By Octavian-Adrian Negoiță | Institute for the History of Religions, Romanian Academy

Description

The All-Saints Monastery in Bucharest, or St. Antim Monastery as it is also known because of its founder (ktetor), is one of the most renowned monastic centers in Romania. The decision to establish a monastery came from Metropolitan Antim of Iviria (1650–1716; also known as Antim of Iberia), following a dream about founding a new monastery he had on February 5, 1713, on the feast day of St. Agatha. The building process began on April 24, 1713, on the site of an old wooden church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, where the Holy Myrrh was kept at the time. Whereas it is believed that Antim himself designed the construction project, it is certain that he wrote a Typikon (Așezământul, 32 chapters) in which he establishes a series of rules for the monastery and monastic conduct. The entire establishment was consecrated in 1715 in the presence of the ruler of Wallachia Ștefan Cantacuzino (r. 1714–16), and it was dedicated to the feast of All Saints, celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

The monastery was built in the so-called Brâncovanian style, having the church situated in the middle of a square courtyard, surrounded by buildings and a bell tower l positioned on the axis of the church, under which is located the main entrance into the monastery. The church follows a triconch plan with a conventional division (altar, naos, and pronaos) and was built of brick and stone. Whereas the naos is separated from the pronaos by a wall supported by four columns, it is marked off from the altar by a stone iconostasis with wooden doors. The steeple-like dome of the naos is supported by four arches. The naos has a wooden pulpit (north side) and a casket containing parts of the relics of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste (south side). The pronaos also has a dome supported by four arches, and on its western wall there is a wooden balcony with spiral stairs. The wide opened porch has ten columns that highlight the main entrance of the church, whose wooden sculpted doors are embellished with floral motifs (probably sculpted by Antim himself), being framed by a tall stone sculpted front that bears a Greek inscription under which there is sculpted a snail, Antim’s coat of arms and a symbol of faith and humility. Built also of brick, the bell tower consists of an almost square base, one floor and the tower section, where the bells are kept.

A rosette with the zodiac was placed on the wall above the porch during the 1861’s restorations by Johann Unghi. On the outside, the church shows the brick with sculpted stone frameworks for the windows, while a brick belt separates two unequal registers featuring simple ornamented arched niches. Much of the monastery’s current appearance is due to the restoration processes that took place first between 1860 and 1863, under the guidance of chief architect Johann Schlatter (1808–65), then between 1945 and 1947 under the supervision of Ștefan Balș (1902–94), then between 1965 and 1968, financed by Patriarch Justinian Marina (1948–77), under the supervision of Gheorghe Naumescu, and finally in 2016, in celebration of 300 years since the monastery’s founding. The original painting of the church by Preda the painter is lost today. The current painting, produced in oil in a realistic fashion by Petre Alessandrescu during the 1860–63 restoration, and the furniture, sculpted by Carol Storck (1854–1926), date to the same period. The stone iconostasis dates to 1715 but its original icons (today lost) have been replaced by mosaics. The arches of the porch were painted by Costin Petrescu, who also painted the main domes of the church around 1950, while the walls of the porch present mosaics by Olga Greceanu (1890–1978), who also painted the Palace of the Library of the Holy Synod, and archim. Sofian Boghiu (1912–2002).

The construction of the Parekklesion, situated on the southern side of the church, began under Antim but was finished by the boyar Matei Ruset around 1760. Its entrance is from the north, having also a sculpted door with floral motifs. It follows the plan of a nave with a dome supported by four arches. The naos is separated from the altar by a wooden iconostasis.

Built between 1911 and 1912 according to the plans of architect N. C. Mihăescu, the Palace of the Library of the Holy Synod is located on the northern side of the courtyard. Between 1984 and 1986, it was moved 20.35 meters toward the west by the Communists in order to accommodate their own urban plans. The buildings around the church have two small towers in the north-east and south-east corners. A second group of buildings for housing was built between 1986 and 1988 in the second courtyard of the monastery, where the Pompilian Parekklesion is also located, which entered the monastery’s administration in 1958.

