MONASTERY RĂCIULA

The monastery of Răciula is located in the village and was founded in 1797. It was originally a hermitage for monks. It became a convent for nuns in 1811. Its Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was built in 1800 and renovated in 1885. It is 23 m high and 15 m wide. The church of Saint-Hiérarque-Nicolas was built in 1822 and restored in 1880. Most of the icons are native and in the style of the Moldavian school of iconography. In 1878 the monastery opened a primary school on the site for orphans and children from poor families. Under the Soviet regime, the monastery was closed on 2 July 1959 after a confrontation of several days between monks and villagers and the police. It was transformed into a wedding hall, then into a kolkhoz depot and finally returned to the monks in 1990. In 2000, the entire complex was restored, old icons were recovered, including a precious icon with the representation of Jesus. Today, it is a convent of nuns, who are strict about dress on site, headscarves (provided at the entrance) and covered legs are de rigueur, as in most monasteries in Moldova. The place is quite calm and enchanting, the monastery has 4.5 ha of land. It is one of the four monasteries of the "cross of Călărași", with Frumoasă, Hîrjauca and Hîrbovăț. Seen from the sky, the location of these monasteries forms a cross.

September 21, the monastery's patron saint's day