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The Reconstructed Crown of Saint Stephen the Great

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The Reconstructed Crown of Saint Stephen the Great

Alongside the replica of Saint Stephen the Great’s sword, the Putna Monastery Museum also displays the reconstructed crown of the prince of Moldavia.

In 2018, the crown was cast in 3-millimeter-thick silver gilt and decorated with four large fleurons and four small fleurons. Their form imitates the stylized acanthus leaf decorating the tomb of Saint Stephen the Great.

The crown is decorated with precious stones and pearls.
The crown has four large fleurons and four small fleurons and is decorated with precious stones and pearls.

The decoration was made with pearls and precious stones in the complementary colors of red and green: rubies, emeralds, tourmalines, and garnets, in forms of baguette and cabochon, specific to the medieval period, following the iconographic model in Moldavian frescoes.

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, blessed the crown on August 13, 2018, in Bucharest.

Fragment from the prayer for the blessing of the crown

“Look down from Your holy dwelling place and bless this crown of precious stones which we have made in honor of Holy Voivode Stephen the Great, a father and defender of the Romanian people and of all Christendom. Grant to those who behold it steadfastness in the true Christian faith of our forefathers, the spirit of unity of our people, and self-sacrificing love for our homeland.”

Patriarch of Romania blesses St Stephen the Great’s crown replica.

Press articles

The blessing of the crown
The crown arrives at Putna

After the blessing service, the Patriarch spoke about the Holy Voivode Stephen's self-sacrifice in defense of the country and of faith, and about his role as a precursor of Romania’s Union. He then noted that the reconstruction of the Crown is an occasion to intensify the veneration of this defender of Christendom and of our identity, “to ask for his help in prayer and to cultivate the unity, identity, and dignity of the Romanian people, to the glory of God.”

The crown was brought from Suceava to the Putna Monastery by the first train inaugurating the reopening of the railway line to Putna on the eve of the monastery’s patronal feast, the Dormition of the Mother of God, celebrated on August 15, 2018. During the feast days, the crown was placed on the tomb of Saint Stephen the Great, and afterwards it was exhibited in the monastery museum.

The crown was brought from Suceava to Putna by train.
The train that inaugurated the reopening of the Suceava–Putna railway line brought to Putna the reconstructed crown of Holy Voivode Stephen the Great.