A defrockedRomanian Orthodox priest with an unconventional lifestyle, Creangă made an early impact as an innovative educator and textbook author, while pursuing a short career in nationalist politics with the Free and Independent Faction. His literary debut came late in life, closely following the start of his close friendship with Romania's national poetMihai Eminescu and their common affiliation with the influential conservative literary society Junimea. Although viewed with reserve by many of his colleagues there, and primarily appreciated for his records of oral tradition, Creangă helped propagate the group's cultural guidelines in an accessible form. Later critics have often described him, alongside Eminescu, Ion Luca Caragiale and Ioan Slavici, as one of the most accomplished representatives of Junimist literature. (Full article...)
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Mitică (Romanian pronunciation:[miˈtikə]) is a fictional character who appears in several sketch stories by Romanian writer Ion Luca Caragiale. The character's name is a common hypocoristic form of Dumitru or Dimitrie (Romanian for Demetrius). He is one of the best-known figures in Caragiale's 1901 collection Momente şi schiţe, as well as in Romanian humor at large. Mitică is a male resident of Bucharest whose background and status are not always clear, generally seen as an allegory of the average Bucharester or through extension, inhabitants of Romania's southern regions—Wallachia and Muntenia. According to accounts, he was based on a resident of Sinaia, whom Caragiale had befriended.
Caragiale used Mitică as a stock character to feature in satirical contexts; the biographical insights he provided are short and often contradict each other. Among Mitică's traits are his tendency to generate sarcastic comebacks and sententious catchphrases, a Francized speech, as well as inclinations to waste time and easily find his way out of problematic situations. His existence is connected to events in the history of Bucharest which he occasionally references in his jokes. Like Lache and Mache, who are present in Caragiale's fiction, the character is usually portrayed as a civil servant who has a hard time making ends meet, but who is well liked by his peers. (Full article...)
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Duke Ladislaus (left) at the Battle of Kerlés
The Battle of Kerlés (Hungarian: kerlési csata) also known as the Battle of Cserhalom (Hungarian: cserhalmi csata), was an engagement between an army of Pechenegs and Ouzes commanded by Osul and the troops of King Solomon of Hungary and his cousins, Dukes Géza and Ladislaus, in Transylvania in 1068. The Pechenegs had been the dominant power of the westernmost regions of the Eurasian steppes since around 895. However, large Pecheneg groups moved to the Balkan Peninsula at the same time as the westward migration of the Ouzes and Cumans in the 1040s. The first recorded Pecheneg invasion of Transylvania occurred during the reign of Stephen I of Hungary (r. 997–1038).
In 1068, the invaders broke into Transylvania through the passes of the Carpathian Mountains. Archaeological finds suggest that they destroyed at least three fortresses made of earth and timber, including the ones at Doboka (now Dăbâca in Romania) and Sajósárvár (present-day Șirioara). They also made a plundering raid in the Nyírség region, to the west of Transylvania. After taking much booty, they planned to leave Hungary, but the Hungarians ambushed and annihilated them at a hill near Doboka. According to a popular legend, a "Cuman" warrior tried to escape from the battlefield, taking a Hungarian girl, but Duke Ladislaus defeated and killed him in single combat. (Full article...)
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"The Moon" is a song recorded by Romanian group Taxi. It was released as a CD single in 2000 by Intercont Music in Romania, containing its Romanian-language version "Luna" as a B-side. "The Moon" was written and produced solely by Teodorescu. It represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm, Sweden, after "Luna" won the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. In Stockholm, Romania automatically qualified to the final due to their relegation in the previous year and finished in 17th place with 25 points. (Full article...)
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"Acadele" (Romanian: Lollipops) is a song recorded by Romanian singer Delia, and digitally released on 5 November 2018 through Cat Music as a single from her fifth studio album 7 (2020). Alex Cotoi produced the song and co-wrote it with Delia. "Acadele" is a trap song, which is a departure from Delia's previous pop works. In its candy-themed lyrics, she discusses female empowerment and references the LGBT community in Romania. She also alludes to the 2018 Romanian constitutional referendum regarding the constitutional definition of a family.
