A Visit to Moldova - Photo Album December 1998

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Monastery at Capriana

About 25km outside of Chisinau is the monastery at Capriana. This monastery has survived the Soviet years intact, though monks have been in residence only since the early 1990's.

On the road down to the monastery. (I was amused at the concrete telephone poles; often they were doubled or tripled up as they are in this picture.) There's very little traffic on the roads--so little that the loudest noises are not traffic noises, but the noises of farm animals particularly chickens and roosters.

This is the "House of Culture" in Capriana--or, in American, what's called a community center. Note the green fences: for some reason, most of the fences in the villages are painted green. Also, note the elaborate tin downspouts and gutters. There are more of these elaborate decorations at the monastery.

At the gate to the monastery, Chris peeks out.

There are a couple of these crucifixes on the monastery grounds. Similar designs can be found on the main streets in smaller villages around Chisinau. In the background, you can see the domes of the Winter Chapel.

The interior of the Winter Chapel. See the gold icons? Many of these icons are sold by priests at churches in Chisinau--in much smaller sizes, of course! It's a few lei for a small button of your patron saint.

On the side wall of the chapel is this crucifix. I'm not sure what the skull and crossbones is at the bottom. Perhaps it means "raised from the dead"?

Next Page: Kim's Birthday Party!