Sfanta Cruce Monastery – Neamt County

“Sfanta Cruce” Monasteryfrom Brusturi village, Neamt County it’s also known as The Monastery of Heroes because it’s been built in the memory of thousands of soldiers that died in the nearby forests. To reach the monastery you’ll have to go by car towardsNeamt Monasteryand after Vanatori village you’ll make a right towards Nemtisor village. The monastery is located at about 10 km inside the forest, in a place where in one night 14,000 Romanian, Russian and German soldiers died in a terrible ambush. In the court of the monastery there is a monument in memory of those that died in this place.

The construction of the monastery started in 1992 at the initiative of the priestIlarion Argatuand his son, the priest Alexandru. Ilarion Argatu graduated the Theological University from Cernauti and the Military School from Bacau. Building a monastery in this place transformed in only one night from the Second World War in an immense cemetery was one of his great wishes.

The religious settlement from Brusturi forest was initially a hermitage under the administrative guidance ofBistrita Monastery. Until the church and first cellars were built, here existed only a tomb with a stone cross where they buried the remains of an unknown soldier. Afterwards they built a wooden crucifix in the memory of the soldiers that died here.