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The building of the “Assumption of Virgin Mary” Church, initially a monastery, began in 1627 during the ruling of Prince of Moldavia Miron Barnovschi-Movilă.
This gentle and faithful leader has also founded Bârnova (near Iași), Hangu (Neamț County), Dragomirna (Suceava County), Toporăuți (Toporițvi, Ukraine) monasteries and “St. John the Baptiser” church in Iași, and finalised the works on the Wallachian Church Uspieńska (Assumption of Virgin Mary) also called Stavropighia of Lvov (Ukraine). In 1633, he was called in Constantinople, where he was accused of betrayal due to the good connection he had with Poland. Sultan Murad IV forced him to convert to Islam in order to survive, and his denial meant being beheaded.
Barnovschi Church was dedicated to Jerusalem’s Patriarchate, thus becoming the official residence of patriarchs from the Orthodox Orient passing through Moldavia. 19 patriarchs lived here, the most renowned being Dositei Notara (1669-1707), the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who worked mainly in Iași. In the monastery’s yard, cell, abbot houses, a school in Greek and annexes for monks and guests were built, but they were destroyed throughout time, especially during the communist period. In the `80s the systematisation of the entire Civic Centre area was decided, fact which led to the demolition of annex buildings and the construction of blocks of flats very close to the church door, affecting the buildings’ resistance structure. A new front of buildings was desired along the newly created boulevard Anastasie Panu, to cover the shapes of Barnovschi and Bărboi churches. But the church and the steeple were saved through the intervention of the historic monuments specialists. The consolidation and restoration works lasted since 1994 to 2004. Near the tower we can also see the ruins of the former cells, and towards the block of flats we can notice an entrance gate to the basement of the former Father Superior’s house in 1786.
The church is remarked through the open porch, built in the 18th century in Baroque style, leaned on six stone columns. Above the church there are two towers, one above the nave, shaped as a prism with 12 sides and a braided frieze, and a second one above the closed porch, taller, also shaped as a prism, but with bevel cants. Both the façade, as well as the towers have rooms of niches above and under the windows. Inside, the pronaos was initially separated by the nave through archways and columns which were demolished to enlarge the space in the church. The inside painting dates since 1880, but is highly damaged. From the initial frescoes since 1653, only the founder’s portrait and his mother’s still exist. The linden tree wood catapetasma date since 1788 and can be remarked through the oval icons. On the top part, in the middle, The Lord Jesus Christ is painted, and under the Last Supper. The miracle worker icon “Saint Ann holding Virgin Mary” is of great value, dating since 1626. During the archaeological diggings in 1998, a brick vaulted crypt was discovered in the nave, which contained some bones, but without the skull. It is believed that the body of Prince Miron Barnovschi would have been buried here.
The steeple was built in the 17th century out of big blocks of stone and bricks, having two vaulted levels, a spiral stairway and a vault. In the tower, there are two big bells of 400, and 300 kg and a smaller one of 70 kg. The big bell was cast in 1628 in Lvov, in Ukraine. After removing the inside wall of the church, the arched entrance from under the tower was closed.
6. L’Église «Saint Sava»