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Entries Tagged as 'Transylvania'

Poetry in Translation (CLX): Lucian BLAGA (1922 – 1985), “Dernier mot” (Ultimul cuvânt)

January 26th, 2013 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CLX): Lucian BLAGA (1922 – 1985), “Dernier mot” (Ultimul cuvânt) · PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

If Cioran is considered the contemporary extension of Nietsche, and his thoughts written in French are translated in many languages, Lucian’s Blaga’s works remain highly mystical, close to the primeval myth and to his village roots and, sadly, very little translated in foreign languages.
Like Cioran, Blaga was born the son of an Orthodox priest in a small village of Transylvania at the time when this province was still part of the Habsburg empire. By the time of his maturity his contribution to Phylosophy and poetry was recognised by being elected a Fellow of the Romanian Academy, just before the Second World War. With the advent of Communism in Romania the last two decades of his life were spent in obscurity, interspersed with time in the Communist prisons, reduced to silence and physical incapacity.

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THE EMERGENCE OF THE ROMANIAN PROFESSIONAL CLASS (3 – Part I) – TULCEA: 1880 – 1930

November 15th, 2010 · Comments Off on THE EMERGENCE OF THE ROMANIAN PROFESSIONAL CLASS (3 – Part I) – TULCEA: 1880 – 1930 · PEOPLE

Reverend Zenovie Livovschi’s Family at Tulcea, 1884
30-years old Reverend Reverend Zenovie was the orthodox parish priest

St Nicholas cathedral Tulcea where Rev Zenovie Livovschi was Dean from 1880 to 1916

to become Dean of St Nicholas Cathedral in Tulcea. For the young Romanian priest this was a God-sent promotion as his post was granted by the diploma signed by Joseph, Archbishop of the Lower Danube at Galatz:

“Prin mila lui Dumnedeu, prea-Smeritul Iosif, Arhiepiscopul Dunarei de Jos”

His task was to consolidate the Romanian Orthodox church in the new province as the old-established Greek and Bulgarian Orthodox hierarchs were vying with each other to preserve their influence and status in the province.

Spiru Haret College Tulcea where Rev Z. Livovschi held the Chair of Religious Education (1880-1928)

Young Reverend Zenovie was also to be nominated to the chair of religious education at Tulcea Spiru Haret College which he served for the next four decades. His endeavors did not pass unnoticed as he was nominated to serve also on the Bishopric’s Disciplinary Tribunal and was soon to be promoted to the grade of “Econom-Stavrophor” curate-in-charge.

FAMILY BEGINNINGS: “Reverend Zenovie’s direct ancestors were all Romanian Orthodox priests going back to Reverend Ioan of Sudarca, County Soroca (Popa din Sudarca) who built the wooden church of Archangel Michael in 1793: this church is preserved to this day as a national monument in the Open-air Museum in Chisinau.

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William Blacker: “Along the Enchanted Way – a Romanian Story”

September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Books, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews

It takes an Irishman to write the best book on Romania since the WWII – the one before the war was yet another Irish – Patrick Leigh-Fermor.
William Blacker lived in Romania for over eight years in the early 1990s and went native, not just skin deep, but truly and convincingly: he learned the language, the customs, dressed as the other villagers of Maramures, learned their skills and traditions and listened to their stories steeped in ancient history: he was accepted as one of them surrounded with great affection and respect. He further went to one of the fortified Saxon villages, in Central Transylvania where he was “bewitched” by a beautiful gypsy girl with whom he lived for three years and by whom he had a natural son – Constantin.

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