Social, Economic and Political Background:

During such an epic leadership of the scholarly personage, which was embodied by Elena Ceausescu – the Woman Creator-Symbol, beside her husband-hero Nicolae Ceausescu, there was no question of any other Romanian woman being allowed any creative exercise, except in reproductive terms.

Bucharest Historic Downtown bulldozed by Ceausescu 1980s

As if such inhumane policies were not enough Romanians under Ceausescu suffered the constant threat of being evicted from their homes, in the drive of modernising the country, with scores of city centres being razed to the ground, and the historic architecture vanishing with it,

16th c Monastery in the heart of Bucharest being bulldozed by Ceausescu to make room for his Pharaih delusions of grandeur

in order to make room for prefabricated Stalinist-style  blocs of flats. People were given 72 hours to clear their belongings and move into modern chicken coops: they abandoned their furniture and pets in the streets (hence the errand dogs of Bucharest, that have become proverbial).

Proverbial stray dogs of Bucharest - descendants of abandoned pets during Communism

To add to this unseeming social nightmare, intended to cower the people into utter submission, and steal their memory and their pride, during the early 1980’s, Ceausescu decided that all foreign debt, incurred over an unreasonable industrialisation, should be repaid, for which most agricultural products were exported; Romanians were left without basic foodstuff and miles-long queues were formed in front of state-owned co-ops, lining for hours on end, in the hope that something to eat would be provided: there was no meat, no fish, no eggs, no vegetables –only some rotten potatoes, occasionally, not fit to feed the pigs and on a good day one may find some chicken claws, with which one could make some broth with (q.v. Eugenia Velescu):

Potatoes:

“I got up early, at the crack of dawn, to secure a place, by 6 AM, in an interminable queue, in the hope of buying milk and eggs for our silver wedding anniversary, but I came home empty handed. That afternoon I went again on an errand to see if I could buy anything for our dinner at our local market place. This was an open air market where peasants with a tiny plot of land could bring their vegetables. These were a luxury as they were so expensive, so I thought I had a better chance of finding something. The stalls made of wooden planks on struts were absolutely empty and in the fine rain they looked desolate and dirty. I scanned the stalls, as the last peasants were about to leave, for their villages, outside Bucharest. It was winter time and dark was falling early in the day. As I was about to give up, looking down, carefully to avoid the pot holes full of rain water, I just noticed a few potatoes which fell on the ground, under the stall, so I asked the peasant if I could pick them up. As I knelt on the ground, with difficulty, at my old age, because of my arthritis, I put them in my plastic bag and asked how much he wanted. He did not want to receive any money, in deference to my old age. I must have looked pityfull and exhausted. I hurried home with just an empty bag with three potatoes covered in mud. As I entered our block of flats I met this young neighbor of mine, who exclaimed in surprise: madame, she said, ‘where have you found these potatoes, because I looked the whole day and found none… and I have a young baby at home who has nothing to eat. I am desperate.’ So, I handed over to her the  three potatoes, which were visible through the plastic bag and came home with nothing: but was glad to have done a good deed.” (Jenny, personal communication, 1981)

The whole despair of hunger is summed up in an open letter sent by the women of Romania to Elena Ceausescu, in 1980 (q.v. Hunger, Potatoes), which was published in the West.

Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu's Cult of Personality

Hunger (Open letter to Elena Ceausescu):

“Mrs. Ceausesscu,

We are a group of Romanian women from across twelve different Counties of this very Land that you and your husband, aided by your family, are leading, with these smiling, well-groomed faces – judging at least from  your ubiquitous  portraits displayed everywhere, in offices, factories, and streets – whilst the population suffers from malnutrition, being deprived of basic foodstuff.

You allowed yourself to say on TV that Romanians are fat and that they eat too much. As if the lack of food would make one fat! Indeed, it may be that the very lack of food that makes one fat as we are without even the most basic foodstuff such as potatoes, onions, dry beans, not mentioning green vegetables.”

(……………………………………………………………………………….)

