The merry cemetery of Sapanta has been, for more than fifty years, the creation of sculptor Stan Patras, the successor of several generations of wood artists that bequeathed their trade from father to son.
In the beginning he sculpted about ten crosses a year. The method of work has been preserved unaltered to thisday. The oak wood is cut into beams that are then allowed to dry one or two years. Next they are hewn into 10-cm thick planks, 2.20 m long and 30-40 cm wide, ranged in stacks, and allowed to dry for some months more. Then the sculptor begins his work: first he draws the geometrical motifs and the bas-relief dedicated to the deceased, then he sculpts and paints the cross in blue - a symbol of hope and freedom.
The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies — a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life.
The cemetery has its origin in some crosses sculpted by Ioan Stan Patras ,born 1908 - died 1977,his own grave will be seen here ,made by himself before dying. In 1935, Patras sculpted the first epitaph and since the 1960s, the whole cemetery was populated with over 800 such crosses, sculpted from oak wood, and it became an open-air museum and a tourist attraction.His work will be continued by one of his learners,by Dumitru Pop,restaurating now old and creating new tombstones.
The Maramureş wooden churches in Northern Transylvania are a selection of eight examples of different architectural solutions from different periods and areas. They are Orthodox churches. They are Orthodox churches. They are high timber constructions with characteristic tall, slim bell towers at the western end of the building. They are high timber constructions with characteristic tall, slim bell towers at the western end of the building. They are a particular vernacular expression of the cultural landscape of this mountainous area of northern Romania . They are a particular vernacular expression of the cultural landscape of this mountainous area of northern Romania.
Maramureş is one of the better-known regions of Romania, with autonomous traditions since the Middle Ages - but still not much visited. Maramureş is one of the better-known regions of Romania, with autonomous traditions since the Middle Ages - but still not much visited. Its well-preserved wooden villages and churches, its traditional lifestyle, and the local colourful dresses still in use make Maramureş as near to a living museum as can be found in Europe. Its well-preserved wooden villages and churches, its traditional lifestyle, and the local colorful dresses still in use make Maramureş as near to a living museum as can be found in Europe.
The famous wooden churches of the region were built during the 17th and 18th centuries, on the place of older churches. The famous wooden churches of the region were built during the 17th and 18th centuries, on the place of older churches. They are a response to a prohibition against the erection of stone Romanian Orthodox churches. They are a response to a prohibition against the erection of stone Orthodox churches. The churches are made of thick logs, are quite small and dark inside, and painted with rather "naïve" Biblical scenes. The churches are made of thick logs, are quite small and dark inside, and painted with rather "naive" Biblical scenes. The most characteristic features are the tall tower above the entrance and the massive roof that seems to dwarf the main body of the church. The most characteristic features are the tall tower above the entrance and the massive roof that seems to dwarf the main body of the church.
Some of them have been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999, for their religious architecture and timber construction traditions. Some of them have been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999 for their religious architecture and timber construction traditions.
Labels:
maramures,
wooden churches
Barsana is one of the big communes in the region of Maramures, lying on the right bank of the river Iza, 20 km off Sighetul Marmatiei. According to tradition, the Barsana monastery formerly stood across the river Iza, in the Slatina Valley, wherefrom it was moved here, to the right of the river, on the site that would be later called Podurile Manastirii (The Monastery Bridges).
The Barsana commune was first documented in 1326, when King Charles Robert I of Anjou acknowledged and reinstained by a deed in this places prince Stanislau, whereas in another deed the same prince is called son of Barsan. The toponymic Barsan comes from the shepards' tradition, who used to grow this breed (barsana) of sheep with long, rough, thick wool.
The descendants of prince Stan Barsan still represent the basic families of the village. A deed dated 21 July 1390 regarding the possessions of the Dragos family- rulers of Maramures, grandsons of Prince Dragos, founder of Moldavia -mentions a road which branched out already at the time to lead to the monastery and to the village of Barsana respectively. Documented are also a Momastery Valley and Dealul Popii (Pope's Hill), and a surveyor's deed dating from 6 November 1405, mentions a "plain of the monastery"; the monastery is recorded also in the other deeds regarding the Dragos family's possessions, between 1408-1480, the latter date referring to Batolomeo Dragffy, prince of Transylvania. The Barsana Monastery was built probably around the middle of the 16th centrury by the Dragos family, on one of their estates.