An accompanying music video for "Acadele" was uploaded onto Delia's official YouTube channel on 4 November 2018, and was directed by Alex Ceaușu. Several scenes of the clip feature candy; several kilograms of multiple sugar-based confectionery were used for the video shooting, including M&M's and marshmallows. In one scene, Delia wears a multicolored anorak reading "Love sees no colour", a reference to the lyrics' LGBT message. She performed "Acadele" live in several venues, including on the eighth season of X Factor Romania and for the Romanian radio station Radio ZU. (Full article...)
Ioan Gyuri Pascu (Romanian pronunciation:[iˈo̯anˈɡjuriˈpasku]; also credited as Ioan Ghiurico Pascu, Gyuri Pascu, and Ghyuri Pascu; August 31, 1961 – September 26, 2016) was a Romanian pop music singer, producer, actor, and comedian, also known for his participation in the comedy group Divertis and for his activity in Romanian cinema and television. Moving between rock music, rhythm and blues, reggae, and jazz, the multi-instrumentalist Pascu founded a number of bands and registered success particularly during the early 1990s, when he was the lead singer of a group known as The Blue Workers. Pascu was the manager of several alternative music acts with his label Tempo Music and remained an outspoken critic of Romanian commercial radio.
The relationship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Iron Guard was one of ambivalence. The Romanian Orthodox Church promoted its own version of nationalism which highlighted the role of Orthodoxy in preserving the Romanian identity. Starting with the 1920s, the Church became entangled with fascist politics and antisemitism. In this context, the Iron Guard, also known as the Legion of the Archangel Michael, a fascist movement founded in 1927, became very influential with church grassroots. Numerous rank-and-file priests joined the Iron Guard ranks and actively supported its policies; so did a minority of influential high-ranking clergymen such as Nicolae Bălan or Vartolomeu Stănescu.
Patriarch Miron Cristea, on the other hand, felt threatened by the Iron Guard's anti-establishment rhetoric and so did his successor Nicodim Munteanu. Thus, when the National Legionary State was proclaimed in 1940, Munteanu showed little enthusiasm. The insurrection of 1941 ended with Marshal Ion Antonescu crushing the Guard and taking full control of the country. The Holy Synod [ro] of the Romanian Orthodox Church was quick to condemn the Rebellion but, at the same time, numerous priests who had actively taken part in it were protected from repercussions by their respective bishops. (Full article...)
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"I Admit" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Sanda for her fifth studio album Khalini (2006). It was recorded at the Studioul Adi Ordean and was released as a CD single in 2004 by Romanian Television (TVR). A dance-pop track with Latin beats in its instrumentation, "I Admit" was written by Irina Gligor and produced by George Popa.
The track represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. Sanda's victory was widely contested by observers. In Istanbul, Romania automatically qualified to the final due to their top 11 placement in the previous edition and finished in 18th place with 18 points. Sanda's show contained sexual elements, with her wearing what a reviewer described as a vampire-inspired look consisting of a dress similar to those worn by Cher. Commercially, "I Admit" failed to impact any national chart. (Full article...)
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"Moment of Silence" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Ovidiu Anton. It was written and composed by himself, while production was handled by Liviu Sorescu. A gothic-inspired pop rock track featuring an electric guitar solo throughout, "Moment of Silence" acts as a homage to the victims of the 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire. It received mixed reviews from music critics, with one likening it to the works of Swedish band Europe. At the 2017 Radio România Actualități Awards, the track won in the Best Pop Rock Song category.
Winning the Romanian pre-selection show Selecția Națională, "Moment of Silence" was selected to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. However, Romania was forced to withdraw from the contest due to defaulted payments by the nation's broadcaster, TVR. Anton had promoted his intended Eurovision participation with live performances in Amsterdam and London, as well as on native Românii au talent. On 14 July 2016, "Moment of Silence" was digitally released as a single through Roton. It also received a music video, which was uploaded onto the label's YouTube channel the day prior. (Full article...)
