A explanation: In the Orthodox Church there is no distinction between a monastery for women and a monastery for men. Both domiciles are called monasteries and the ascetics who live there are Monastics, (in English it is acceptable to use some terms as “nun”, “convent”, and “abbess” for precision and convenience). Orthodox monastics do not have “orders”. Orthodox monks and nuns lead identical spiritual lives. There may be small variation in the way a monastery functions internally but these are simple differences in style.

Throughout the history of Christ’s Church, monasteries have served as centers of spiritual enlightenment, strongholds of Orthodox truth and piety, haven for those seeking salvation through prayer, ascetic struggle and humility, and places of pilgrimage for those desirous of inner renewal, reflection, and spiritual guidance.

By the dawn of the 1678, in a silent and picturesque place, where water of springs whispers mysteriously, with the blessings of the Lord, a new monastery had been established. It was named in honor of the patroness of Moldova - Saint Parascheva. The founder of the monastery the Moldavian boyar Mihalcea Hîncu is considered.

Mihalcea Hîncu is known as one of outstanding persons of medieval Moldova. His name becomes famous after events of 1671, being the leader of a rebellion in the districts of Orhej, Soroca and Lăpuşna. In 1674, Mihalcea Hîncu, well known boyar, has been arrested. Mihalcea Hîncu’s his relatives paid an immense recompense to Turks. And after being paid this recompense they could recover him back.

There are many folklore tales about this mysterious place. The most likely version is that one:

Hîncu needed army forces to dethrone prince Gheorghe Duca and received help of one of his relatives - serdar Apostol Durac, and later from Constantin Sorocean to whom promised his daughter Elena as spouse.

Shortly before day of wedding, Elena Hîncu refused to spouse, running away from the parental house and hiding in the forest around the castle, the seigniorial serves found her in a cavern, where she spent all the winter. Her father, glad she has been found, came to call her out and the daughter accepted with the condition to hear bells call of a church. In a while Mihalcea Hâncu planned the construction of the church close to the grotto where his daughter was hiding. After she came back devoted her life to serve to the Lord, she took her vows as a nun with name of Parascheva.

Originally, Hîncu monastery, under patronage of saint Parascheva, has been a nunnery, a female monastery and had a confessor (the spiritual director).

Five years later after the monastery was set up, Mihalcea, having learned, at that time prince of Muntenia Gheorghe Duca, negotiated with Ottomans a new term to enthrone  Moldova, Hîncu dares to divide his land and property between the children and makes a donation to the monastery, in which cloistered his daughter.

The donation act of Mihalcea Hîncu is made on December, 9th 1678. The original has 2 exemplars, one of which is written on Slavic Cyrillic, and the second - in the Romanian -Slavic characters. Both copies of this document are stored in Public Record Office (national archive fund) of Republic of Moldova.