Novo-Nyametsky Ascension monastery

Distance from Chisinau: 110 km
Trip to the excursion place: 2-2,5 hours
Duration of excursion: 10 hours

The Novo-Nyametsky Ascension monastery is the successor of the traditions of the Nyametsky Monastery located in the territory of Moldova. The big place in the history of the Nyametsky Monastery was devoted to the life and acts of its unforgettable abbot of Saint Paisii. This surprising sacred revived spiritual principles of monastic elders on the Moldavian earth, he founded in the Nyametsky monastery the charter and rules for the community life, he taught the believers to know the incessant Jesus prayer.

Being the big religious and moral and educational center of the country the Nyametsky Monastery possessed huge riches: landed property, grounds, cattle and other property - not only in Moldova, but also in Bessarabia. Many people were attracted with these riches.

So, Alexander Kuza's government made decision on submission of the Moldavian Orthodox Church to the machinery of state. Monasteries including the Nyametsky Monastery were plundered on the basis of the "Law on secularization of the monastic property". In the Monastery the charter of Saint Paisii Nyametsky was broken. Constant persecutions caused incs to begin secretly leaving the monastery and lodging in the territory of Bessarabia being a part of the Russian empire since 1812. Thus, in the end of 50s of XIX century the wave of persecutions caused the foundation of the Nyametsky monastery.

So, on the earths presented to the Nyametsky Lavra in 1429 by the ruler Alexander the Best, in the manor Chitcany they started arrangement of the new man's monastery where the charter of Saint Paisii Nyametsky was in force.

From Romania they brought the list from the Nyametsky wonder-working icon of the Mother of God amazing with beauty of the Face and masterful work. The icon became famous for many miracles.

From the first days of existence the Novo-Nyametsky monastery was in friendly relations with many representatives of Local Churches and with aged men from the Sacred mountain Athos. In 1881 the Patriarch Constantinople Ioakim III donate to the monastery some parts of the sacred hallows. In 1866 Patriarch Jerusalem Cyril presented to the monastery a silver cross with gilding with a small part from the Life-giving Cross of Lord the Savior, and also a particle of the sacred stone from the coffin of our Lord Jesus Christ, a particle of the sacred hallows of Prelate Modesta, the patriarch Jerusalem, and martyr Kharlampii.

These parts of sacred hallows together with the others were laid in the basis of the reliquary made in 1882. It looks as a coffin made from the gilded bronze. In the cover corners there are cherubs painted, and in the middle there is cross minted.

In 1884 the monastic library contained 146 manuscripts in the Moldavian and Slavic languages and 2272 printing books in the Moldavian, Russian, Slavic and Greek languages.

The monastery was famous not only with the constructions, temples and riches, but even more famous it was for the important cultural-educational role. Since 1990 the monastery territory was home to the missionary center for struggle against heresies and splits.

With the efforts of archimandrite Dorimedont in 1997 they manufactured the shrine in which they put many parts of sacred hallows, belonging mostly to the saints working in Kiev Pechersk lavra.

Today the monastery's governor-general is the archimandrite Paisy (Cecan) who is trying to fulfill the duties assigned to him and cares of the sacred monastery entrusted to him.

Recommendations for the tourist

• convenient footwear and clothes

• headdress against the sun

• the camera

• for women it is desirable to have clothes covering shoulders and the skirt below knees

Services of the guide: Russian, Romanian, English, German languages

Transport services: Minivan, Minibus, Bus

Novo-Nyametsky Ascension monastery

Our Partners