07/17/2024

Putna Colloquia, 30th Edition



Between July 10–13, 2024, Putna Monastery hosted, with the blessing of His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuți, the 30th edition of the Putna Colloquia history symposium. The event began with a Doxology service on Wednesday, July 10, at 16:00 hours.

 

Afterwards, it continued at the monastery’s “Metropolitan Jacob of Putna” Cultural Centre, with a welcome speech by Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, the monastery abbot. The latest publications of the Putna Monastery were presented, followed by the first paper presentations. This edition saw 43 paper presentations in total.

 

On Thursday evening, the Byzantion Choir, led by Adrian Sârbu, and the “Eustatie the Protopsaltes” Putna Monastery Choir joined in chanting at the Vigil service for the feast of the “Prodromitissa” Icon of the Mother of God. They reconstituted, as much as possible today, a Hesychast Vigil service.

 

On Friday morning, the members of the Byzantion Choir participated in the Musicology session of the Colloquia. It was the fourth time when the Putna Colloquia included this section. The aim was to encourage research on Venerable Eustatie the Protopsaltes’ work and the exegesis of his chants, so that his compositions may be heard again in our churches.

 

The symposium included a presentation of the book Cuviosul Eustatie Protopsaltul. Antologhionul de la 1511. Studii și facsimil (“Venerable Eustatie the Protopsaltes. The 1511 Antologion. Studies and Facsimile”), which includes a second edition (the first was published in 1983) of the oldest music book written by a Romanian, as well as studies about it.

 

This year, Bălinești Monastery celebrated 525 years from its consecration. On this occasion, the Putna Colloquia dedicated a special session to its founder, Logothete Tăutu. On Friday afternoon, the participants took a study trip to Bălinești and two other medieval foundations from the Siret area: the Holy Trinity Church and Venerable Onuphrious Monastery, both located in Siret. A Commemoration service was held at Bălinești for Logothete Tăutu and his family.

 

On Saturday, the last day of the Colloquia, a Commemoration service was held at Putna Monastery for the Colloquia former participants who have passed away during the event’s 20 years of history. Acad. Alexandrina Cernov was also commemorated 40 days after passing away into the Lord.

 

On Saturday evening, the symposium concluded with speeches by many who had participated in the Colloquia from the first edition and up to the present. They highlighted the fruits of the 30 editions of the Putna Colloquia.