The Noul Neamt Monastery

It is situated in Bessarabia, in Chitcani village, on the right shore of Nistru River, 14 km from the town of Tighina (Bender) and 6 km from the town of Tiraspol. There are four churches on the territory of the monastery. The Ascension Cathedral is situated in the center. On its left there is the old church built in honor of Saint Hierarch Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. Opposite there is a refectory church of the Ascension of the Holy Cross. The Dormition church is a congruous part with its five chapels completing the general view of the monastery. The center piece of the monastery is the bell tower. Consisting of 5 levels, it is seventy meters tall and is the highest and the most splendid bell tower in Moldova. From the upper level of the bell tower you can see the wonderful picturesque views of the surroundings.

The name signifies that the monastery is a successor of the Neamt Monastery in Romania (medieval Moldavia). The monastery was founded in 1861, when several monks from the Neamt monastery in Romania left and founded Noul Neamt in Chitcani.

On 16 May 1962 Soviet authorities closed the monastery; the buildings became a hospital. In 1990 the Monastery recommenced its usual activity. Care for the reconstruction was taken by archbishop of Bender Vichentie and by archimandrite Dorimedont, bishop of Edinet and Briceni. Due to efforts made between 1999-2000, church life was reconstituted and the churches, bell tower, cells were repaired. From 1990-2001 the monastery also hosted the Theological Seminary of Chisinau, where many priests from Moldova, the Ukraine and Romania studied.

In 1995, in the place of the former vestiary and the old library, a museum with two halls was opened. One of them is meant for keeping icons of the 18th - 20th century crosses, jubilee church medals, coins etc, and the second for keeping photographs from the foundation of the monastery up to the present, old books, robes etc. The monastery is also home to many holy relics.