Significance

The monastery’s importance is tied to several aspects in its history: its foundation and founder, its printing activity, as well as its continuous restorations and role in ecclesiastical affairs. The founder, Antim of Iviria, was one of the most renowned hierarchs and cultural figures of the Danubian principalities. He was of Georgian origin, born around 1650 in the Kingdom of Kartli, and received the birth name Alexios. After Antim was enslaved by the Turks and taken to Constantinople, he was freed and worked at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where he learned Greek, Arabic, and Turkish, sculpture, painting, embroidery, and, most importantly, he became a monk and took the name Antim. After he was acknowledged by the renowned Patriarch of Jerusalem Dositheos II (1641–1707) for his erudition, Antim traveled to Iași with the patriarch and later he settled in Wallachia at the court of Constantin Brâncoveanu (r. 1688–1714). Under his leadership, Antim became the first bishop of Râmnic, and later metropolitan of Wallachia.

Antim is well-known for his printing activities in Bucharest, Snagov, and Târgoviște. Many liturgical books emerged from these typographies, including the 1701 Arabic Leitourgikon, the first book printed with Arabic types in the whole world. Antim’s disputes with the Phanariot lord Nikolaos Mavrokordatos (1680–1730) over the succession in Wallachia led to a series of misfortunes that ended with his execution by the Ottomans in 1716. He was canonized by the Romanian Patriarchate (1992), and his feast day is September 27.

Because of the political plots of lord Nikolaos Mavrokordatos, Antim did not see his monastery completed. He was removed from office in 1716 and was exiled for the rest of his days to the St. Catherine Monastery, but he ended up being executed by the Turks on the road to Sinai. Because of the precarious state of the buildings left unattended by the untimely death of monastery’s founder, Metropolitan Dositei Filitti (1734–1826) addressed Lord Alexandru Ipsilanti (1726–1807) on November 1, 1796, to assign the monastery as a metochion of the Bishopric of Argeș. The aim was to open a seminary in its premises to renovate the buildings. Although the approval came on March 22, 1797, the seminary began its existence later on under Bishop Ilarion Georgiadis of Argeș (1777–1845) on February 2, 1836. He is also considered a great benefactor of the monastery, being buried on the monastic premises near the main church. Ilarion was the adviser of Tudor Vladimirescu (1780–1821), which links the monastery’s history with the Revolution of 1821. The banner of the Revolution showing the scene of the Trinity with St. Theodore Tiron on the right and St. George on the left, was painted by monk David of the monastery. Other events also highlight the monastery’s importance for Romanian history. From 1840, in the monastery’s buildings functioned the State Archives, and during World War I in 1917, the monastery’s church hosted the relics of St. Filotea of Argeș, one of the most venerated local saints.

The monastery’s old parekklesion, dedicated to Sts Athanasius the Great, Charalambos, and Bessarion of Larissa, was also restored in modern times. In 1860, the renowned Romanian painter Gheorghe Tătărăscu (1886–1957) painted the iconostasis. Because of the precarious state of the frescos, they were repainted under Patriarch Justinian in 1951 by painter Dimitrie Dumitriu Nicolaide and Archim. Sofian Boghiu. The fresco of the Dormition of the Virgin, painted on the western wall of the parekklesion is of particular importance. Around the main scene, members of the Burning Bush group were painted on both sides. The Burning Bush was a cultural movement that began in 1945 at Antim Monastery under Alexandru “Agaton” Teodorescu (“Daniil” Sandu Tudor, 1896-1962). The focus of the movement was the hesychast prayer, but after 1948, when the Communist party declared it a “subversive organization,” it became a group where renowned monks and laymen gathered to uphold Orthodox values and faith against Communist atheism. In this regard, the monastery became the center of the gatherings where members of the group (e.g., Sofian Boghiu, Paul Constantinescu, Adrian Făgețeanu, Olga Greceanu, Andrei Scrima, Paul Sterian, Vasile Voiculescu) engaged in intellectual, theological, and literary activities. A museum of the movement exists today on the first floor of the tower bell.

