The 99th Military Base Deveselu (Baza Militară 99 Deveselu), or the Deveselu Military Base, is a RomanianNATO base hosting the United States NavyAegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System. The base consists of three military units: The Romanian 99th Military Base, which hosts two American bases: the Naval Support Facility Deveselu and the Aegis Ashore Defense System Romania. Located in Deveselucommune, Olt County, the base has an area of 900 ha (2,200 acres); of those, 170 ha (420 acres) are used by the U.S. forces.
The Deveselu base is operated by about 500 Romanian soldiers, 250 U.S. troops, and other personnel. The base is subordinated to the Romanian Joint Logistics Command. The current base commander is Colonel Marius Chiriță. (Full article...)
Image 3
Sigismund Rákóczi (Hungarian: Rákóczi Zsigmond, pronounced[ˈraːkoːtsiˈʒiɡmond]; 1544 – 5December 1608) was Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608. He was the son of János Rákóczi, a lesser nobleman with estates in Upper Hungary. Sigismund began a military career as the sword-bearer of the wealthy Gábor Perényi in Sárospatak. After Perényi died in 1567, Sigismund served in the royal fortresses of Eger and Szendrő. The royal chamber mortgaged him several estates to compensate him for unpaid salaries. He received Szerencs in 1580, which enabled him to engage in the lucrative Tokaji wine trade. He took possession of the large estates of András Mágóchy's minor sons as their guardian, and the second husband of their mother Judit Alaghy, in 1587.
Sigismund was made the captain of the important stronghold of Eger on 29 June 1588. Rudolph I, King of Hungary, granted him the title of baron on 28 August. Sigismund rose to fame after he routed the united forces of three Ottoman beys (captains) near Szikszó on 8 October. He also helped the Calvinist pastor, Gáspár Károli, publish the Hungarian translation of the Bible (the so-called Vizsoly Bible). He renounced the captaincy in 1590 or 1591 because the royal treasury had not provided enough funds to finance the management of the fortress. Sigismund was a successful commander of the royal army during the first decade of the Long Turkish War, which broke out in 1593. (Full article...)
Image 4
"No Help" is a song by Romanian singer Inna, included on the deluxe edition of her fifth studio album Nirvana (2017). It was released for digital download and streaming on 6 September 2018 by Global Records. Musically, "No Help" is a pop and oriental-influenced dance and tropical house song, whose lyrics discuss confidence, independence and self-help. The track received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its catchiness and dance nature. For promotion, an accompanying music video was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's release. It was filmed by Bogdan Păun in Morocco and Los Angeles. Reviewers praised the outfits and landscapes featured in the visual. "No Help" received minor commercial success in Romania and France. (Full article...)
Maria Theresa started her 40-year reign when her father, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, died on 20 October 1740. Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and spent his entire reign securing it through international diplomacy. He neglected the advice of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who believed that a strong military and a rich treasury were more important than mere signatures. Eventually, Charles VI left behind a weakened and impoverished state, particularly due to the War of the Polish Succession and the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Moreover, upon his death, Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, and France all repudiated the sanction they had recognised during his lifetime. Frederick the Great of Prussia (who became Maria Theresa's greatest rival for most of her reign) promptly invaded and took the affluent Habsburg province of Silesia in the eight-year conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession. In defiance of the grave situation, she managed to secure the vital support of the Hungarians for the war effort. During the course of the war, Maria Theresa successfully defended her rule over most of the Habsburg monarchy, apart from the loss of Silesia and a few minor territories in Italy. Maria Theresa later unsuccessfully tried to recover Silesia during the Seven Years' War. (Full article...)
Image 6
Alexandra Stan (pictured in 2011) initiated the lawsuit against Marcel Prodan.
According to the singer, the incident occurred after she asked Prodan for her earnings, to which he reacted violently. Several hearings in Constanța Court were scheduled as part of the lawsuit; during one, Prodan testified that he had acted in self-defense after Stan hit him in his car and threatened to commit suicide. While Stan's accusations of blackmail and bodily harm were deemed groundless by the judges in 2014, Prodan received a seven-month suspended sentence for common assault in February 2016 and was fined damages. (Full article...)
Image 7
"Tornerò" (Italian:[torneˈrɔ]; "I Will Return") is a song by Romanian singer Mihai Trăistariu from his eighth studio album of the same name (2006). Released by CMC Entertainment on 3 July 2006, it was written by Cristian Hriscu, Mihaela Deac and its producer Eduard Cîrcotă. With English verses and a refrain in Italian, "Tornerò" is a disco, pop, dance and rave song featuring Trăistariu using his higher vocal range. The track won the Selecția Națională pre-selection show and represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens, Greece. There, the singer was pre-qualified for the Grand Final, where he finished fourth with 172 points. On stage, three male and two female dancers from Romanian dance group Big Bounce accompanied Trăistariu, performing a mixture of ballet and contemporary dance.
