According to old records, at the beginning of the 18th century this monastery was the hermitage of Saint Sava Monastery, dedicated to the Saint Grave.

In the records it’s mentioned that among the funders was Maria Cantacuzino, who shared her lot of land approximately in 1747. In 1780 the old church couldn’t be used anymore, but Hagi Marcu Donici from the Moghilau “Movilau” fair at the other side of the Nistru River, built a church and a belfry, which he hallowed in 1782 and chose the Holy Virgin Dormition to be its festival. Blessing Patriarchate appointed Donici the monastery’s guardian for all of his life due to his contribution to the monastery.

A year after Basarabia was ravished by the Russians(1812), the hermitage was decreed a monastery. Also, at that time the monastery had to go under the guidance of the Chisinau Diocese’s archbishop, having no connection with Saint Sava Monastery or the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. During that period, Calaraseuca Monastery was led only by Russian abbots.

General-major Nicolae Al. Cerchez, under the guidance of abbot Ghedeon(1853-1865), began to build the second church close to 1853, which had the Saint Mitrofan of Voronej from Russia festival.

All monks left the place, going to other monasteries in 1916, but the nuns, who took refuge at the Virov Monastery from the Russian Poland, were brought to Calaraseuca.

Calaraseuca Monastery had been turned into hospital for children with physical handicap after 1961. The winter church was turned into a club and the summer one - into a storehouse for the hospital.

In 1989, because of the monastic complex degradation, the hospital was evacuated and the monastery was given to an agricultural enterprise from the locality.
On May the 3rd, 1991, the Calaraseuca Monastery of nuns was reopened.

Translated from Romanian by Leca Olga, Moldova.ORG

www.moldova.org