Japca Monastery

Japca stands on a terrace above the Dniester with cells cut into the limestone cliff behind it, the older part of a foundation traced to the end of the seventeenth century when monks moved here from further north. It is notable in Moldova for having stayed open right through the Soviet period, the only monastery in the country that was never closed, and it has been a convent since the nineteenth century. Nuns from monasteries closed elsewhere in the country were moved here through the Soviet decades, which is part of why this one survived when the others did not.

History

Legend says a monk named Ezekiel from the Deleni monastery carved a church into the rock here at the end of the 17th century and dedicated it to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The local landowner Constantin Stati built a stone church of the Ascension in 1825, a church of St Michael was added in 1949, and the monastery appeared on a Moldovan postage stamp in 1996 (Wikipedia, Japca Monastery).

What you'll find

• The cliff cells - the chambers cut into the limestone above the terrace.
• The riverside setting - the monastery above the Dniester.
• The continuity - the only Moldovan monastery never closed under Soviet rule.
• The terrace church - the main building below the cliff.

When to go

April to October is the pleasant season. Services restrict access at times. Winter is cold and the cliff path is slippery.

Practical notes

The cave cells are reached by a steep path and are not always open. Dress rules apply. It is an active convent and visitors are expected to behave accordingly.

Nearby

Soroca is north, and Călărășeuca is beyond it.

Key facts