Built a few miles from Suceava, it was finished in 1602, after Anastasie Crimca, Lupu and Simon Stroici, three Moldavian boyars, decided they had to build a place of worship and devotion for the Orthodox faith. And so they did, although much info about the beginnings of this holy place has been forever lost, only recently rediscovered due to the efforts oh historians. This very first church, rather small, can nowadays be found in the small graveyard of the monastery, being used mostly as a chapel. The bigger church, an impressive example of sacred architecture, was later built by the same Anastasie Crimca, after he had been appointed the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia. This time he truly wanted to leave something behind for the believers, and so the works on the Dragomirna Monastery began, was finally completed in 1609.
Today it is interesting to study the architecture and decorations of the Dragomirna Monastery, considering that time and age. For it is clear that at the very moment the fashion and style of architecture when it came to the churches was changing, much to the awe of many boyars and priests. The church at the Dragomirna Monastery is such an example, as it is strangely tall and narrow, monumental yet somewhat limited in space, a mix of traditional lines, new gothic elements and various outside influences, a mix of Romanian and foreign elements, which works surprisingly well for the place. Inside the place of worship much of the wall decorations and frescoes seemed to be inspired by illustrations provided for sacred manuscripts, only enlarged, in vivid colours and in the style which became more than well-known.
Interesting about the paintings of the Dragomirna Monastery is that the records of the place still hold the names of the three artists : Popa Craciun, Popa Ignat and Popa Gligorie, all three of the priests, with a formal and thorough training in the field of traditional Moldavian sculpture and painting. They have combined the frescoes tradition and techniques with the fascinating creative universe of sacred manuscripts of those times, paying close attention to keeping the religious tradition. Such depictions are often found in other Moldavian monasteries and places of worship, with the same attention to detail and finesse, but those at the Dragomirna Monastery also show the skill of several artists who were somewhat influenced by the newest techniques and themes abroad. The themes and Gospell chapters chosen are varied, from a scene of Jesus in the Gethsemane Garden to that of the Crucifixion of of the Descending from the Cross, each of them touching and beautiful. Also interesting is the mix of religious, traditional Orthodox elements and the Romanian folk details, such as the use of folk decorative elements or houses and costumes similar to those used at that time. All of the works have later been carefully restored, yet they are nowadays in dire need of more work.
Surrounded, like many other monasteries, by a thick and sturdy fortress wall, the monastery is also the final resting place for several important church officials and members of noble families in the past, such as the founder, Anastasie Crimca. Several of the old buildings of the complex, although not in formal use, have been preserved and can still be visited, such as the former trapezium or the passage. This was also a major cultural centre at that era, as slowly an important copying school was formed, a place where apprentices and masters learned and made copies of important manuscripts and religious texts.
Some of this sacred works can still be found in the small exhibit opened at the monastery, while others have been lost or are in the possesion of lucky private collectors or major museums. Among the highlights of the show are and evangelical book, a psalm book, several liturgical volumes, all decorated with wonderful illustrations, very well presevered over the centuries.
Photo : dragomirna.ro
