Abstract
The guestbooks of Putna Monastery from 1948–1960 are documents created by thousands of visitors, each with his own thoughts and impressions. Among them, prominent lay personalities: Ioan Bogdan, Petre P. Panaitescu, Petre Năsturel, Maria Ana Musicescu, Ion Nestor, Nestor Camariano, Victor Brătulescu and others; as well as ecclesiastical: Metropolitan Sebastian Rusan, the future bishops of Suceava and Vrancea – hierodeacon Epifanie Norocel and hieromonk Pimen Zainea. The embroideries, manuscripts, precious liturgical objects from the museum lead the visitors to numerous reflections: about our nation, about the past, about ecclesiastical art, about holiness, and especially about the personality of Stephen the Great, who embodies all these values. These guestbooks are also a survey of how the Romanians unite around a central personality, around an ancestor honoured as saint.
Keywords
1948–1960, guestbook, museum, Putna Monastery, Stephen the Great
