Barboi Church

History

The current church was raised on the foundation of a church built in 1613-15, dedicated to Saint Paraschiva and commissioned by the vornic Ioan Ursu Bărboi. In 1669 this church became a monastery under the authority of Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos. The church was seriously damaged in 1821 and demolished in 1829. Between 1841 and 1843, the logofăt Dimitrie Sturdza and his family members, with financial assistance from Vatopedi and the efforts of Metropolitan Grigore Irinopoleos, had the current church built on the site of the old one. The architect Andrei Caridi was assisted by the Greek master builders Atanasie and Gheorghe. The resulting church resembles certain Athonite buildings in form and dimension, and is the city's only church in the shape of a Greek cross.

The church was shaken by the 1977 earthquake, and from 1980-88, the exterior was restored and the interior paintings and furnishings cleaned. Metropolitan Teoctist Arăpaşu began this project, and on 27 November 1988, by then Patriarch of All Romania, he re-consecrated the church.

Today, in addition to hosting religious services, the church is the headquarters of the local branch of the Romanian Orthodox Women's Societyand of the Romanian Orthodox Brotherhood; the latter undertakes philanthropic and cultural activities. Art exhibitions, awards ceremonies, book signings and similar activities take place on the premises. Moreover, every Lazarus Saturday since 1990, thousands of pilgrims have gathered at the church, carrying icons of Christ and making their way toward the Metropolitan Cathedra.

Style

The church is rectangular in plan and made of valuable stone blocks alternating with rows of brick. To the east, north and south, there are small semicircular apses beneath the top of the walls, flanked by pilasters that rest on bases. The wide central dome, with Neo-Ghotic and Romanesq elements, sits above a square base, and is surrounded by four much smaller domes with octagonal bases.The main entrance features an imposing potral held up by eight Doric columns.Above this is a classical facade that also features Doric columns.

The church's spacious Byzantine interior is composed of three naves: a central one and two lateral ones, divided by columns of Carrar marble topped by Corinthian capitals. Looking inside, a harmony of arches can be observed: each pair of columns is linked by two or even four arches in perfect symmetry.The iconostasis is carved from wood and gilt.The walls are covered in paintings of saints (including military ones), Biblical scenes, the Madonna and Child and the Four Evangelists.

An inscribed tablet records various phases in the church's history. Inside is the crypt of the noble Sturdza family (which includes the grave of Prince Ioan Sturdza), bathed in candlelight, next to that the poet Alecu Russo. The Bărboi Church is also where writer Ion Creangă served as deacon and lived in the parish house from 1863-65.

The bell tower, built in 1726-33 by masons from Padua,has four levels; clocks rest in the uppermost one (uniquely for the city)and bells in the middle two. The lowest level has an exterior of quality stone, well worked and preserved; the other levels have a plaster exterior. It is through the lowest level that one enters the church grounds; the gate is made of decorated cast iron.The tower once contained the library of the writer Costache Conachi.

The 19th century parish house is based on traditional Moldavian monastic houses. It has two floors and a simple plan, with rooms arranged symmetrically about a central hallway. Starting in 1834, it housed Moldavia's first girls' school, founded by Mihail Sturdza.

Biserica Barboi

Biserica Bărboi

Biserica Bărboi a fost construită între anii 1841-1843, şi este opera arhitectuluiAndrei Caridi, ajutat de către meşterii Atanasie si Gheorghe, greci din Sisani, pe fundaţia unei biserici datând din1615. (Sfânta Vineri) construită de vornicul Ioan Ursu Barboi.

Arhitectura

Interiorul bizantin al bisericii a fost construit din piatră şi cărămidă. Porticul, susţinut de coloane dorice este realizat în stil clasic, în timp ce turla prezintă elemente romanice neogotice. Datorită formei şi dimensiunilor ei, Biserica Bărboi este replica moldovenească a unor edificii similare de pe Muntele Athos. Biserica - are planul în formă de cruce greacă dupa modelul celor de la Muntele Athos. Are o formă dreptunghiulară cu abside mici la E, N şi S. Intrarea principală este marcată de un portal impozant susţinut pe 6 coloane din piatră cu capiteluri dorice. Biserica are o turlă centrală cu deschidere mare ce se dezvoltă pe o bază pătrată. Turla centrală este încadrată de 4 turle cu deschidere mult mai mică şi care au baze octagonale. Parametrul exterior al bisericii este compus dintr-o alternanţă de blocuri de piatră de talie şi şiruri de carămidă. Interiorul bisericii spaţios este compus din 3 nave una centrală şi 2 laterale desparţite prin coloane de marmură de Carara care au la partea superioară capiteluri în stil Corintic. Turnul clopotniţă are 4 niveluri care se retrag succesiv până la ultimul nivel care este locul unui ceas. Primul nivel are zidaria din piatră de talie bine lucrată pastrată aparent, celelalte niveluri au exteriorul tencuit. Acest prim nivel este şi locul prin care se intră în ansamblul mănăstirii. Poarta este realizată din fier forjat decorat. Nivelul doi şi trei al turnului

adăpostesc clopotele iar al patrulea ceasul. Arhitectura acestui turn este cu totul deosebită faţă de cea a tuturor celorlalte turnuri care marchează intrarea într-un ansamblu mânăstiresc. Casa parohială reproduce modelul caselor tradiţionale din mânăstirile Moldovei. Are parter şi etaj şi un plan simplu compus din încăperi dispuse simetric în jurul unui hol central.
Hram
Biserica Bărboi are hramul Sfinţii Apostoli Petru şi Pavel.

Draga Mos Craciun,

Ma numesc Alexandra Cretu si sunt in clasa a 11 a A.De mica imi plac foarte mult sarbarorile de iarna....dar mai ales venirea lui Mos Craciun...In fiecare an vii si sunt foarte fericita. Este cea mai frumoasa sarbatoare din an, cu multe bucurii, fara tristete si binenteles cu multe cadouri.
Chiar daca nu ti-am scris niciodata, in fiecare an mi-am dorit acelasi lucru. In fiecare an, in fiecare zi, in fiecare ceas, in fiecare clipa imi doresc neincetat acelasi si acelasi lucru.
Imi doresc sa am puterea sa cred in imposibil, imi doresc sa am senzatia ca pot cuprinde marea dintr-o privire, imi doresc sa pot urca muntii si sa am puterea sa o iau de la capat, sa intind bratele spre cer si atunci cand le inchid sa cred ca am cuprins Universul, sa prind un fulg de nea si sa-l daruiesc, in toata splendoarea lui, cuiva drag, sa adun picaturi de ploaie si sa-mi fac din ele colier.