Day 9- The Day of Many Monastaries

19 March 2012

In the morning we arrived at breakfast where we met for the first time our enthusiastic guide. In the bus on our way to the first of the Painted Monasteries of Bucovinian we would see that day, he introduced himself and his tour guide in training to us. Our guide's name was Ciprian, a young Romanian-Ukrainian fellow with a very bouncy attitude. We learned quite quickly that somehow he was able to turn a somewhat repetitive and boring day into a fun one, all while still learning something. 

The first monastery we visited was Voronet, buit in 1547. This Monastery is known for its primarily blue paintings. One of the first things we learned was that a monastery built with a tower meant it was built by and for royalty, whereas those without were monasteries built for commoners. The Voronet monastery had a tower. Ciprian then lead us inside where he explained how the paintings of the walls and ceiling each represented a day of the year. Together, the individual paintings created a calendar that had been used by the commoners to determine the day of the year, and to see what religious story it coincided with. Our guide explained that the calendar began with the month of September, and each month began with a painting with a moon in the corner. After he had explained to us the method of telling the month and day, he gave us some practice dates to see if we understood. I volunteered for the first question, and having answered it correctly, Ciprian claimed he would buy me a coke (he never did...). 

Our next stop was at the Humor Monastery. Unlike the last monastery, this one's dominant color was red. Humor was built in 1530, and did not contain a tower, which meant it was meant for the common people. In this monastery, like the last, Ciprian pointed out the meaning of the various paintings on the inside and outside. He emphasized that all Romanian Orthodox monasteries and churches have certain rules and traditions in how they are painted. For example, all of the monasteries contained the same rules for how the calendar within the buildings are set up and read. 

After the second monastery, our group stopped to grab some lunch. Once we were done we made a quick visit to a nearby Synagogue. We attempted to enter, but unfortunately it was closed and we were unable to see the inside. For me, it was comforting seeing something so familiar especially after all the research I had done on my topic: Jews in Romania and the antisemitism they faced. 

The next monastery we visited was Sucevita, built in 1585. Like the first monastery we visited this one had a tower, but instead of its dominant color being blue it contained more greens. It is said to be one of the last monasteries decorated in the traditional moldavian style. This monastery differed from the first two in that it was a fully fortified monastery completely surrounded by a protective wall. In addition it is currently used as a residence for nuns still practicing a devote lifestyle. We were lucky enough to see the nuns as they carried out their daily routines. Interestingly, this monastery remains unfinished. In the back, there is a portion of the monastery that has not been painted. According to Ciprian, this is because the original painter of the monastery died before its completion. Another artist was given the opportunity to finish the project, however, after his initial attempts to continue the fresco, it was recognized that he was in fact not a skilled painter and he was asked to stop. The fresco was never finished.  

On our way to our final monastery we stopped to enjoy the scenery of the Carpathian mountains. We snapped a few pictures and got back on the bus all ready to see the final sight. 

The final Monastery we visited was Modovita, built in 1532. Like the first monastery, its predominant color was blue in addition to gold.

 By this time we were all getting tired as the day began fading, and unfortunately were not listening as keenly to Ciprian's peppy chatter. Instead many of us strolled across the area of the last monastery, and watched the nuns and helpers from the nearby town shovel snow into horse drawn carriages. It was like a flash into the past. 

The day was finally over, and we were all more than ready for dinner. Ciprian had organized a special treat for us. That night we would be welcomed to dinner in a traditional Moldavian manner: with bread dipped in salt, and Afinata (a delicious Romanian blueberry liqueur). In addition to that we got a live demonstration of the parts of traditional Romanian dress and recieved a live performance from an absolutely adorable 9-year-old girl who sang traditional Romanian songs. Influenced by Ciprian's chipper mood, dancing insued, and before i knew it i was dragged into a dancing circle with Professor Cordon, Ciprian, Wendy, Luiza, and a few more people. After the dancing festivities ended we returned to the table to eat some very tasty garlic fish that we had to de-bone ourselves. All in all, definitely an interesting day.