So, the worship place was contemporary with the famous monastery at Peri, with that at Biserica Alba, having the same founders and benefactors. The old monastic settlement, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, was one of the most important ones in Maramures, considering that, in 1738, it was the residence of the last Christian Orthodox bishop, Gavril Stefanca -a man of the place whose name is still preserved by the tradition of the village - before the bishopric was abolished, following the official expension of the Romanians' religious Union with The Church of Rome.
For all the pressure put on the Christian Orthodox worship places in the region, the monastery would resist until 1791. Documents from the 18th century mention the names of certain monks: Pahomie, priest in 1745, Grigoras, priest in 1757, Atanasie in 1769, 1776, 1777, Varava (a Greek) and Partenie, in 1776, Ierotei togheter with other three monks in 1777; but their number kept dwindling and, in 1787, only two residents were mentioned at Barsana.
The property of the settlement was confiscated by the Austrian state, on 12 July 1791, and turned over to the Greek-Catholic settlement of Cernoc (Munkaci). The last monk moved to the Neamt Monastery. The old monastic settlement of Barsana also meant a school for the priests of the villages in the region. It used to supply Romanian religious books, printed and brought from Moldavia and Walachia - from Iasi, Targoviste, Ramnic, etc. - and icons, maybe painted in its own workshops. Six hundred years since the monastery's first documentation and two hundred years after it ceased to exist, the monastic life returns to Barsana. In 1993, Bishop Justinian Chira of Maramures and Satmar blessed this place that loaded with the prayers of the ancestors, for a new monastery.
The monastic compound is made of wood, according to the local tradition, built only by Barsana masters, supervised by architect Cordos Dorel; it consists of the Maramures gate, the belfry, the church (12 X 12.20 m and 57 m high), the summer shire, the house with cells and chapel (with several floors), the house of the masters, the house of the artists and a more recently arranged museum that offers a comnprehensive image of the Maramures history, culture and civilization. The community is now led by the Prioress Filofteia Oltean and counts eleven nuns and three sisters. Every year, on 30 JUNE THE BARSANA MONASTERY CELEBRATES AND VENERATES THE 12 APOSTLES that are the protectors of this HOLY PLACE. May the prayer of our forerunners bring holiness and salvation to the founders of the monastery, to those who live here and to every person that enters this Holy Place dedicated to the ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY GHOST. AMEN.
Labels:
barsana monastery,
maramures
Discovered in her hometown of Bucharest, Romania, Alina Puscau became an overnight sensation as a model. With her lithe 5-foot-9 (176 cm) frame, her long brown hair, full lips and piercing green eyes, her looks were an instant hit. At 16, she won the Elite Model Look, which launched her career on an international level. Before long, she was traveling the world over, shooting for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Victoria's Secret and Glamour, and with the top fashion photographers, from Bruce Weber to Patrick Demarchelier. And while her life took on a fantasy-like quality, there was still a dream left unfulfilled—becoming a singer.
Alina's Facebook Account
Alina's Myspace Blog
Alina's Myspace Music Profile
Alina's Facebook Account
Alina's Myspace Blog
Alina's Myspace Music Profile
Communism has left its stamp on Romania. Monstrous blocks of flats are discovered on the outskirts of almost every major town and city - a relic of the past. The drive for transition from a predominantly agrarian nation to an industrial nation necessitated the need the housing within the towns and cities. Peasants were encouraged to move from the countryside to work in industry. Large industrial towns such as Ploieşti, south of Buchareşti, grew leaving vast industrial wastelands in their wake. Big was beautiful.
The Gypsy peoples originate from Sind region now in Pakistan.
Their Rom language is close to the older forms of Indian languages.
The three tribes of Rom, Sinti, and Kale probably left India after a succession of campaigns in Sind through the C11, initially spending time in Armenia and Persia, then moving into the Byzantine Empire after the Seljuk Turk attacks on Armenia.
Within the Byzantine Empire they dispersed into the Balkans reaching Wallachia (1385) and Moldavia (1370) ahead of this area falling to the Ottoman Turks. Other groups also moved through India to Gujarat and south of Delhi.
Gypsy populations can still be found along all these migration routes.
When entering west Europe they initially had letters of protection from the King of Hungary. This privileged situation did not last long as amazement at their way of life commonly led to hostilities. The Gypsy way of life still leads to hostilities from the people of their host nations.
Europeans regard "private property" as sacrosanct, whereas gypsies do not have a word for "possess", which gives rise to two incompatible ways of life and a continual problem of gypsies being regarded as "thieves" from the European's view.
