Centre for Romanian Studies

Centre for Romanian Studies header image 1

Entries from November 18th, 2010

Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition

November 18th, 2010 · Comments Off on Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, PEOPLE

Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition, Caroussel du Louvre, courtesy of Eric Franck Fine Arts, London EC1,
JOSEF KOUDELKA

VIEW C.V.

After a degree in engineering from the Technical University in Prague, Josef Koudelka (b. 1938, Boskovice, Maravia) obtained a Rolleiflex camera and began photographing stage productions for theatre magazines. After leaving the theatre, he began documenting gypsy life in Romania, Slovakia and Western Europe. In 1968, Koudelka photographed the Soviet invasion of Prague and the Czech resistance efforts. In 1969 he was anonymously awarded the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal for these photographs, only publicly acknowledging authorship following the death of his father in 1985.

Koudleka gained political asylum in England in 1970, joining Magnum Photos Agency in 1971 and continuing to travel around Europe and photograph its landscape.

For a full selection of available photographs by Josef Koudelka, please contact Eric Franck Fine Art.

[Read more →]

Tags:········

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.

[Read more →]

Tags:···························

Deceniul Pierdut al Romaniei (Tom Gallagher)

November 13th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Books, OPINION, Reviews

Profesorul Tom Gallagher, analist politic al Romaniei, este un iscusit cunoscator al tarii noastre: clarviziunea sa, sub un unghi britanic, pigmentat de spiritul acid al stramosilor sai Irlandezi ne prezinta o imagine fara farduri a Romaniei, asa cum nu am vrea sa o stim, in toata splendoarea ei Carpato-Balcanica cu un puternic iz Oriental: caci fie ca am vrea sa ne confruntam cu noi insine si sa ne vedem precum imparatul despuiat, sau fie ca am dori sa ne amagim in continuare si sa ne credem scapati de napasta trecutului dictaturii comuniste, titlul cartii ne spune totul, incapsuland in cateva vocabule esenta mioritica a Romaniei de azi: Zece ani pierduti si marasmul unei neimpliniri!
Tom Galagher se fereste sa ne dea solutii, dar analiza lui ascutita a fenomenului politic si social romanesc este suficienta ca sa sugereze, prin excluderea practicilor negative si destructive romanesti, care ar fi alternativa. Si totusi sa piara gandul ca i-ar apartine doar acestui analist britanic calitatea de a ajunge la o concluzie lucida a “deceniului pierdut” sugerat chiar de imaginea copertii cartii: Am ramas, intr-adevear de caruta!

Am ramas, intr-adevear de caruta!

[Read more →]

Tags:····

THE EMERGENCE OF THE ROMANIAN PROFESSIONAL CLASS (2) – BUZAU: 1912 – 1948

November 4th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Diary, PEOPLE

THE EMERGENCE OF THE ROMANIAN PROFESSIONAL CLASS – BUZAU: 1912 – 1948
On 24 Jul 1917, by Royal Decree, published in the official newspaper “Romania” nr 169, of the Royal Romanian Army’s General HQ at Iasi: Captain V.Z.Livovschi was, “Granted the Order of the Crown of Romania with swords (Coroana Romaniei cu Spade), with the grade of Knight (Cavaler) to Pharmacist Captain (Reserve) Vicentiu Zenovie Livovschi, for the Evacuation of the Military Hospital nr 3, for having frustrated the enemy from capturing several trains laden with wounded soldiers and equipment, from the city of Brasov, in September 1916” (N.B. it refers to the evacuation from Brasov of 3,000 wounded soldiers and medical equipment during a single night, when the Romanian troops withdrew from Transylvania in the wake of German advance)

On the Moldavian front Livovschi who spoke Russian, was a liaison officer with the Imperial Russian Armies Command, a task for which he was awarded by Czar Nicholas II the Order of St Stanislas.

[Read more →]

Tags:···················

Poetry in Translation (LXXIX): Anna Vivanti Chartres (1868-1942) – “Ego”

November 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment · Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

Anna Vivanti Chartres (1868-1942), born in London, the daughter of Anselmo Vivanti an Italian political exile from Mantua and of Anna Landau, coming from a German Jewish family with strong literary traditions, Anna Vivanti married Jack Smith Chartres (1862-1927), an Anglo-Irish barrister of strong Republican leanings, who negotiated together with Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith the Anglo-Irish treaty leading to the Independence of the Republic of Ireland.

Anna Vivanti Chartres was a close friend of Giosue Carducci and her poetry is regarded being part of the ‘decadent’ stream of the late Italian romantic poetry.

[Read more →]

Tags:·············

Hungarian ‘Savoir-faire’ and Romanian Navel-gazing

November 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment · Art Exhibitions, OPINION, Reviews

The Hungarian savoir-faire and Romanian narcissism:

Footnote to the Hungarian Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, Piccadilly on: “Treasures from Budapest – European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele”

[Read more →]

Tags:···········