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"Te Vas" (English: "You Go" or "You Leave") is a song by Romanian singer Inna, digitally released on 31 May 2019 by Global Records as the fifth single from her sixth studio album Yo (2019). It was written by Inna and Cristina Maria Chiluiza, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente and Alexandru Cotoi. A Spanish-language house song reminiscent of Inna's past material, the track lyrically discusses the bond between two separated lovers.
An accompanying music video for "Te Vas" was uploaded onto Inna's YouTube channel on 30 May 2019. Directed by Bogdan Păun, it features the singer and Dragoș Istvan performing a mixture of contemporary dance and acrobatics, representing an on-and-off relationship. For further promotion, Inna performed "Te Vas" for Romanian radio station Kiss FM in June 2019. The track peaked at number 36 on Romania's Airplay 100 chart. It was included in a The Baker and the Beauty episode. (Full article...)
After the start of World War II, Gheorghe Tătărescu initiated a move to rally political forces in opposition to Ion Antonescu's dictatorship, and sought an alliance with the Romanian Communist Party (PCR). He was twice expelled from the PNL, in 1938 and 1944, creating instead his own group, the National Liberal Party-Tătărescu, and representing it inside the communist-endorsed Petru Groza cabinet. In 1946-1947, he was also the President of the Romanian Delegation to the Peace Conference in Paris. Then, relations between Tătărescu and the PCR began to sour, and he was replaced from the leadership of both his own party and the Foreign Ministry when his name was implicated in the Tămădău Affair. Following the Communist takeover, he was arrested and held as a political prisoner while being called to testify in the trial of Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu. He died soon after his release from prison. (Full article...)
An accompanying music video for "Gimme Gimme" was shot by Edward Aninaru in October 2016 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was uploaded onto Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. During the filming sessions, the singer was accompanied by a Romanian and South American team, and both John Perez and Khaled Mokhtar served as directors of photography. The clip portrays Inna exploring the city and ends with her appearance at a party at night. Music critics were positive towards the recording, calling it summery and noting its club-oriented style. Commercially, it reached the top 20 in Romania, Turkey and the French, Polish and British club charts. (Full article...)
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An Unforgettable Summer (French: Un été inoubliable; Romanian: O vară de neuitat) is a 1994 drama film directed and produced by Lucian Pintilie. A Romanian-French co-production based on a chapter from a novel by Petru Dumitriu, it stars Kristin Scott Thomas as Hungarian-born aristocrat Marie-Thérèse Von Debretsy. Her marriage with Romanian Land Forces captain Petre Dumitriu brings her to Southern Dobruja (present-day northeastern Bulgaria), where they settle in 1925. There, she witnesses first-hand the violent clashes between, on one hand, the Greater Romanian administration, and, on the other, komitadji brigands of Macedonian origin and ethnic Bulgarian locals. The film shows her failed attempt to rescue Bulgarians held hostage by the Romanian soldiers, and who are destined for execution. An Unforgettable Summer also stars Claudiu Bleonț as Captain Dumitriu and Marcel Iureș as Ipsilanti, a general whose unsuccessful attempt to seduce Von Debretsy and the resulting grudge he holds against the couple account for Dumitriu's reassignment.
Completed in the context of the Yugoslav wars, the film constitutes an investigation into the consequences of xenophobia and state-sanctioned repression, as well as an indictment of a failure in reaching out. It is thus often described as a verdict on the history of Romania, as well as on problems facing the Balkans at large, and occasionally described as a warning that violence could also erupt in a purely Romanian context. (Full article...)
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Romania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, Ukraine. They selected their entry, "Let Me Try" by Romanian singer Luminița Anghel and group Sistem, through the national selection Selecția Națională 2005 in March 2005. Controversy surrounded the event, as second-placed singer Loredana accused the organising broadcaster, Romanian Television (TVR), of vote rigging. Prior to the 2005 contest, Romania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven times since its first entry in 1994. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been ninth place, which the nation achieved in 2002. In 2004, they placed 18th in the final.
