Costinești: Church, Local History and the Bucecea Stream

Three specific historical topics can help you understand Costinești as a travel destination: the construction of a stone church, early written place names and an archaeological discovery. The geographical setting includes the Bucecea Stream and the Leorda–Costinești road; at the level of Leorda commune, there is also a historic long-distance route.

Church and Building History

Construction of the carved-stone church “Sfinții Arhangheli Mihail și Gavriil” in Costinești began in 1941. It was completed in 1963 and consecrated on December 6. More than two decades passed between the start and completion of construction. The church’s iconostasis was made in 1853 and brought from a church in Stulpicani. Its date of creation predates the start of construction in Costinești; the furnishings and the church building therefore have different dates and places of origin.

An earlier wooden church in the village of Costinești was destroyed by fire in 1886. The church “Sfinții Arhangheli Mihail și Gavriil” preserves, among other items from it, a “Penticostal” from 1800 and a Gospel from 1806. The years 1800 and 1806 belong to the preserved writings; 1886 marks the fire, and 1941 the start of the stone church’s construction. The dated books, the loss of the wooden church and the later stone building can thus be understood as distinct stages in the church’s history.

Place Names and Archaeological Traces

The earliest documented mention of Costinești dates from June 6, 1617. A document from 1620 refers to the place by the name “Șarba.” Only three years separate the two dates, but the records concern different aspects: 1617 is the earliest mention, while 1620 records a form of the name. The place name Costinești is derived from the personal name Costin; it is not possible to determine more precisely who Costin was or when he lived.

Between 1892 and 1895, N. Beldiceanu and Gr. Butureanu discovered a settlement in the territory of Costinești that probably belonged to the Cucuteni culture. While the dates 1617 and 1620 concern the mention and form of the name, 1892 to 1895 indicates the period of discovery. The archaeological trace thus supplements the written evidence about the local history; its attribution to the Cucuteni culture remains probable.

Geographical Setting

The right bank of the Bucecea Stream forms the western and northern boundaries of Costinești. The Leorda–Costinești road is designated DC66A. The stream bank and the road designation provide different geographical points of reference: one identifies a boundary of the settlement, the other a road.

At the level of Leorda commune, the historical setting broadens. The commune lies on a route that once linked the Baltic Sea, Poland and Moldavia, running from Gdańsk through Kraków, Chernivtsi, Iași and Galați. The long-distance route and the Leorda–Costinești road differ in scale and historical context: one is a historical regional connection, while the other is designated DC66A. This keeps the route associated with Leorda commune, while the stream and road provide specific geographical points of reference for Costinești.

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