Tiganesti Monastery is located in the Moldovan forests (Codri) at the distance of 35 km from Chisinau city, near Tiganesti village, Straseni district on the bunch of the Ichel River.

The monastery basis dates from 1725; it was funded by the noble man Lupu Dencu and by churls from the Cobalca village. They initially built a wooden temple in order to abscond Christians from the Tatar incursion.

In 1846, with the financial support of the local Christians and under the guidance of hegumen Victor the wooden temple was replaced by a stone one which celebrates Holy Virgin Dormition festival. In 1868, with the Christians support and money donated by businessman from Chisinau city, the second temple with celebration of Saint Nicolaie festival was built.

The first abbot of the Tiganesti monastery was hieromonk Samuil. He left a manuscript with his signature in which he mentioned the monastic complex boundaries; he mentioned as well the fact that he was benighted by Tatars who stole monastery goods and documents. The period of his priorship remains unknown. It remains unknown who guided the monastery in 1800.

During the World War II, hundreds of Romanian, Russian, German soldiers were buried in the monastic complex. After the war, authorities endeavored to close the monastery. The first attempting to close the monastery happening in 1945, at that time Ioachim Burlea from Bravicea locality was the abbot of the monastery.

In 1959, enforced by local authorities, monastery servers left the monastery. In 1960, all friars were transferred to Hirbovat Monastery. The abbot Ioachim was ordered to go to Bravicea.

Monastery goods: books and icons were burned. After the monastic complex was absolved from friars, during the period 1960 – 1961 it was functioning as a hospital for people with physical handicap. The summer temple with the Holy Virgin Dormition festival was transformed into a hospital deposit.

After 1961, other hospital for people with mental handicap was functioning in the monastic complex. The hospital administration ordered the cemetery skimming. Hospital was functioning until July 1992.

On September 8, 1992, Tiganesti Monastery for friars was reestablished. The monastic complex was conserved in a good condition, it was overhauled many times. The hospital stuff who remained out of a job stole the monastery goods, thus ruining the monastic complex.

The first superior of Tiganesti Monastery was archimandrite Arternie Bocsa, who came from Capriana Monastery in 1992; he guided the monastery until 1994.

In 1998, the reparation actions of the summer temple were finished successfully. Russian architectural style has a great influence on the summer temple establishment. The temple takes a rectangular shape. The gothic style is clearly observed in the two steeple composition: one steeple is situated above the porch, the second one – above the nave. Lateral apses are of irrelevant prominence. The temple inside is traditional.

The monastic complex constitutes two temples, a series of cells, priorship, canteen and the refectory.

Translated from Romanian by Felicia Lupasco, Moldova.ORG

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