Prior to Eurovision, "Let Me Try" was promoted by a music video and coverage in press, among other endeavours by TVR. Romania reached first place in the contest's semi-final with 235 points. This resulted in its qualification for the Grand Final, where it achieved third place with 158 points. This remains the country's best result in the contest, alongside 2010's entry. During Romania's show, Anghel performed to the song in front of Sistem, who contributed to the track's instrumentation by drumming on oil barrels and using side cutters and a grinding wheel. Following Eurovision, "Let Me Try" achieved commercial success in Romania, peaking at number nine on the Romanian Top 100. In addition, Anghel's participation in the contest led to record deal proposals from various countries including the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany and England. (Full article...)
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"Sin Ti" (English: "Without You") is a song by Romanian singer Inna, digitally released on 18 January 2019 by Global Records and Roc Nation as the third single from her sixth studio album Yo (2019). It was written by Inna and Cristina Maria Chiluiza, while production was handled by David Ciente. A Spanish language track, it discusses the theme of love and Inna's connection with her love interest. Musically, the song partially showcases the dembow genre, and has an instrumentation consisting of bass, strings, flamenco-tinged Spanish guitar and sampled vocals.
Upon its release, "Sin Ti" was met with positive reviews from music critics. They praised the song's lyrics and instrumentation, as well as Inna's vocal delivery, while one likened it to her track "Ra" (2018), which set off her change in direction. An accompanying music video for "Sin Ti" was uploaded to Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's digital release. Directed by Bogdan Păun, the visual features the singer barefoot on a chair in a field. "Sin Ti" was used in Elite. (Full article...)
Panait Cerna (Romanian pronunciation:[panaˈitˈt͡ʃerna]; Bulgarian: Панайот Черна, Panayot Cherna, born Panayot Stanchov or Panait Staciov; August 26 or September 25, 1881 – March 26, 1913) was a Romanian poet, philosopher, literary critic and translator. A native speaker of Bulgarian, Cerna nonetheless wrote in Romanian, and developed a traditionalist style which was connected with classicism and neoclassicism. Praised by the conservative literary society Junimea, he was promoted by its leader Titu Maiorescu, as well as by Maiorescu's disciples Mihail Dragomirescu and Simion Mehedinţi. Cerna became the group's main representative during its decline, contributing to both major Junimist magazines, Convorbiri Literare and Convorbiri Critice. He also contributed pieces to the traditionalist magazine Sămănătorul, and was briefly affiliated with other literary journals.
The Merry Cemetery is a village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania that is famous for its colorful tombstones with naïve paintings describing the people who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives.
... that film critic and censor D. I. Suchianu wanted Romanian moviegoers to cease "falling asleep whenever they're not shown a naked breast [or] a hip that's getting some action"?
Image 12Ethnic map of Greater Romania according to the 1930 census. Sizeable ethnic minorities put Romania at odds with Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union throughout the interwar period. (from History of Romania)
Image 251941 stamp depicting a Romanian and a German soldier in reference to the two countries' common participation in Operation Barbarossa. The text below reads the holy war against Bolshevism. (from History of Romania)
Image 28Romanian keyboard with special characters (from Culture of Romania)
Image 29Lieutenant Emil Rebreanu was awarded the Medal for Bravery in gold, the highest military award given by the Austrian command to an ethnic Romanian; he would later be hanged for desertion while trying to escape to Romania. (from History of Romania)
Image 46Romania after the territorial losses of 1940. The recovery of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina was the catalyst for Romania's entry into the war on Germany's side. (from History of Romania)
Image 50Bran Castle (German: Törzburg, Hungarian: Törcsvár) built in 1212, is commonly known as Dracula's Castle and is situated in the centre of present-day Romania. In addition to its unique architecture, the castle is famous because of persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad III Dracula. (from History of Romania)
Image 60Romania has seen its largest waves of protests against judicial reform ordinances of the PSD-ALDE coalition during the 2017–2019 Romanian protests. (from History of Romania)
Image 81The map that shows the Dacian invasion of Boii and Taurisci (from History of Romania)
Image 82The Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1786, Italian map by G. Pittori, since the geographer Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni (from History of Romania)
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