Music critics gave generally positive reviews of the song, praising its catchiness and the singer's vocal delivery. "Tornerò" received airplay in various countries and chartwise peaked at number thirty-eight on the Romanian Top 100, and reached the top ten in Finland and Greece, as well as the top forty in Sweden. The song was also awarded a prize by Romanian magazine V.I.P and received nominations at the Greek MTV Music Awards, Romanian Top Hits Awards and Radio România Actualități Awards. The promotion of "Tornerò" consisted of various live performances and endeavours, as well as the release of an accompanying music video in 2006. Artists such as Greek singer Anna Vissi and Romanian recording artist Lora have covered the track. (Full article...)
Image 8
Anonymous sketch of Bogdan-Pitești, 1917 (signed Correggio)
Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești (Romanian pronunciation:[alekˈsandruboɡˈdanpiˈteʃtʲ]; born Alexandru Bogdan, also known as Ion Doican, Ion Duican and Al. Dodan; June 13, 1870 – May 12, 1922) was a RomanianSymbolist poet, essayist, and art and literary critic, who was also known as a journalist and left-wing political agitator. A wealthy landowner, he invested his fortune in patronage and art collecting, becoming one of the main local promoters of modern art, and a sponsor of the Romanian Symbolist movement. Together with other Post-Impressionist and Symbolist cultural figures, Bogdan-Pitești established Societatea Ileana, which was one of the first Romanian associations dedicated to promoting the avant-garde and independent art. He was also noted for his friendship with the writers Joris-Karl Huysmans, Alexandru Macedonski, Tudor Arghezi and Mateiu Caragiale, as well as for sponsoring, among others, the painters Ștefan Luchian, Constantin Artachino and Nicolae Vermont. In addition to his literary and political activities, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was himself a painter and graphic artist.
Much of Bogdan-Pitești's controversial political career, inaugurated by his support for anarchism, was dedicated to activism and support for revolution. He also had an interest in the occult, and maintained close contacts with Joséphin "Sâr" Péladan—sponsoring Péladan's journey to Bucharest (1898). He was detained by the authorities at various intervals, including an arrest for sedition during the 1899 election, and was later found guilty of having blackmailed the banker Aristide Blank. Late in his life, he led Seara, a Germanophile daily, as well as a literary and political circle which came to oppose Romania's entry into World War I on the Entente Powers' side. He was arrested one final time upon the end of the war, by which time he had become the object of public hatred. The enduring mysteries and contradictions of Bogdan-Pitești's career have since drawn interest from several generations of art and literary historians. (Full article...)
Image 9
Romania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Pe-o margine de lume", composed by Andrei Tudor, with lyrics by Andreea Andrei and Adina Șuteu, and performed by Nico and Vlad. The Romanian participating broadcaster, Televiziunea Română (TVR), held the national final Selecția Națională 2008 in order to select its entry for the contest. Controversy surrounded the event, as TVR was accused of conspiracy, and the song reviewed for plagiarism.
Prior to Eurovision, "Pe-o margine de lume" was promoted by a music video and live performances in Greece, Moldova, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, and Cyprus. Romania qualified in seventh place from the contest's first semi-final on 20 May and ultimately finished in 20th place in the Grand Final on 24 May, achieving 45 points. This remains one of the country's lowest Eurovision placements. Nico and Vlad were accompanied by three backing vocalists and a piano player during their performance, and sang in front of a dark-coloured LED screen. Among other accolades, "Pe-o margine de lume" won a Marcel Bezençon award in the composers' category. (Full article...)
Image 10
"Iguana" is a song by Romanian singer Inna. It was digitally released on 30 November 2018 as the second single for her sixth studio album Yo (2019) by Global Records and Roc Nation, although having already been made available for streaming and airplay earlier that month. It was written by Inna and Cristina Maria Chiluiza, while production was solely handled by David Ciente. Musically, the uptempo track has been described as being club and salsa-influenced, extending Inna's change in direction introduced with "Ra" (2018). The song's lyrics are in Spanish and see Inna discussing jealousy and lovesickness.
Upon its release, "Iguana" was well-received by music critics, who pointed out its catchiness and praised Inna's emotional vocal delivery. An accompanying music video was premiered on Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's digital release and was directed by Bogdan Păun. During the clip, the singer is shown at a night fiesta in an intoxicated state—as speculated by a reviewer—fighting back for her alleged love interest, who resides with another woman at an outside bar. The song was further promoted by live performances in Romania and Mexico, and reached number four on Romania's Airplay 100 chart. "Iguana" was used for the 2020 Milan Fashion Week. (Full article...)
