s estate Chitcani, to which they got the consent of the Russian Tsar in the year 1864.
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Moldova is renowned due to its unique cave monasteries established inside natural and manmade caves onto mount tops. Such cloisters represent interest both for researchers and tourists: the monasteries keep many mysteries to discover. Scientists suppose that there are much more cave monasteries in Moldova than it has been known at present. Apart of the well-known cloisters in settlements Tipova (Rezina district), Saharna (Rezina district), Butuceni (Orhei district), Japca (Floresti district); there are several more cloisters in Cosauti (Soroca district), Calaraseuca (Ocnita district), Molovata (Dubasari district),...
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