“Since 1980 one could scarcely find anywhere any potatoes on sale in the state-owned shops and if, by chance, one finds any one could hardly eat three or four good potatoes out of four kilograms, as the rest are unedible, being so bitter.”

(……………………………………………………………………………)

“Where is our agricultural produce, dear “First Lady of the country”? We would dearly love to know it, from yourself, in your capacity of communist woman, wife and mother, where is our foodstuff? Where on earth could one find cheese, margerine, butter, cooking oil, the meat which one needs to feed the folk of this country?

By now, you should know, Mrs. Ceausescu, that after so many exhausting hours of travail in factories and on building sites we are still expected to rush about like mad, hours on end, in search of food to give our husbands, children and grandchildren something to eat.

You should know that we may find nothing to buy in the state-owned food shops, sometimes for days or weeks on end. And finally if one is lucky to find something, as we must stand in endless queues, which in the end  would put paid to all desire to eat and even to be alive! Sometimes we would even feel like dying, not being able to face the suffering, the utter misery and injustice that is perpetrated on this country.”

{Translated from French, text quoted in the special Issue nr. 20, Summer of 1981 under the title  ‘Roumanie, Crise et Repression, 1977 – 1980’’, in the Periodical  ‘L’Alternative – pour les Droits et les L ibertés Démocratiques en Europe de l’Est’, pp. 97, Paris, 1982)

The Romanians known for their defiant spirit which allows them to laugh during grief, as a means of ultimate catharsis (a face haz de necaz) could at least show a bitter smile, when hearing the Romanian gypsy children performing the parody of a Christmas Carol, in 1980, nine years before the tyrant and his wife were put down, on Christmas Day:

CHRISTMAS CAROL

Christmas Carol - Romania

(A   Parody sung by Romanian Gypsy children)

Father Christmas we do beg

Bring us butter, bring us egg.

If you ever come on foot

Bring some cabbage, or beetroot

If your bag is large enough

Add some maize and garlic cloves.

Christmas Father don’t miss either

The potatoes and the flour.

Should you come, though, in a sleigh

Don’t forget for the New Year

Toilet paper that’s so sparse,

To wipe at least our arse.”

(Translated by Constantin Roman, from the French version published in the magazine “L’Alternative” (Paris), supplement 20, 1981, pp. 96)

Ceausescu Propaganda Poster

Hotelul Savoy, din Strand, in inima cartierului Westend, era uneori resedinta Martei Bibescu cand trecea pe la Londra si care consemna in jurnalul ei:

Regele mi-a intrerupt visarea cu un mesaj de bun-venit – dar refuz sa fiu deranjata.

Personajul acesta era George al V-lea, varul reginei Maria…Ei, cu o sotie atat de glaciala cum era Queen Mary of Teck, nici nu era de mirare ca monarhul isi cauta destinderea in alte directii. Queen Mary era o nepoata a contesei Claudia de Rhedey, nascuta in Ardealul nostru, la Sangeorgiu de Padure. In 1835 la Viena Claudia se casatorise cu printul Alexandru de Wurtenberg, iar zece ani mai tarziu a murit intr-un celebru accident de trasura. Claudia, la randul ei, se tragea din os domnesc, fiind o stra-stranepoata a lui Vlad Tepes: oare aceasta sa fi fost filiera prin care genele acestei Queen Mary, devenita regina a Angliei sa fi aparut atat de “intepata”? Consoarta lui George V nu suradea nici odata, ceea ce nu putem spune despre frumoasa si captivanta Marta Bibescu, care in plus avea o conversatie si mai ales o prezenta stimulanta. Dar nu numai atat – pretendentii aristocrati isi faceau concurenta ca sa capteze atentia acestei “printese orientale”, care ii fermeca in asa fel incat ii transforma pe toti intr-un fel de aluat, intr-o masa de plastilina pe care Marta o modela in voia si dupa capriciile ei. Dar, printre candidatii care ii faceau curte, sa nu il uitam pe regele Spaniei, Alfonso XIII care o vizita pe Marta la hotelul Savoy sub pseudonimul unui obscur duce spaniol:

