Assumption of Our Lady Church, Căușeni

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The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Căușeni, Moldova, is an Eastern Orthodox church and an important historical monument. It is thought to have been built in the 15th century, though the exact date is unknown. The interior was painted in 1763 by artists Radu and Voicu Stanciul, and a Greek inscription notes the fresco work.

A local legend says that during the time of Muslim rule, permission to build was granted only if the church was not taller than a soldier on horseback with a spear. To follow this rule, the church was said to be built partly sunken into the ground.

In 1807, after Muslim administration ended, a tower with a cross was added to the church. During the Soviet era, the building was used as a warehouse and later as a factory for drying fruit, which damaged the frescoes.

The church was declared a monument in 1983 and was given to Moldova’s National Museum of Fine Arts. In the 2020s, it was restored with support from Moldova’s Ministry of Culture and a $1 million grant from the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The church reopened in 2024.