VARATEC MONASTERY

The Varatec Monastery is a rather recent monastic settlement. A skete, bearing the same name, was set up in 1781-1787 by an outstanding nun, Olimpiada, together with some other nuns, upon the spiritual advice of Abbot Paisy from Neamt and with the blessing of Metropolitan Gavriil Calimachi. The first church at Varatec was a small church built in wood. As the number of nuns grew, the wooden church was replaced by the existing mansory church between 1808-1812, but painting and decoration continued until 1841. The second church, chronologically speaking, to be built as from 1808 was "the Assumption of the Virgin". It was known and named by the community "the larger Church". Its architecture preserves certain features taken up from the old church architecture and that of the 18th century in Moldavia. Like the big church Agapia has its neo-Classical elements, but these are synthesised with a traditional Moldavian style which includes a line of neo-Byzantine blind arcading under the eaves. Its windows have discreet Brancovenesque borders incorporating Islamic-style arches and are decorated with floral motifs. The painting was done in 1882 by painters T. Ioan and D. Iliescu and was cleaned in 1968-1969 by Arutium Avachian.