Văratec Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox women's monastery located in north-eastern part of the country, in Văratec village, Agapia Commune, Neamț County. It is situated at 12 km from Târgu Neamț and 40 km from Piatra Neamț. It is the largest community of nuns in Romania, with more than 400 nuns living there.
The monastery was founded in 1785 by Schema nun Olimpiada, with her confessor, Father Iosif. In this work, mother Olimpiada was guided by Father Paisius Velichkovsky, hegumen of Neamț Monastery. The monastery was set under the guidance of Agapia Monastery, which was close by, and afterwards the Monastery became an independent monastery in 1839.
Massive stone walls enclose the main church, "The Dormition of the Virgin Mary", the abbot's building and the administrative buildings (on the northern side of the enclosure) and the monastery's Museum, where the "Queen Mary" workshop used to be (in the building on the south side). The monastic precinct is surrounded by the monastery village, made up of rural traditional houses, where the nuns live, and which lie along narrow alleys.
The assembly of Văratec Monastery was included on the historical monuments list from Neamț county in 2004, with the classification code NT-II-a-B-10732 and it consists of 5 objectives: The Main Church, "The Dormition of the Virgin Mary" – dating from the beginning of the 19th century, with the code NT-II-m-A-10732.01 The Gate Bell Tower – dating from the 19th century, with the code NT-II-m-A-10732.02 The "Saint John the Baptist" church – dating from 1844, with improvements around 1880, with the code NT-II-m-A-10732.03 The "Transfiguration" church – dating from 1847, with the code NT-II-m-A-10732.04 The cells – dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, with the code NT-II-m-A-10732.05
Monastery history
Founding
The founding of the Văratec Monastery is connected with the name of Bălașa Herescu (1757–1842), Father Mihail's daughter, from the Saint Nicolae Domnesc Church in Iași. She lived as rassophore in the Toplița Skete nearby, by the name Sister Olimpiada. She had received some lands from the treasurer Deleanu and from the forester Ion Bălănoiu.
Mother Olimpiada was advised by Father Paisius Velichkovsky, hegumen at Neamț Monastery, who wanted to dissolve the small women's sketes situated near cities and villages to concentrate the nuns in a few larger monasteries isolated from the world. To that end, between 1781 and 1785 Mother Olimpiada established a small hermitage in a clearing in Văratec. In June 1785, Olimpiada, together with her confessor Father Iosif, began building a wooden church with the title "The Dormition of Virgin Mary". Near the church they built cells, in which many nuns came to live, thus founding Văratec Skete.
Together with Mother Olimpiada, Father Iosif is also considered a founder of the monastery. He was born around 1750, in the village Valea Jidanului in Transylvania, and entered the monastic life at an early age, becoming a novice of the renowned monk Father Paisius Velichkovsky, while the latter still resided at Dragomirna Monastery. Father Iosif died on 28 December 1828, and is buried in the narthex of the main church of the Monastery, "The Dormition of the Virgin Mary." He was sanctified as a Saint in 2005, and he is celebrated on 16 August.
In 1787, the Văratec Skete was unified with Toplița Skete to form a larger and better organized monastic settlement. Toplița Skete, founded more than 250 years earlier, was based in the middle of the village of Topolița. Upon uniting these two sketes, the nuns moved from Topolița to Văratec. In the following year the nuns from Durău Skete also came, with their superior Mother Nazaria, who was appointed Superior Mother of Văratec Skete. Schema nun Nazaria led the monastery between 1788 and 1814, with the help of Father Iosif.
Monastery development
In 1803, Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi of Moldavia wanted to establish a seminary for priests at Socola Monastery in Iași, so he decided that the 50 nuns from Socola were to be moved to Agapia Monastery, which thus became a women's monastery. By the Metropolitan's decision, on 10 July 1803, signed by the boyars from the royal court, Văratec Skete was then for a short while united with Agapia Monastery.
By another decree of the Metropolitan, on 23 September 1803, a monastic craft and general knowledge school was established in the two monasteries, where nuns could learn liturgical music, Greek language, as well as embroidery and weaving. The Metropolitan also moved nuns from three other sketes: Prapa Doamna in Iași, Gârcina and Vânătorii Pietrii from Neamț County. The number of nuns in Văratec grew considerably with these additions, By 26 September 1811, Văratec had 273 nuns, out of which 197 nuns and 76 novice sisters. These were separated according to their social origin: 33 boyar daughters, 59 merchant daughters, 105 peasant daughters, 23 daughters of dignitaries which lost their functions, 51 clergy daughters, a teacher daughter, a shepherd daughter and a different religion woman.
Due to the growing number of nuns, the wooden church became too small. So, in 1808, Superior Mother Nazaria (1788–1814) began the constructions of a stone church, which was finalized and consecrated in 1812. The church was painted in 1841, and reconsecrated by Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi, with an added inscription.
During the Wallachian uprising of 1821, the skete was besieged and robbed by Ottomans: various goods were stolen and the nuns were cast out or killed; Mother Olimpiada took refuge in Secu Monastery.
