Saharna Monastery, in its entirety, is one of the oldest monastic settlements in the Orthodox Church of the Republic of Moldova. The monastery complex is composed of two monasteries: one rock monastery (Bunavestire) and the other terrestrial (Holy Trinity). Very little is known about the history of the cave monastery, as the precise date of its foundation and the founders are unknown. Even researchers in the field have not yet reached a unanimous opinion as to when this monastery was founded. It remains meek and silent in anticipation of better times, when its turbulent but glorious history will be known and praised by the whole Christian world. Situated 110 km north of Chisinau, on the right bank of the Nistru River, the Holy Trinity Monastery of Saharna is considered one of the largest religious pilgrimage centers in Moldova. Here are the only holy relics of St. Macarius, and on one of the rocks – the footprint of the Mother of God, according to legend. It is said that one day, a monk from the old cave monastery (according to documentary evidence from the 16th century, the monastery was founded by a monk from the old monastery) was said to have been bewitched by a monk from the old monastery. XVII-XVIII, the monastery has been functioning since the sec. X-XII) on one of the high cliffs here, he was shown the illuminated image of the Virgin Mary. When they reached the cliff, the monks discovered a footprint on the stone, a sign they considered to be a divine proclamation and a testimony to the “divine purity” of the place. Soon, a new wooden church was built closer to the gorge and the monastery of the Holy Trinity monastery was founded (1777). Later, a stone church in the Old Moldavian style, richly decorated with frescoed murals, was built on the site of the wooden church. Over time, the monastic community in the monastery grew. From the cliffs of the village of Saharna, the rocky and wooded gorge of the Saharna River (16 km long), which flows over 30 waterfalls and cascades. There is also an important archaeological site with remains from the Iron Age (10th-8th century BC) and a Geto-Dacian fortress (4th-3rd century BC), one of the best preserved in Moldova.
Saharna Monastery, a source of spirituality and history of the Republic of Moldova
