Ciuflea Monastery · Mănăstirea Ciuflea · Sf. Teodor Tiron
Ciuflea Monastery (1854-1858) — founded by Aromanian brothers Teodor + Anastasie Ciufli, the only active church in Chișinău during the Soviet era.
Visit with the Ciufli brothers' story + their tombs by the wall + Sunday service.
A must — an active urban monastery in central Chișinău, founded by the Aromanian Ciuflea brothers, that stayed open through the Soviet era. Steps away for any visitor downtown.
St. Great Martyr Theodore Tyron Monastery (popularly known as Ciuflea Monastery) on Ciuflea Street 12 in Chișinău is one of the oldest and most visited spiritual destinations in the capital. The cathedral was built between 1854-1858 by Aromanian brothers Teodor (1796-1854) and Anastasie (1801-1870) Ciufli — merchants who emigrated from Macedonia to Bessarabia in 1821. Before dying, Teodor asked his brother Anastasie to build a church from the family inheritance. The two brothers are buried by the southern wall of the cathedral. Exceptional historic-spiritual importance: during the Soviet period (1960s-late 1980s) Ciuflea was the ONLY Orthodox church in Chișinău where services were held. Granted monastery status July 17, 2002.
- founded 1854-1858 by Ciufli brothers
- Aromanian brothers emigrated from Macedonia 1821
- ONLY open church in Soviet-era Chișinău
- iconic gilded dome in centre
- founders' tombs by southern wall
- nuns' monastery since 2002
- gilded dome from the park
- cathedral façade with evening lights
- Ciufli tombs on wall
- Sunday service with candles
- courtyard with white cells
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“Nice place to visit. Entrance free Ciuflea Monastery – an Orthodox women's monastery in Chișinău, in the city center, on Ciuflea Street, in the jurisdiction of the Chișinău Eparchy of the Moldavian Orthodox Church.”
“An atmospheric, spiritual, and peaceful place. It's beautiful inside, smells pleasant, and is warm. It's also a working church, open to all who need it and who want it.”
“A beautiful monastery with very unpleasant nuns. I wasn’t allowed to bring my wheelchair into the chapel because of the nuns, and had to crawl on my knees if I wanted to see the altar.”
- modest dress required
- crowded on Sundays
- no permanent guide