Martyria magazine · issue XVI of the series

Issue II / 2023 July – December

Imagine

Holiness as "the way of everlasting life", a theme opened by His Eminence Father Varsanufie — from a dossier of theology and iconography signed by the Athonite Archimandrite Maximos Constas (Saint…

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Bilingual edition
The issue's argument

Holiness as "the way of everlasting life", a theme opened by His Eminence Father Varsanufie — from a dossier of theology and iconography signed by the Athonite Archimandrite Maximos Constas (Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite, the Kollyvades Movement and the revival of Palamism), Sofia Associate Professor Svetoslav Rybolov (Lucian of Antioch), Athenian Associate Professor Nicolae Xionis (the ecclesiological character of the Mystery of Marriage), Father Ioniță Apostolache (the Erminia of the painting of Polovragi Monastery), Professor Georgiana Huian (The Presence in the icon) and the hieromonk Agapie Corbu (Saint Isaac the Syrian, "the sweetness of the Scriptures" and the prayer of the heart), to a Râmnican dossier with the first part of Nicolae Georgescu's study on The Image of Light in the poetry of Eminescu, Archimandrite Veniamin Micle on the beginnings of the Church's organization in Vâlcea, the continuation of the study on Vartolomeu Stănescu, the tomb of Teofana — mother of Michael the Brave — at Cozia and Dan Ciachir's La Baia di San Paolo, a word on fasting and almsgiving by Saint John Chrysostom, an essay by Elena Dulgheru on the film The Monk and the Demon and the journal of the Stavrophore Theodora Videscu — Bethlehem — the House of Bread.

Issue illustration

This issue is illustrated with images and motifs from wooden iconostases in churches within the Archdiocese of Râmnic.

Pierced gilded carving with grapes and scrolls.
Carved and gilded icon niche, with an icon of the Annunciation, crowned with winged cherub heads and columns.
Carved and gilded wooden flower, with a curling vine.
Carved and gilded icon niche, with an icon of the Mother of God 'of the Sign' (the Orant with the medallion of Christ), with an openwork pediment.
Detail of pierced gilded carving: flowers and grapevine leaves.
Carved and gilded wooden panel, with a round icon medallion (a scene with a boat at sea) and acanthus scrolls.
Twisted column of carved and gilded wood, with grapevine ornament, from an iconostasis.
Carved and gilded crowning ornament: a winged cherub head at the centre, flanked by two winged angels.
Icon niche from a carved and gilded iconostasis, with an icon of Christ praying beneath a pediment showing the Holy Spirit as a dove, crowned with openwork and a double-headed eagle below.
Carved and gilded icon frame, with an icon of a standing apostle (the Apostle Andrew), with openwork.
Carved and gilded double-headed eagle, a crowning ornament of an iconostasis, flanked by two flowers.
Carved and gilded icon frame, with an icon of a standing apostle (the Apostle Paul), with ornamented columns and pediment.
Detail of gilded carving with grapes and a band bearing a Cyrillic inscription.
Carved and gilded icon niche, with a round icon medallion (the Prophet Elijah fed by the raven), surrounded by acanthus openwork.
Detail of pierced gilded carving from an iconostasis, with a small icon medallion, grapes and a Cyrillic inscription.
Pierced carved and gilded wooden panel, with a central cross-shaped medallion and flowers.
Detail of gilded carving on a blue ground: flowers and buds.
Old engraving: portraits of four hierarchs above a view of Cernica Monastery.
Detail of gilded carving on a blue ground from an iconostasis: vine scrolls, flowers and rosettes.
Detail of a monastery seal on a document — a monastic saint with a Cyrillic inscription.
Carved and gilded wooden cross, with an angel at the top and a central icon medallion of Christ, on a decorated shaft.
Photograph of an old handwritten document (1844), with a monastery seal — an archival source.
Detail of gilded carving from an iconostasis: a reclining figure from whom a vine grows (the Root of Jesse), with a small icon medallion and grape scrolls.
Photograph of an old document with a round seal depicting a saint and Cyrillic script.
Detail of a carved and gilded wooden iconostasis: a twisted column topped by an icon medallion of Christ.
Photograph of an old handwritten document (1841), with a monastery seal depicting a saint — an archival source.
Horizontal band of carved and gilded wood, with crosses and scrolls.
Carved and gilded icon frame, with an icon of a standing saint (the Apostle Mark) on a gold ground, between richly ornamented columns.

Editorial masthead

Board of Directors

His Eminence Dr. Varsanufie, Archbishop of Râmnic – Founding President
Fr. Constantin Olariu, Cultural Counselor of the Archdiocese of Râmnic

Editorial Board

(in alphabetical order)

  • Acad. Prof. Dr. Ilie Bădescu, Romanian Academy
  • Prof. Irakli Brachuli, Department of Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, „Ivane Javakhishvili" Tbilisi State University, Georgia
  • Dr. Bogdan Tătaru-Cazaban, Researcher at the Institute for the History of Religions, Romanian Academy
  • V. Rev. Archim. Maximos Constas, Professor of Patristics and Orthodox Theology, Director Pappas Patristic Institute, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA, USA
  • Dan Ciachir, writer – Bucharest
  • Prof. Dr. Habil. Ion Marian Croitoru, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Valahia University of Târgoviște
  • Prof. Dr. Nae Georgescu, Bucharest
  • Lect. Dr. Octavian Gordon, University of Bucharest
  • Prof. Dr. Marina Kolovopúlu, Faculty of Theology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Prof. Dr. Giorgi Kvesitadze, President of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences
  • Fr. Bassam A. Nassif, Ph.D., D.Min., Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology, University of Balamand, Lebanon
  • Prof. Dr. Mihaela Palade, University of Bucharest
  • Prof. Dr. Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Ribolov, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Prof. Dr. Ioan Scurtu, member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists – Bucharest
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nicolae Xionis, Faculty of Theology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Prof. Anastasia Zakariadze, Anthim the Iberians Scientific Center for Studying Philosophy and Theology, „Ivane Javakhishvili" Tbilisi State University, Georgia

Editors

  • Fr. Constantin Olariu
  • PhD Cand. Dragoș Cătălin Jumugă
  • Fr. PhD Cand. Andrei-Lucian Ionescu

Graphic Design and Layout

Atelierul de grafică

Typefaces

Calluna, Alegreya Sans