After its foundation, there was also printing activity at the monastery, as the Judaic History of Alexander Mavrokordatos (1636–1709) was printed here in 1716, along with Nicholas Mavrokordatos’ About duties few years later in 1719, and an Octoechos in 1720. Recently, the monastery’s museum was reopened for the public. It hosts sacred objects and rare books from the special collections of the Romanian Patriarchate. Moreover, a second museum was opened recently for the public. Located on the first floor of the bell tower, the Museum of the Burning Bush hosts items related to the intellectual and spiritual activities of the members of this renowned cultural movement. Finally, the collections of manuscripts, documents, and rare books hosted in the Library of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate are of particular importance not only for the monastery, but for the entire religious and cultural history of the Romanian Church and Eastern Europe.

The monastery plays an important role in the ecclesiastical affairs of the Romanian Patriarchate as the Holy Myrrh (necessary for anointing, the consecration of churches and, in the past, for anointing rulers) is prepared, whenever necessary, in the second parekklesion of the monastery, called Pompilian Parekklesion. Still, the monastery remains a place of worship and pilgrimage. With a growth in the number of monks, the monastery organizes liturgical services and cultural activities, which makes it one of the most renowned and well-known landmarks of the city of Bucharest.

Further Reading

Boghiu, S. (Archim.). Sfântul Antim Ivireanul și Mănăstirea Tuturor Sfinților [Saint Antim of Iviria and the Monastery of All Saints]. Bucharest: Editura Bizantină, 2005.

This study offers the most comprehensive historical and cultural overview of the monastery across centuries. It includes rich archival material (photos of manuscripts and the monastery, sacred objects, and people affiliated with the monastery’s history).

Bucharest. Library of the Romanian Academy. MS Rom. 3342. Așezământul Mănăstirii Antim [The Typikon of Antim Monastery]. Published in Antim Ivireanul: Opere [Antim of Iviria: Works] Edited by G. Ștrempel, 284-7. Bucharest: Minerva, 1997. Republished in Sfântul Antim Ivireanul. Edited by S. Boghiu, 157-65.

This document contains the Testament of Antim for the Monastery of All Saints that contains 32 chapters about the status and monastic life and conduct of the monastery.

Chițulescu, P. (Archim.), coord. Palatul Bibliotecii Sfântului Sinod: Istorie și actualitate, 1912-2012 [The Holy Synod Library Palace: History and Actuality, 1912-2012]. Bucharest: Basilica, 2012.

This offers a comprehensive overview over the history and the collections of the Library of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate.

Chițulescu, P. (Archim.), S. Duicu and (Nun) A. Văetiși. Colecția de artă a Patriarhiei Române: Catalogul muzeului de la Mănăstirea Antim [The Art Collection of the Romanian Patriarchate: The Catalog of the Museum of Antim Monastery]. Bucharest: Cuvântul Vieții, 2016.

This is a catalog of the sacred objects and rare books hosted in the museum of St Antim Monastery. The editors also offer a detailed historical overview of the collection and its connection to the monastery.

David, P. I. “Rolul Mănăstirii Antim din București în Revoluția de la 1821” [The Role of Antim Monastery of Bucharest in the Revolution of 1821]. Glasul Bisericii 41, no. 11-12 (1982): 857-74.

This study offers a discussion over the connections of people affiliated with the monastery with Tudor Vladimirescu, the leader of the 1821 Revolution.

Nanu, A. “Pictura monumentală realizată de Olga Greceanu” [The Monumental Painting of Olga Greceanu]. Revista monumentelor istorice 64, no. 1-2 (1995): 36-44.

This study details Olga Greceanu’s painting style, including her work at Antim Monastery.

Oboroceanu, V. (Archim.). Sfânta Mănăstire Antim: Istorie, cultură și spiritualitate, 1713-2013 [Holy Antim Monastery: History, Culture and Spirituality, 1713-2013]. Bucharest: Basilica, 2013.

This is a general history and art album of Antim Monastery, published in celebration of 300 years since monastery’s foundation.

Rădulescu, M. Rugul Aprins: De la Mănăstirea Antim la Aiud [The Burning Bush: From Antim Monastery to Aiud]. Bucharest: Proxima, 2019.

This is a study about the “Burning Bush” cultural movement that took place at Antim Monastery during the Communist period.

This contribution was sponsored through the 2024 Research Fellowship.