Nu o sa-i uit sarutul lui niciodata – atat de tanar, atat de cast…

In timpul celui de al doilea razboi, hotelurile de lux din Londra devenisera locuri de refugiu pentru aristocratii englezi care isi pierdusera casele in timpul “Blitzului” german: rachetele V-1 si V-2 faceau prapad si doar eforturile pilotilor polonezi refugiati in Anglia dupa 1939, cat si ale pompierilor londonezi au facut ca celebra catedrala St Paul, cladirea iconica a lui Christopher Wren, sa nu dispara complet sub flacarile bombelor incendiare. La Ritz, in timpul razboiului, venea si fermecatoarea Violet Trefusis, a carei mama, Doamna Keppel, era metresa oficiala a regelui Edward VII. Violet o vizitase pe Marta la Mogosoaia si a lasat posteritatii niste pagini cu o imagine idilica despre decorul palatului, despre lacul incarcat cu nuferi si vizitat de zane si mai ales despre printesa locului:

Asemenea Ondinei, nimfa apelor, palatul rasarea dintr-un covor de irisi si de nuferi. Un arhitect venetian din secolul XVII  l-a construit in stil Lombard. Ca si palatul unui doge, avea acea culoare pala a unei flori de gardenia usor arsa de razele soarelui, sau poate aceea a unei manusi de copil care s-a jucat toata ziua cu mingea: cladirea arata putin vetusta si in acelasi timp imbracata in haine de sarbatoare. Interiorul era decorat cu mozaicuri aurite, cu grile din fier forrjat, piei de leopard, jilturi si divane…. Afara un paun se infoia pe scarile de marmura, (Violet Trefusis, ‘Prélude to Misadventure’)

Trefusis pomenea de societatea engleza refugiata la Ritz, unde a intalnit si o alta printesa de a noastra, pe Anne-Marie Callimachi, nascuta Vacarescu, vara celebrei scriitoare si diplomate Elena Vacarescu, de la Paris:

Acestor saloane (de la hotelul Ritz, ale Dnei Keppel, mama lui Violet Trefusis) printesa Callimachi le aducea acea atmosfera de “Orient Express”, care (Violetei Trefussis) ii lipsea atat de mult. (Philippe Jullian and John Philips, Violet Trefusis Life and Letters, pp. 106)

Inainte de razboi, Anne-Marie Callimachi fusese atasata de presa a legatiei noastre din Londra (asa da, pe atunci legaturile se faceau la nivelul cel mai inalt, iar Romania era pe harta Europei pentru alte motive decat evocarile sordide de azi – ce diferenta astronomica fata de diplomatii Academiei ‘Stefan Gheorghiu’, ce aveau sa isi afiseze rinocerismul si incultura  prin capitalele lumii timp de peste cinci decenii si le mai demonstreaza in continuare!. Despre anturajul familiei Callimachi ne vorbeste si un alt scriitor englez, Sacheverell Sitwell, invitat de Carol II in Romania ca sa scrie o carte cu impresii de voiaj: aici este descris conacul Mànesti in toata gloria atmosferica dinainte de razboi:

… porti larg deschise spre un drum de pietris ce ducea la Mànesti. Un taraf de lautari canta in onoarea noastra. Pe margini erau brazdele de canna indica galbene si rosii, inainte ca sa apara conacul. Mànesti este casa primitoare unde ne-a invitat Printesa Callimachi: fusese ridicata pe mosia familiei, cam cu cincizeci sau saizeci de ani in urma de catre bunicul ei. De fapt casa reprezinta in sine un exemplu al vremurilor de atunci si unul care nu se poate lesne moderniza. Un pridvor oriental decorat cu un foisor din lemn sculptat te intampina sa patrunzi intr-un interior mobilat chiar de furnizorul curtii lui Napoleon III, pastrand asa cum arata sigiliul imperial sub multe din fotolii si canapele. Interiorul casei este in mare parte mobilat in stilul ‘Second Empire’ dar parcul conacului este mult mai vechi: are un elesteu. pe malul caruia sunt salcii batrane printre care se zaresc chioscuri in stil clasic. Totul evoca paginile unor romane de Turgheniev, petrecandu-se in vre-un conac sau chateau unde doamnele il citeau pe Byron sau tocmai il descopereau pe Chopin. Intr-un fel, parca si casa avea un aer putin rusesc amintind de Riviera Crimeii de la Ialta si Alupka, sau de castelul gotic din Blore al printului Vornotov. Ce ramanea intr-adevar reprezentativ Romanesc era insa masa de pranz, gustoasa si bogata in urma careia de abea tarziu dupa amiaza automobilele si-au reluat drumul. (Sitwell, Sacheverell, Roumanian Journey, pp. 33)

