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This is an old orthodox church, situated 15km away from Fălticeni, in the commune with the same name. Even during the times of Bogdan and Petru Rareş, the monastery proves to be a true pillar of orthodox faith and spirituality for this region full of history. Râșca Monastery was built by the prince Petru Rareș, in 1542. Unlike other churches built by the prince Petru Rareș, this one is smaller, with a very simple plan, cross-shaped, with no porch and no burial room. According to local tradition, hermits used to live here even from the XIVth century. All the hardworking people on the banks of Moldova river gathered together and established a monastery community, on the place of the current locality of Bogdănești, where they have also built the church of the Saint John the Theologian. The prince Bogdan I of Moldavia will rebuild the wooden church of Moldavian hermits, on which occasion the monastery community received the name of ”Bogoslov Hermitage” or ”Bogdăneștilor Hermitage”. Some of the hermits lived in the community, while other wanted to live in seclusion, loneliness and silence, either on the valley of Râșca stream, or in the heart of the nearby mountains. Râșca Monastery, called at first Bogdănești, was built by Bogdan I of Moldavia, in 1363, in order to serve as princely church for the locality of Baia. During the times of the prince Alexander the Good, as well as under the reign of Stephen the Great, the monastery extended even more, the community growing larger and the buildings increasing in number. Between 1512 and 1517, the monastery was renewed by Bogdan the Blind, the last one building a new church, dedicated to Saint Hierarch Nicholas. The monastery was destroyed by the Tatars, during the years 1510 and 1512, and by the Turks of Soliman Magnificul, in 1538. After being destroyed by the Turks, it could no longer be rebuilt for a while. After coming back on the throne of Moldavia in 1541, the Moldavian prince Petru Rareș, being encouraged by the metropolitan Grigorie Roșca, he moved the hermit three kilometres towards the mountains. The prince gave money to the bishop pf Roman, Holy Macarie, as it results from a late translation of the monastery inscription, in order to build a new church, the usual style of the era. In building the big church, between the year 1542 and 1546, the prince and the bishop were helped by the logothetes Ioan şi Teodor Balş. The central church of the monastery was small and had the feast day on the day of the Saint Hierarch Nicholas. Around the church they built walls reinforced by crenels and a tower, in order to serve as fortress, if needed. The monastery was sanctified on the 9th of May 1542, on which occasion the Saint Hierarch Nicholas relics were brought here. After being finished, Râșca Monastery became metochion of Probota Monastery. In the year 1572, after a battle lost by treason, Turks and Tatars invaded Moldavia. When the pagans got close to Râșca Monastery, the monks lowered the bells from the tower and threw them into the lake situated in the external yard, for not being melted and turned into bullets. As a result of the ravages on the monastery caused by the Turks and Tatars, it remained empty for almost 40 years. Between 1611 and 1617, the great village chief Costea Bacioc, together with his wife and daughter, Tudocsa, the first wife of the prince Vasile Lupu, will give most of his fortune to restore the monastic complex of Râșca. Costea added a massive porch to the old church, thus doubling its internal capacity. The large room is divided in two unequal and asymmetric parts by an arcade. This porch was neither consistent with the rest of the church, nor with the tradition of space arrangement in a church. This space modifies the general plan of the church, seeming to display a narthex after the graves´ room, which communicates directly with the narthex, without any separation, and through which may only enter the church from a side porch. Architectural embellishments are characterised by the use of Muntenian and oriental shapes, like for example: the entry portal, on the south side, with the arcade in double accolade, surrounded by crossover rods and overlapped by the profile ”eyebrow” of renaissance type. The iconographic and composition plan preserves the initial data especially in the Holy Sanctuary and the nave. It is remarkable the scene which depicts the votive picture, the family of the prince being led by the Saint Hierarch Nicholas, in order to dedicate the church to the Saviour, which gives His blessing. The outer picture of the church, which is preserved especially on the south side, signed by Stamatello Kotronas of Zante, was made in 1552. The most important scenes depicted here are the ladder of Heaven, the Judgement day and the Life of Saint Anthony. In 1827, the entire monastic cimplex of Râșca Monastery underwent ample repairs, leading to major modifications in the monastery appearance. Therefore, the roof was redone, on the tower of the gate and on the kitchens, the porch was demolished, the entrance on thesouth side was closed, being opened a new one on the west side and the original painting was redone. In the year 1844, the prince Mihai Sturza banishes the great historian Mihail Kogălniceanu to Râșca Monastery. Here, the great historian remained confined for six months, in a room in the tower bell.

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