RÂSCA Monastery (Suceava County, Moldova, Romania)

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Râsca Monastery is situated in the Râşca River valley, in the northern part of Moldova (Romania). Râsca Monastery was founded in 1542 by Petru Rares, the ruler of Moldavia. However, the interior and exterior painting was made after the death of the founder, preserving it in its original form on the outer south wall and partially inside. Over time, the monastery has gone through many ordeal moments (countless robberies, fire) being on the verge of to be disolved several times. But the faith and power of the monks led the monastic life further, the monastery being rebuilt and expanded on several occasions. The monastery is surrounded by a square wall, fortified with towers at the corners, and provided with a bell tower over the entrance gate. The small initial church was completed with a huge porch that almost doubled its size. The cells were built in two stages. Râsca Monastery also functioned as a place of detention for the "vagabond monks" and the troublesome politicians, and in the tower cell was closed six months in 1844, the great historian and politician Mihail Kogalniceanu. Over the years, at Râsca Monastery, lived a number of great Romanian Orthodox parents: Iov Sihastrul (the 15th century), Iov Sihastrul (16th century), Ioan Sihastrul (16th-17th centuries) and in the 17th century here 18 years lived, and St. John of Râsca and Secu, canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2008. The Râsca Monastery has precious things, of which a part of the relics of St. Nicholas (the patron saint of the church), a fragment of the relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and a fragment of the Holy Cross.