In mod curios putem beneficia nu numai de impresiile scriitorului rafinat care era Sitwell, dar chiar si de jurnalul de voiaj tinut de Gertrude Stevenson, bona care o acompania pe Doamna Sitwell in Romania. Scotiana asta simpla, dar cu pretentii literare calcate chiar dupa profilul lui Sitwell – a publicat o carte din care descoperim un unghi de observatie diferit de cel al stapanilor ei: de aici aflam despre obiceiurile de la masa boierilor romani si cele de la bucataria servitorilor tigani de la Mànesti, care mancau icre negre… Scotiencei asa ceva nu ii placea – evident acest rafinament nu patrunsese in toate colturile Insulelor Britanice. Nici nu merita sa mai ne intrebam, caci ar fi mult prea previzibil si prea trist ce s-o fi intamplat cu parcul si conacul de la Mànesti, ce fel de staul de vite o fi devenit sub auspiciile ilustrei republici populare prematur declarate socialiste? Faptul ca am mai avea un reper de referinta la “ceea ce am fost si de unde venim” o datoram unor calatori straini. iar lor si gazdelor lor trebuie sa le fim recunoscatori. Ce pacat ca paginile lui Sitwell despre Romania sunt atat de putin cunoscute comparat cu acelea ale prost-inspiratei “Trilogii Balcanice”, scrisa de o autoare frustrata intr-o lumina care ii arata pe Romani  sub prisma prejudiciilor arogante, lipsite de o cultura temeinica, tipica unei anumite categorii de pseudo-intelectuali anglo-saxoni din perioada antebelica.

Confluentele Anglo-Romane de mai sus apar in Antologia femeilor Romane “Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung voices of Romanian Women”, din ale carei pagini sunt inspirate crampeiele acestea. Pentru alte citate si personajii vizitati:

http://www.blouseroumaine.com/

Acest articol a fost mai intai publicat de Observatorul din Toronto, Canada

HM Queen Anne de Romania, Princess of Denmark and of Bourbon-Parme
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http://www.blouseroumaine.com/orderthebook_p1.html

Regina Anna de Romania, Printesa de Danemarca si de Bourbon-Parma se trage, asa cum spune numele, din Bourboni, care au fost regii Frantei si Spaniei, mai precis din ramura spaniola a Bourbonilor care erau si Duci de Parma.

Pornind pe linie directa ascendenta a familiei de Bourbon-Parma, deci pe linie barbateasca, ajungem la Ferdinand I de Bourbon, Duce de Parma (1751-1802) nepotul lui Filip V regele Spaniei si Duce de Anjou (1683, Versailles – 1746 Madrid).

Acest Ferdinand I Infante de Spania (1751-1802), care preceda cu sase generatii pe Ana de Bourbon-Parma a noastra [sper si a domniei tale], era casatorit cu Printesa Louise Elisabeth de France (1727-1759), fiica lui Ludovic XV regele Frantei si a sotiei lui Maria Leczynska (1703-1768) regina Frantei, care la randul ei era fiica lui Stanislas Lesczynski regele Poloniei si Duce de Lorena (1677-1766).
Acum, ca sa ajungem la Movilesti trebuie sa trecem pe ramurile femeiesti:

Bunica materna a lui Stanislas Lesczinski (socrul lui Ludovic XV) era Maria Ana Printesa Jabolonowska (1643-1687) nascuta contesa Kasanowska, iar bunica materna a acesteia din urma era Domnita Maria Movila ( 1591-1638) (fata lui Ieremia Voda), domnita moldoveanca al carui sot era Contele Stefan Potocki, Palatin de Wroclaw si prin care casatorie era cunoscuta in Polonia drept Marya Mohylanka.
Aceasta inseamna, bine inteles, ca prin stramosii ei Movilesti, Regina Anna de Romania se trage, prin Iermia Voda Movila, chiar din Petru Rares si din Stefan cel Mare si Sfant, iar prin acesta din urma din Dragos Voda primul descalecator al Moldovei.

