Istorico
I.1. Knowing our past, we faithfully look towards the future…
Toma Cozma church having as patrons “Saint Apostle Toma and Saint Martyr Ecaterina” was built in 1807, on the western side of „Muntenimii” hill – later on „ Păcurarilor slams”- with a beautiful perspective on the north-west side of the town. Toma Cozma – the first founder of the church – was a boyar from Iasi, who at the beginning of the 19th century held several titles being: “şetrar”, “medelnicer”, “paharnic” and “ban” (boyar’s titles used in the Middle Age in Tara Romaneasca and Moldova). The church founded by Toma Cozma together with his wife Ecaterina had a simple shape, without steeples and was small sized. At the repair works made in 1847, the second founder of the church, Maria Anastasiu Apostol Ketreanca, adds the steeple to the church as it results from the inscription on the western side of the church:
Toma Cozma – the first founder of the church – was a boyar from Iasi, who at the beginning of the 19th century held several titles being: “şetrar”, “medelnicer”, “paharnic” and “ban” (boyar’s titles used in the Middle Age in Tara Romaneasca and Moldova). The church founded by Toma Cozma together with his wife Ecaterina had a simple shape, without steeples and was small sized. At the repair works made in 1847, the second founder of the church, Maria Anastasiu Apostol Ketreanca, adds the steeple to the church as it results from the inscription on the western side of the church:
Toma Cozma church remains one of the most hardened churches in Iasi. Thus, in 1924 a part of the pronaos vault collapses, and by the works carried out between years 1930-1932 the brick tower was rebuilt, the building was consolidated by the exterior pillars and the interior balcony for the choir was built, under the coordination of the priest Emilian Vasiloschi.
After only 12 years the church received the hardest blow: on 20th of August 1944, during the air raid, the church is badly stroke collapsing on fire on the altar area. The reconstruction and consolidation works were coordinated by the priest Nicolae Todicescu, betwenn years 1950-1954. Other works followed in the years 1980-1982, when the steeple was consolidated giving the church its current appearance. The church is built out of apparent stone, in three-cusped plan, with two strong pillars.
Other works followed in the years 1980-1982, when the steeple was consolidated giving the church its current appearance. The church is built out of apparent stone, in three-cusped plan, with two strong pillars. The altar and the side apses are circular both on the inside and on the outside. By the building of the steeple, the area at its base originally completed the initial spaces – altar, nave and pronaos – being added afterwards a small church porch.
Important works and repairs were made after the earthquake in 1977, works completed in 1982 by the consolidation of the steeple.
In 2007 our church turned 200 years of experience and this beautiful anniversary led to several cultural manifestations as: concerts of homage, exhibits of black-and-white pictures, evocations, symposiums and numerous activities with the young along the period between the main parish fair (Toma’s Suday) and the secondary parish fair (Saint Ecaterina – November, 25th).
In the last decade, by means of the priest Mihai Mărgineanu, the current vicar, important repair works were made to the parish house, to the philanthropic house and the church porch, as well as important works for the systematization of the parish park whose patrimony enriched with a traditional fountain and a beautiful monument dedicated to the victims of the air raid in 1944.
The main priority of the administrative activities is represented by the consolidation and restoration of our church, works which started in January 2007 by the replacement and repair of the electric power and heating installations, replacement of the old and worn out woodwork with new one. We consider that the most important accomplishment was the completion at the end of 2009 of the exterior consolidation works. Thus we can find now the church in its beautiful and shining appearance as in the past, following that starting with next year to start off the interior restoration works (the making of the support layer and the endowment of the church with Byzantine picture).
I.2. Cultural-spiritual testimonies
Along the time, „Toma Cozma” church proved to be a real worhip place for the western area of Iasi town. Here there was in the 19th Century a primary school, „Păcurari School no.1”, whose name is worn today by one of the streets in the neighborhood of the church, “Scoalei” Street (i.e. street of the school). Concomitantly, in the houses of “Toma Cozma” church there was also the Primary School for Boys, where Ion Creanga taught.
In the first half of the 20th Century it activated here “Toma Cozma” Folk Athenaeum which along with various cultural and philanthropic activities (evening sittings, cultural meetings, publication of the cultural magazine “Presents”, the set up of reading rooms, fun and educational games, the set up of a choir, a theatrical group etc.), had the initiative to build the monument of Mihai Eminescu, by organizing under public subscription and by financing the actual building of the statue which is located now near the University Central Library.
Numerous personalities lived and created close to Toma Cozma church, among which: A.D. Xenopol, Romanian academician, economist, philosopher, historicist, teacher, sociology researcher and writer, who was baptized in this church; George Calinescu literary critic and historicist, writer, publicist, complex personality of the Romanian culture and literature; the well-known learned priest Paul Mihail, the typographer and editor Alexandru Ionescu, the one who signed, next to Ion Creanga, several study books; general Mihai Negruzzi, nephew of C. Negruzzi; geologist and geochemist Mircea Ion Savul, professor at Iasi University, member of the Romanian Acadamy, as well as the pharmacist and resercher Antoine Abrahamffy, the one who descovered several mineral water springs in Moldova.
Despite all odds, Toma Cozma church shelters several objects with historical and artistic value, among which:
- The collection of monumental icons exhibited on the walls of the church, made by the Italian painter Giovanni Schiavoni (1804-1848) in 1837, first meant for the metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi, which was being constructed at that time.
- The collection of religious objects donated by the founder that comprises: a Gospel overlaid with metal, holy receptacles next to other valuable religious objects from the 19th Century (shrines, censers, crosses, candlesticks etc.)
- The collection of religious sculpture that comprises the small iconostasis, the candlesticks in pyramid trunk, the desks and lecterns from the side apses
- The alter screen is made by the sculptor Mihai Cotfas out of sculpted oak with a rich decorative pattern and the icons are made by the painter Constantin Călinescu in Neo-byzantine style
- The altar with old icons, valuable religious books and other objects specific to the religious service.