Centuries-old walls where history and spirituality meet in quiet harmony. Witnesses to long-past eras, these blessed places have endured the passage of time, preserving intact the essence of a world that continues to live through the monuments, frescoes, manuscripts, and artifacts that constitute the Brâncovenesc cultural heritage. The Chapel of Hurezi Monastery, built in 1697, represents one of the most refined expressions of Brâncovenesc art, distinguished by the elegance of its proportions and the richness of its iconographic program.
The year 2026 marks two important milestones: the 70th anniversary of Romania’s accession to UNESCO and the 33rd anniversary of the inscription of Hurezi Monastery on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Described by historian Nicolae Iorga as “the monastery without equal,” Hurezi is one of the most valuable monastic ensembles in Southeast Europe and one of the most representative creations of the age of Constantin Brâncoveanu. The year 2026 also marks 333 years since the foundation of this significant monument of Romania’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
In this context, the Romanian Cultural Institute, through the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, invites you to a programme dedicated to the Brâncovenesc heritage, comprising an exhibition, two academic conferences, and two documentary film screenings. The programme aims to highlight the artistic, historical, and spiritual dimensions of Hurezi Monastery, as well as its significance within the context of universal cultural heritage.
On Wednesday, 24 June, at 18:00, on the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Midsummer Day), we invite you to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing for the opening of the exhibition “Hurezi Monastery: Romania in UNESCO 70.” The exhibition brings together photographs from the monastery’s archives and from successive stages of the UNESCO-supported restoration process, icons created by members of the monastic community, historical objects, documents and archival photographs from the monastery museum, albums, and heritage items from its library. These are presented to the Chinese public through several thematic sections, including architecture, iconostasis, ornamentation, painting, woodcarving, and stone sculpture. The exhibition also highlights the role of Hurezi Monastery as an important centre of culture, education, spirituality, and artistic creation in Romania. The exhibition is curated by Stavrophore Nun Ambrozia Șerban, Nun Macrina Avram, and Andreea-Ema Stoian, Principal Relations Officer. It will remain open until 24 September 2026.
The academic component of the programme includes two conferences dedicated to Brâncovenesc heritage and cultural heritage conservation. On Saturday, 27 June, at 11:00, the conference “Constantin Brâncoveanu – Culture and Holiness”will take place at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, presented by Stavrophore Nun Ambrozia Șerban and Nun Macrina Avram. The conference is dedicated to the Romanian ruler, martyr of the Christian faith and great patron of culture, highlighting the exceptional contribution of Saint Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu to the development of Romanian art, education, and culture, as well as his role in integrating these achievements into the European cultural landscape of his time.
On Monday, 29 June, at 11:00, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing will host the conference “Restoration Dialogues: Hurezi Monastery and the Mogao Cave Complex (Dunhuang),” organized in cooperation with Peking University. Bringing together Nun Macrina Avram, visual artist and conservator-restorer of ecclesiastical art, and a Chinese specialist in mural heritage conservation, the event will offer a comparative analysis of restoration practices and methodologies applied to religious heritage in Romania and China. It will explore contemporary challenges in heritage preservation and emphasize the importance of international cooperation in this field.
Complementing the exhibition and academic programme, the public is invited to two documentary film screenings dedicated to emblematic personalities of the Brâncoveanu era. On Friday, 26 June, at 19:00, the documentary “Maria, Lady of All Ungrovlahia” (Romania, 2014, directed by Nicolae Mărgineanu and Iuliana Mateescu, 45 min.) will be screened, followed by a discussion with Stavrophore Nun Ambrozia Șerban and Nun Macrina Avram. The wife of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu and mother of the Brâncoveanu martyrs, Maria Brâncoveanu supported and continued the cultural and religious programme initiated during her husband’s reign, contributing to the development of printing houses, schools, and libraries associated with the great foundations of the period. After the tragedy of 1714, she administered and protected the family’s heritage, continuing to support monasteries, charitable activities, and monastic life. Canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church, she remains a model of faith, dignity, and cultural responsibility.
On Sunday, 28 June, at 18:00, the documentary “Io Constantin Brâncoveanu Basarab Voivode” (Romanian Television, 2023, three-part documentary series) will be screened, followed by a Q&A session with the two guests. The film presents the personality of Saint Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu, one of the most important patrons of culture in Southeast Europe at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Founder of Hurezi Monastery and promoter of the Brâncovenesc style, Brâncoveanu supported the development of printing, education, and the circulation of books throughout the Orthodox world, leaving posterity one of the most valuable artistic and cultural legacies of Romanian heritage.
Stavrophore Nun Ambrozia Șerban carries out continuous work in the fields of research, restoration, and promotion of cultural heritage, being actively involved in educational and exhibition projects dedicated to Hurezi Monastery and the cultural legacy of the Brâncoveanu era. She also contributes to the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of the monastery’s documentary, artistic, and museum heritage at both national and international levels. Through her work, she supports the dialogue between spirituality, art, and heritage conservation, contributing to the transmission and understanding of one of Romania’s most valuable cultural legacies.
Nun Macrina Avram is a visual artist and conservator-restorer of ecclesiastical art. She received her academic training at the same institution as Stavrophore Nun Ambrozia Șerban, where she completed studies in Theology followed by a Master's specialization in Conservation and Restoration. Her training includes the practice of traditional icon painting and mural heritage conservation techniques. She is actively involved in restoration work and projects dedicated to the protection of sacred art. Through her activity, Nun Macrina contributes to the continuity of the Brâncovenesc artistic tradition, combining the technical rigor of restoration with the pictorial sensitivity characteristic of Orthodox iconography.
Hurezi Monastery in Romania, founded in 1690 by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, is a masterpiece of the Brâncovenesc architectural style, distinguished by the purity of its forms, the richness of its sculptural decoration, and the exceptional school of mural and icon painting that flourished there during the eighteenth century. The monastic ensemble was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 15 July 1993 under criterion (ii), in recognition of its outstanding contribution to cultural exchanges and to the development of a distinctive artistic tradition.