New structures were added in the first half of the 19th century: the enclosure walls, a stone refectory, some cells and the bell tower, on three levels, situated towards east, where "Saint Nicholas" Chapel was made, at a certain moment between 1840 and 1850. Mother Olimpiada, the founder of the settlement, had an important role in the development of the monastic collectivity in Văratec, devoting all her worldly fortune to this purpose. Many boyar wives also donated land to this monastic settlement: Elencu Paladi gave three domains, and the necessary money to make the iconostasis for the main church, "Dormition of the Virgin Mary", in 1816. Mother Elisabeta Balș (+1833), born as Zoe Rosetti and married to boyar Teodor Balș (1743–1810). She withdraw in 1832, with her daughter, Safta Brâncoveanu, in Văratec Monastery. She donated the Vulturești domain to the monastery. She died around 1833 and is buried in Văratec. Mother Safta Brâncoveanu (1778 – August 1857), daughter of Teodor Balș and Zoe Rosetti-Balș (Mother Elisabeta Balș), was married in 1793 to Grigore Brâncoveanu, lord of Craiova, but had no children. She withdraw with her mother, in 1832, after the death of her husband, to Văratec Monastery. Being a royal daughter, with a large fortune, she made numerous donations to different churches and monasteries, hospitals, etc. She donated the domains Osica and Vlăduleni to Văratec Monastery, clerical vestments, coverings with golden filaments, religious books, etc. She melted her personal silver objects and made bindings for the Gospel, coverings for icons, candles, holy vessels, cross bases for the altar with them. She died on 8 August 1857 and was buried in Văratec, next to her mother's grave.
In 1839, Văratec Monastery separated from Agapia Monastery and became independent. The Superior Mothers of this period were Nazaria (1788–1814), Magdalena (1815–1822) and Olimpiada (1822–1828 and 1834–1842).
During the leadership of Mother Eufrosina Lazu (1844–1887), Mother Olimpiada's novice, numerous works took place, in order to expand the monastery: The Church "The Birth of Saint John the Baptist" was rebuilt from stone, in 1844. The church was initially built from wood in 1817, in the old monastery cemetery. Around 1880 several improvements were made to the building, and the interior walls and the iconostasis icons were painted. The "Transfiguration" Church was built during 1845–1847, due to the extension of the monastic settlement towards south and south-west. The inner painting of the "Dormition of the Virgin Mary" Church was redone in 1882, by painters T. Ioan and D. Iliescu
Văratec Monastery also housed a liturgical music school (1859–1860); a mixed village school (from January 1860); The Primary Girl School (from 1 September 1860); as well as a "School for adults" (from 1 September 1911 until 1943) which was frequented by the nuns up to 50 years old who hadn't graduated primary school; The Monastic Seminary for Nuns (1948–1950); and also the monastic and liturgical music school (from 1940).
The following superior mothers after Mother Eufrosina Lazu were Abbess Eugenia Negri (1887–1894) and Abbess Veniamina Hermeziu (1894–1904).
Văratec Monastery in the 20th century Văratec Monastery was affected by a great fire during the night of 10/11 June 1900, which burned most of the cells and the roof of the main church. After the fire the church roof was rebuilt with only two steeples, without the former wooden steeples. The actual building complex was built from the monastery enclosure, the only original building being the surrounding wall, built during 1808–1812. "Saint Nicholas" Chapel was rebuilt during 1903–1909, the iconostasis and the interiors were painted by hieromonk Eftimie Obrocea from Ciolanu Monastery.
There were 304 nuns and sisters living in Văratec, in the year 1909, under abbess Evghenia Teodor.
In 1934, at the idea of metropolitan Pimen Georgescu of Moldavia, a building was established on the southern side of the enclosure, the "Queen Mary" workshop, where the nuns worked on church embroidery, carpets and national canvas. In the monastery, in November 1940 functioned several workshops: church embroidery and book binding, carpets, knitting, church painting and decorative art, most of them being still present. From 1960, this building has been set up as museum, housing a rich collection of exhibits.
A bronze statue of Saftei Brâncoveanu, made by sculptor Ion Jalea was placed in 1935, close to the eastern apse of the "Dormition of the Virgin Mary" Church.
Important consolidation, restoration and renewal works have been made, beginning with 1962, with the financial and technical support of the state and of Moldavia and Suceava Mitropoly, both for the three churches as for the guest
chamber and for some of the buildings in Văratec Monastery. During 1968–1969 the restorer painter Arutium Avachian washed and restored the painting for the "Dormition of the Virgin Mary" Church.
During abbess stavrophore Nazaria Niță (1973–1995), Văratec Monastery was visited by patriarchs Pimen Izvekov of Moscow, Diodor of Jerusalem and Dimitrios of Constantinopole, and also by a large number of Orthodox Church hierarchs, and by other representatives of Christian Churches.
A basin was installed in 1985 in place of the altar of the old wooden church, the statue of an angel with a cross in his arms being placed there.
The superior mothers leading the monastic life in this place during the 20th century were: Evghenia Teodor – abbess around the year 1909 archimandrite Irina G. Lecca (20 January 1881 – 30 November 1953) – abbess during 1940–1942 and 1946–1951 stavrophore Margareta Ocolescu (10 February 1916 – 6 January 1996) -abbess during 1951 – 1954 schema nun Pelaghia Amilcar (1885–1981) – abbess during 1942–1946 and 1954–1972 stavrophore Nazaria Niță (7 May 1928 – 28 October 2001) – hegumen during 1958–1965 and abbess during 1973–1995
Văratec Monastery in the 21st century From 2002 the monastery abbess is stavrophore mother Iosefina Giosanu, sister of Ioachim Giosanu bishop and niece of Ioanichie Bălan archimandrite.