In each host nation gypsies appear to take on the religion, names and language of their hosts, but within the Rom they maintain their Rom language, names, music, customs and Indian looks.
This tight community has meant that after some six hundred years there is still a large population of gypsies not integrated or assimilated with Romanians. From the time of their arrival in Romania Gypsies were the slaves of the landowners, only to be emancipated in 1851.
While in Romania some of the Gypsies took to speaking a version of Romanian called Bayesh which can be heard in some of the songs of Gypsy groups recorded in Hungary.
Nowadays about 40% of the Gypsies still speak Romany and many can still be seen travelling in lines of carts along the roads of Romania. The majority live in the towns and villages, some fully integrated into villages, some in large ornate houses standing out from the Romanians, but others in small buildings on scraps of lands on the villages edges.
The Rom tribes distinguish themselves by the names of their trades:
* Lăutari = musicians and dancers
* Căldărari (Kalderash) = Tin and coppersmiths
* Argintari = Jewellers
* Fierari = Blacksmiths
* Zlateri = gold panners
* Ghurara = sieve makers
* Lovar = horse dealers
Their Rom language is close to the older forms of Indian languages.
The three tribes of Rom, Sinti, and Kale probably left India after a succession of campaigns in Sind through the C11, initially spending time in Armenia and Persia, then moving into the Byzantine Empire after the Seljuk Turk attacks on Armenia.
Within the Byzantine Empire they dispersed into the Balkans reaching Wallachia (1385) and Moldavia (1370) ahead of this area falling to the Ottoman Turks. Other groups also moved through India to Gujarat and south of Delhi.
Gypsy populations can still be found along all these migration routes.
When entering west Europe they initially had letters of protection from the King of Hungary. This privileged situation did not last long as amazement at their way of life commonly led to hostilities. The Gypsy way of life still leads to hostilities from the people of their host nations.
Europeans regard "private property" as sacrosanct, whereas gypsies do not have a word for "possess", which gives rise to two incompatible ways of life and a continual problem of gypsies being regarded as "thieves" from the European's view.
In each host nation gypsies appear to take on the religion, names and language of their hosts, but within the Rom they maintain their Rom language, names, music, customs and Indian looks.
This tight community has meant that after some six hundred years there is still a large population of gypsies not integrated or assimilated with Romanians. From the time of their arrival in Romania Gypsies were the slaves of the landowners, only to be emancipated in 1851.
While in Romania some of the Gypsies took to speaking a version of Romanian called Bayesh which can be heard in some of the songs of Gypsy groups recorded in Hungary.
Nowadays about 40% of the Gypsies still speak Romany and many can still be seen travelling in lines of carts along the roads of Romania. The majority live in the towns and villages, some fully integrated into villages, some in large ornate houses standing out from the Romanians, but others in small buildings on scraps of lands on the villages edges.
The Rom tribes distinguish themselves by the names of their trades:
* Lăutari = musicians and dancers
* Căldărari (Kalderash) = Tin and coppersmiths
* Argintari = Jewellers
* Fierari = Blacksmiths
* Zlateri = gold panners
* Ghurara = sieve makers
* Lovar = horse dealers
Labels:
roma,
romany gypsies
Some Romanian orphans are treated worse than you would treat a dog. These are human beings. Forget about all this shit about why their parents had these children for now. Look at this child, will discussion like this help him? No it wont, in fact no one is helping him. Our government is full of corrupt assholes and the sooner the world sees all this the better.
I could take you to several orphanages in and around Bucuresti that 'don't exist' and show you cruelty like you would never imagine. They wont let you in.....in fact the police would probably arrest you if you went near it. The plans to get into the EU and the future requirements to get cash off the EU depend on all this being hidden away but I'll be a thorn in their side until these children are helped. It is a building with 200+ children inside and NOT ONE OF THEM CRIES !! Why not you may ask yourself. Because they have given up, yes they have given up. When they cry nobody comes, so why fucking bother.
I haven't given up though. Maybe it is too late for this generation but the next might be saved if we ALL give the Romanian government enough pressure.
MDRI investigators found emaciated children, starving and near death, at the adult psychiatric facility in Braila.
Several teenagers weighed less than 30 lbs.
Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI), has found children with disabilities hidden and wasting away, near death, in Romania's adult psychiatric facilities.
A report released by MDRI, Hidden Suffering: Romania's Segregation and Abuse of Infants and Children with Disabilities, describes teenagers weighing no more than 27 pounds.