Despre domnita Maria Movila contesa Potocka ne vorbeste istoricul Constantin GANE (1885-1962) in celebra lui lucrare “Trecute Vieti de Doamne si Domnite”.
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“Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women”

Presented and Selected by Constantin ROMAN

Anthology E-BOOK (11BM)

DISTRIBUTION: Online with credit card

LINK: CUMPARA:  www.blouseroumaine.com/orderthebook_p1.html

CONTENTS:

2,250,000 words, 1,100 pages, 160 illustrations in text, 160 critical biographies, 60 social categories/professions, 600 quotations (mostly translated into English for the first time), 4,000 bibliographical references (including URLs, discography, exhibitions and performance credits), 6 Indexes (alphabetical, by profession, timeline, quotations, geographical  place names,  and surnames)

AUTHOR: Constantin Roman is a Scholar with a Doctorate from Cambridge and a Member of the Society of Authors (London). He is an International Adviser, Guest Speaker, Professor Honoris Causa and Commander of the Order of Merit.

INDEX BY PROSFESSION: 60 CATEGORIES by Call, Profession or Social Status

Academics (22), Actresses (9), Anti-Communist Fighters (14), Architects/Interior Designers (2), Art Critics (9), Artist Book Binders (1), Ballerinas (6), Charity Workers/Benefactors (20), Communist Public Figures (2), Courtesans (3), Designers (2), Diplomats (4), Essayists (11), Ethnographers (6), Exiles & First-generation Romanians born abroad (87), Explorers (1), Feminists (12), Folk Singers (1), Gymnasts, Dressage Riders (2), Historians (5), Honorary Romanian Women (15), Illustrators (3), Journalists (13), Lawyers (4), Librarians (3), Linguists (2), Literary Critics (1), Media (15), Medical Doctors/Nurses (5), Memoir Writers (16), Missionaries and Nuns (4), Mountainéers (2), Museographers (1), Musical Instruments Makers (1), Novelists (24), Opera Singers (16), Painters (14), Peasant Farmers (6), Philosophers and Philosophy Graduates (4), Pianists (6), Pilots (4), Playwrights (5), Poets (29), Political Prisoners (30), Politicians (5), Revolutionaries (2), Royals and Aristocrats (34), Scientists (8), Sculptors (4), Slave (1), Socialites/Hostesses (20), Spouses/Relations of Public Figures (51), Spies (2), Tapestry Weavers (4), Translators (25), Unknown Illustrious (6), Violinists (4), Workers (3)

NOTE:
Most of the above 160 Romanian women, in the best tradition of versatility, are true polymaths and therefore nearly each one of them falls in more than just one category, often three or more. This explains why adding the numbers of the 60 individual categories bears no relation to the actual total of the above 160 women included in Blouse Roumaine.
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LIST OF 160 CRITICAL BIOGRAPHIES (each supported by Quotations and Bibliography)

AA *Gabriela Adamesteanu *Florenta Albu *Nina Arbore *Elena Arnàutoiu *Ioana Raluca Voicu-Arnàutoiu, *Laurentia Arnàutoiu *Mariea Plop – Arnàutoiu *Ana Aslan *Lady Elizabeth Asquith Bibescu

BB *Lauren Bacall *Lady Florence Baker *Zoe Bàlàceanu *Ecaterina Bàlàcioiu-Lovinescu *Victorine de Bellio *Pss. Marta Bibescu *Adriana Bittel *Maria Prodan Bjørnson *Ana Blandiana *Yvonne Blondel *Lola Bobescu *Smaranda Bràescu *Elena Bràtianu *Élise Bràtianu *Ioana Bràtianu *Elena Bràtianu- Racottà *Letitzia Bucur

