Monasteries

Last weekend we got to visit some of Moldova's monasteries. They were beautiful. I don't know very much about Eastern Orthodox faith, except for what I have learned in Serbia, Greece, and Romania. But I am always impressed by the reverence Eastern Orthodox believers have for their faith. Religion was not allowed during Soviet times when Moldova was part of the USSR, so these monasteries were used for other things like storage or dance clubs until Moldova gained independence in the early 1990s. They have now been restored to places of worship, and many have been renovated.

It was interesting to see quite new paintings inside the churches, because most of the Orthodox monasteries and churches I have visited are quite old and the paint is faded and/or chipped. These churches are beautiful and ornate, and I was struck with the vibrance of the colors. The closest thing I have seen to the colors in these churches are the mosaics inside the Church on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, which of course are not paint. It was interesting to learn about Moldova's shift back to a country that prides itself on its state religion. Even in the schools here there are icons in classrooms.