"Holy Great Martyr Demetrius" Church in Cândești

The church dedicated to Saint Demetrius the Great Martyr, the Myroblyte, was built in 1777 in Patrăuți, Ukraine. Until 1912, the church served as a parish church in Pătrăuți and then a cemetery chapel, because a new, much more imposing wall church had been built. The documents show that in 1912, with the support of Archbishop Vladimir and the parishioners, the church was dismantled and rebuilt at the entrance of the Siret River in Candești, because the Ukrainian parishioners here did not have a place of worship. This is how this church was moved from a Romanian community in today's Ukraine, to a community of Ukrainians in Romania. This explains why in this church even today services are held in both languages.

The ship-shaped structure, typical of northwestern Moldova, has walls of wooden beams skillfully joined in a "dovetail" and a raftered roof, topped by three ornate spiers, defining an authentic landscape of local architecture. The new bell tower, added in the 2002 renovation, rises 15 meters. The house for funeral meal and parish house were also extended and renovated. The exterior walls have been embellished with wood paneling, and the restored joinery and roof have retained their original form.

Inside, the church, divided into a nave, nave and altar, surprises through the circular arched vaults of the altar and nave, while the nave is covered with oak wood. The doors and window frames are painstakingly made from the same noble wood.

The iconostas, meticulously made and well preserved, impresses with beautiful specific ornaments. The church was endowed with new cult objects carved from oak wood.

With a preserved authenticity, the church in Cândești represents a valuable example of traditional Moldavian architecture, being a living testimony of local history.

The village of Cândești has ancient origins, mentioned in a document from the year 1430 during the time of Alexandru cel Bun. In 1775, part of the locality became the border between Moldova and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, being called Kindestie by the Austrians. The name Kindestie could have Turkish origins or come from the Kendi boyar mentioned in the year 1463.

After the Agrarian Reform of 1864, the territory between the rivers Siret and Molniţa belonged to the Flondor family and was part of Bucovina under Austro-Hungarian rule. Flondor brought agricultural workers from Galicia, contributing to the formation of the Candești and Rogojești communities.

The religious winter holidays are an exciting opportunity for tourists to explore the authentic traditions and cuisines of the area. The month of December brings many holidays, such as the main ones - Saint Nicholas, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The festive spirit culminates with the day of the Birth of Christ, the most significant holiday, for which preparations begin several days in advance.

The feast of Ignatius is also important for the local community, being marked by the slaughter of the pig. In this context, the locals mobilize to prepare traditional dishes and desserts, offering tourists a gustatory foray into local culture and gastronomy.