CC *Anne-Marie Callimachi *Georgeta Cancicov *Madeleine Cancicov *Pss. Alexandra Cantacuzino *Pss.Maria Cantacuzino (Madame Puvis de Chavannes) *Pss. Maruca Cantacuzino-Enesco* Pss. Catherine Caradja *Elena Caragiani-Stoenescu *Marta Caraion-Blanc, *Nina Cassian, *Otilia Cazimir *Elena Ceausescu *Maria Cebotari *Ioana Celibidache *Hélène Chrissoveloni (Mme Paul Morand)*Alice Cocea *Irina Codreanu *Lizica Codreanu *Alina Cojocaru *Nadia Comàneci *Denisa Comànescu *Lena Constante *Silvia Constantinescu *Doina Cornea *Hortense Cornu *Viorica Cortez*Otilia Cosmutzà *Sandra Cotovu *Ileana Cotrubas *Carmen-Daniela Cràsnaru *Mioara Cremene *Florica Cristoforeanu *Pss. Elena Cuza

DD *Hariclea Darclée *Cella Delavrancea *Alina Diaconú *Varinca Diaconú *Anca Diamandy *Marie Ana Dràgescu *Rodica Dràghincescu *Bucura Dumbravà *Natalia Dumitrescu

EE *Micaela Eleutheriade *Queen Elisabeth of Romania (‘Carmen Sylva’) *Alexandra Enescu *Mica Ertegün

FF *Lizi Florescu, *Maria Forescu *Nicoleta Franck *Aurora Fúlgida

GG *Angela Gheorghiu *Pss Grigore Ghica *Pss. Georges Ghika (Liane de Pougy) *Veturia Goga *Maria Golescu *Nadia Gray *Olga Greceanu *Pss. Helen of Greece *Nicole Valéry-Grossu *Carmen Groza

HH *Virginia Andreescu Haret *Clara Haskil *Lucia Hossu-Longin

II *Pss. Ileana of Romania *Ana Ipàtescu *Marie-France Ionesco *Dora d’Istria *Rodica Iulian

JJ *Doina Jela *Lucretia Jurj

KK *Mite Kremnitz

LL *Marie-Jeanne Lecca *Madeleine Lipatti *Monica Lovinescu *Elena Lupescu

MM *Maria Mailat *Ileana Màlàncioiu *Ionela Manolesco *Lilly Marcou *Silvia Marcovici *Queen Marie of Romania *Ioana A. Marin *Ioana Meitani *Gabriela Melinescu *Veronica Micle *Nelly Miricioiu *Herta Müller *Alina Mungiu-Pippidi *Agnes Kelly Murgoci

NN *Mabel Nandris *Anita Nandris-Cudla *Lucia Negoità *Mariana Nicolesco *Countess Anna de Noailles *Ana Novac

OO *Helen O’Brien *Oana Orlea

PP *Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu *Milita Pàtrascu *Ana Pauker *Marta Petreu *Cornelia Pillat *Magdalena Popa *Elvira Popescu

RR *Ruxandra Racovitzà *Elisabeta Rizea *Eugenia Roman *Stella Roman *Queen Ana de România, *Pss. Margarita de România *Maria Rosetti *Elisabeth Roudinesco

SS *Annie Samuelli *Sylvia Sidney *Henriette-Yvonne Stahl *Countess Leopold Starszensky *Elena Stefoi *Pss. Marina Stirbey *Sanda Stolojan *Cecilia Cutzescu-Storck

TT *Maria Tànase *Aretia Tàtàrescu *Monica Theodorescu *Elena Theodorini

UU *Viorica Ursuleac

VV *Elena Vàcàrescu *Leontina Vàduva *Ana Velescu *Marioara Ventura *Anca Visdei *Wanda Sachelarie Vladimirescu *Alice Steriade Voinescu

WW *Sabina Wurmbrand

ZZ *Virginia Zeani

© copyright Constantin ROMAN, 2001-2009, all rights reserved