An underground Christian religious complex was discovered in Calfa village of Anenii Noi district. Indications show this dates from the first decades of the 20th century, being attributed to an Inochentist sect, IPN reports.

The National Archeological Agency was informed about the discovery by the mayor of the village. Specialists went to the scene together with the cadastral engineer to examine the complex and noticed also two small ethnographic houses. The Agency’s director Vlad Vornic has told IPN that it is a unique complex on the country’s territory and even the consulted architects said that they hadn’t seen something like this.



The underground complex is 2.6x2.6 meters in area and is over 5 meters deep from the current level of soil where there was a residential construction and parts of the stone foundation of that construction are well-preserved. The construction consists of two rooms and one of the rooms is situated at a lower level and can be reached through a stair. The deeper room has two white and blue painted columns, while the entrance walls preserved traces of paintings, including religious ones, the walls being covered with lime over clay. The complex also has two ventilation tubes.

At first sight, it can be said that the underground complex was dug in clay, like a cave. Two icons painted on cardboard and on a metal board were discovered inside. The icons will be temporarily kept by the mayor’s office. As news about the discovery spread quickly, residents of the village and tourists expressed their wish to see the place.

Vlad Vornic said that it is now important to conserve the complex. A roof needs to be built and the visitors’ access should be temporarily restricted. “Undoubtedly, this interesting underground complex in Calfa should be documented, examined and conserved as it holds particular interest for history and for the cultural heritage of that area,” the Agency’s director stated for  IPN.