Some children are tied down with bedsheets, their arms and legs twisted and left to atrophy.
Despite Romanian government claims that it has ended the placement of babies in institutions, MDRI found infants languishing in a medical facility so poorly staffed that the children never leave their cribs.
Many of these children have no identity papers. Officially, they do not exist.
Romanian officials admitted to MDRI that they had no idea how many children with disabilities are in adult facilities.
"I call on the government of Romania and the EU to put a stop to these abuses PLEASE, these are Romania's most vulnerable citizens. The inhumane and degrading treatment that they are forced to endure is intolerable and violates international human rights law."Somebody somewhere might read this and help, but probably not !
Braşov (pronounced [braˈʃov]; Hungarian: Brassó; German: Kronstadt; Medieval Latin: Brassovia or Corona) is a city in Romania and the capital of Braşov County, with a population of 284,596, according to the 2007 census.
It is the 7th largest Romanian city, after Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara, Iaşi, Craiova and Galaţi. People from Braşov are known, in English, as Braşovean.
Braşov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km from Bucharest. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and is part of the Transylvania region.
The city is notable for hosting the Golden Stag (Cerbul de Aur) international music festival.
The city was first atested in the 13th century under the name Corona. The current Romanian and Hungarian names are derived from the Pecheneg word, barasu, meaning "fortress". On Tâmpa Mountain, located on the southern side of the city, there was a citadel called Brassovia, which gave both the Romanian and the Hungarian name of the city.
The first attested mention of Braşov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras"), in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City", and is reflected in the city's coat of arms, as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The three names of the city (Braşov/Brassó, Kronstadt, and Corona) were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages.
From 1950 to 1960, during part of the Communist period in Romania, the city was called Oraşul Stalin (Stalin City), after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
It is the 7th largest Romanian city, after Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara, Iaşi, Craiova and Galaţi. People from Braşov are known, in English, as Braşovean.
Braşov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km from Bucharest. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and is part of the Transylvania region.
The city is notable for hosting the Golden Stag (Cerbul de Aur) international music festival.
The city was first atested in the 13th century under the name Corona. The current Romanian and Hungarian names are derived from the Pecheneg word, barasu, meaning "fortress". On Tâmpa Mountain, located on the southern side of the city, there was a citadel called Brassovia, which gave both the Romanian and the Hungarian name of the city.
The first attested mention of Braşov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras"), in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City", and is reflected in the city's coat of arms, as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The three names of the city (Braşov/Brassó, Kronstadt, and Corona) were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages.
From 1950 to 1960, during part of the Communist period in Romania, the city was called Oraşul Stalin (Stalin City), after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
Labels:
brasov,
hollywood of romania,
transylvania
If you ever go to Romania then you MUST visit Priad Salt Mines - it will take your breath away with it's stunning beauty and you will stand in awe at the work that has been done there.
It is made up of three main tunnels (picture 2) and inside there is a playground for children (picture 1) - then, be prepared to see the church that has been cut out from inside the mine (picture 3), it is a miraculous achievement to build it and a sight you will never see again as long as you live.
Every time I go there it brings tears of joy to my eyes. Though our country doesn't have much money compared to many others, just look at what we can do with the things God gave us, it makes me so proud to see these things and it is why I love Romania so much.
It is made up of three main tunnels (picture 2) and inside there is a playground for children (picture 1) - then, be prepared to see the church that has been cut out from inside the mine (picture 3), it is a miraculous achievement to build it and a sight you will never see again as long as you live.
Every time I go there it brings tears of joy to my eyes. Though our country doesn't have much money compared to many others, just look at what we can do with the things God gave us, it makes me so proud to see these things and it is why I love Romania so much.
Labels:
praid salt mines,
priad salt mines
Catrinel Menghia (born October 1, 1985) is a Romanian model.
She was discovered at the age of 16 on the street by a local agent who took her to Bucharest to meet Liviu Ionescu of the MRA Agency. Six months later, her parents allowed Menghia to move to Bucharest and start her modeling career.
She participated in the Ford Supermodel of the World Romania contest in November 2001, where she won the second runner-up prize.
Menghia now lives in Milan. She has done campaigns for major fashion houses and is the face of Giorgio Armani worldwide. She was also one of the new faces in the 2006 South African Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and has appeared in FHM and Maxim.
She has been the face of the French lingerie brand Lise Charmel since 2005.
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