Image 11
A postcard of Mărășești
NMS Mărășești was one of four Vifor-classdestroyers ordered by Romania shortly before the beginning of the First World War from Italy. All four sister ships were requisitioned when Italy joined the war in 1915. Originally named Vârtej by the Romanians, she was renamed Nibbio and classified as a scout cruiser in Italian service. Not completed until mid-1918, the ship took part in the Adriatic campaign of World War I but engaged Austro-Hungarian Navy ships in the Adriatic Sea only once before the war ended in November 1918. She was renamed Mărășești when she was re-purchased by the Romanians in 1920.
Charles came to the Kingdom of Hungary upon the invitation of an influential Croatian lord, Paul Šubić, in August 1300. Andrew III died on 14 January 1301, and within four months Charles was crowned king, but with a provisional crown instead of the Holy Crown of Hungary. Most Hungarian noblemen refused to yield to him and elected Wenceslaus of Bohemia king. Charles withdrew to the southern regions of the kingdom. Pope Boniface VIII acknowledged Charles as the lawful king in 1303, but Charles was unable to strengthen his position against his opponent. Wenceslaus abdicated in favor of Otto of Bavaria in 1305. Because it had no central government, the Kingdom of Hungary had disintegrated into a dozen provinces, each headed by a powerful nobleman, or oligarch. One of those oligarchs, Ladislaus III Kán, captured and imprisoned Otto of Bavaria in 1307. Charles was elected king in Pest on 27 November 1308, but his rule remained nominal in most parts of his kingdom even after he was crowned with the Holy Crown on 27 August 1310. (Full article...)
Image 13
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...)
Image 14
"Bebe" is a song by Romanian singer Inna and Ugandan recording artist Vinka, digitally released on 4 November 2019 by Global Records. It was written by the aforementioned artists alongside Theea Miculescu, while the production was handled by Sebastian Barac and Marcel Botezan. A French, Swahili, Luganda, and English love song, the track's genre has been described as Afro and dancehall-influenced pop. Music critics gave mixed reviews to the track, praising its catchiness but criticizing the track as sonically uninteresting.
An accompanying music video for "Bebe" was uploaded to Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's digital release. Directed by Bogdan Păun and filmed at the Bucharest Metro, the clip features Inna and Vinka residing in a graffiti-decorated train and walking the corridors of the subway. They wear various Gucci clothing pieces which were praised by critics. Commercially, the track experienced success in Romania, reaching number one on the country's Airplay 100 chart. (Full article...)
Robert ordained a Hungarian Dominican friar, Theodoric, as the first bishop of Cumania in early 1228. Pope Gregory IX confirmed Theodoric's consecration on 21 March of that year, and the diocese was subordinate to the Holy See in 1229. The episcopal see was on the Milcov River, but its exact location is unknown. The diocese included Burzenland and lands east of the Carpathian Mountains. Vlachs (Romanians) who belonged to the Orthodox Church were a significant part of the diocese's population. They did not follow the Catholic bishop, and persuaded many Catholic Hungarians and Saxons to accept their Orthodox bishops. (Full article...)
The airport is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă (1886–1972), builder of Coandă-1910 aircraft and discoverer of the Coandă effect of fluidics. Prior to May 2004, the official name was Bucharest Otopeni International Airport (Romanian: Aeroportul Internațional București Otopeni). Henri Coandă International Airport serves as headquarters for TAROM, the country's national airline. It also serves as a base of operations for low-cost airlines FlyOne, HiSky, Ryanair and Wizz Air. It is managed by The National Company Bucharest Airports S.A. (Compania Națională Aeroporturi București S.A.). The military section of the airport is used as the 90th Airlift Base of the Romanian Air Force. (Full article...)
In 1886, Ferdinand became heir presumptive to the Romanian throne, following the renunciation of his father (in 1880) and older brother. From the moment he settled in Romania, he continued his military career, gaining a series of honorary commands and being promoted to the rank of corps general. He married in 1893 Princess Marie of Edinburgh, granddaughter of both Queen Victoria and Emperor Alexander II. (Full article...)
... that Tudor Arghezi, "perhaps the strongest personality in all of 20th-century Romanian literature", claimed that he could identify people with cancer by their smell?
... that Romanian adventure novelist N. D. Popescu-Popnedea "generate[d] laughter" with his deposition at a political assassin's trial?
Image 11Ethnic 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 24The upper map shows Dacia’s territory at the beginning of Burebista’s rule, while the lower map depicts its territory at the end of his reign. (from History of Romania)
Image 30The Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1786, Italian map by G. Pittori, since the geographer Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni (from History of Romania)
Image 57Bran Castle (German: Törzburg, Hungarian: Törcsvár) built in 1377, is commonly known as Dracula's Castle and is situated in the center 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 601941 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 62Proclamation of Union between Transylvania and Romania (from History of Romania)
Image 63Map depicting the Dacian Kingdom, including its annexed territories and areas of approximate influence including Pannonia and Bohemia. (from History of Romania)
Image 65Romania 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 71Romania 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)
Commons
Wikidata
Wikiquote
Wikisource
Wikiversity
Wikivoyage
Wiktionary
Random portal
