Ajtony, Ahtum or Achtum (Hungarian: Ajtony, Bulgarian: Охтум, Romanian: Ahtum, Serbian: Ахтум) was an early-11th-century ruler in the territory now known as Banat in present Romania and Serbia. His primary source is the Long Life of Saint Gerard, a 14th-century hagiography. Ajtony was a powerful ruler who owned many horses, cattle and sheep and was baptised according to the Orthodox rite in Vidin. He taxed salt which was transferred to King Stephen I of Hungary on the Mureș River. The king sent Csanád, Ajtony's former commander-in-chief, against him at the head of a large army. Csanád defeated and killed Ajtony, occupying his realm. In the territory, at least one county and a Roman Catholicdiocese were established.
Historians disagree on the year of Ajtony's defeat; it may have occurred in 1002, 1008 or between 1027 and 1030. His ethnicity is also a subject of historical debate; he may have been Hungarian, Kabar, Pecheneg or Romanian. In Romanian historiography, Ajtony and Glad, the ruler of Banat during the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin according to the 13th century Gesta Hungarorum are viewed as members of a Romanian ruling dynasty. (Full article...)
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Yo (English: "I" or "Me") is the sixth studio album by Romanian singer Inna, released on 31 May 2019 by Global Records and Roc Nation. Inna began work on the record in 2016; inspired by a recent trip to Latin America, she decided the album would feature only Spanish language material. Inna contributed significantly to the songwriting process of Yo, and collaborated extensively with Romanian producer David Ciente on its songs. An experimental and heavily gypsy music-influenced effort, Yo marks the first time Inna took control over an album's creative process; it acts as a departure from her past EDM releases. Lyrically, Inna sings about love, and presents several female characters seen from different perspectives throughout the album.
Upon its release, music critics received Yo with positive reviews, commending its experimental nature and the resulting expansion of Inna's artistry. To promote the album, five singles were released from September 2018 to May 2019—"Ra", "Iguana", "Sin Ti", "Tu Manera" and "Te Vas". Of these, "Iguana" experienced commercial success in Romania, peaking at number four on the country's Airplay 100 chart. In addition, Inna made several public appearances in the United States and Mexico to promote "Ra", such as the 2018 Telehit Awards and 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, alongside promotion through Inna's inclusion in magazines such as Rolling Stone and Vogue México y Latinoamérica. A music video directed by Bogdan Păun was filmed for each of the album's tracks, which feature the singer embodying different women as part of independent storylines. (Full article...)
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Mai bună ca niciodată (Romanian: Better than Ever) is the only studio album recorded by Romanian actress, television host and singer Oana Zăvoranu under her mononym Oana. It was released on 28 June 2007 by Roton and Sincron. Zăvoranu had gained significant popularity in her native country in the early 2000s for her acting roles, but took a hiatus in 2006 to focus on a music career and parted ways with the television production company Media Pro.
Mai bună ca niciodată features production by Adrian Cristescu, who was also a contributing songwriter along with Georgiana Ariton, Sabina Cojocar, Dan Lazăr and Silviu Păduraru. "Pusă pe fapte" and "Cariño" featuring Cristescu under his stage name Adi Korekt were selected as singles to support the album, with the latter receiving an accompanying music video and peaking at number 99 on the Romanian Top 100chart. (Full article...)
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"Goodbye" is a song recorded by Romanian group The Humans, released on 12 January 2018 by Roton. The track was written by vocalist Cristina Caramarcu, while production and composition were handled by fellow members Alexandru Matei and Alin Neagoe. "Goodbye" is a 1980s-inspired soft rock and pop rockballad whose instrumentation includes a cello; lyrically, it is a manifesto that discourages the abandonment of one's dreams. It also discusses the overcoming of suicidal ideation, depression and internal battles. Reviewers likened the track to the music of Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Heart.
"Goodbye" represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. The country failed to qualify for the Grand Final for the first time in their participation history. During their highly acclaimed show, The Humans performed choreography in front of several white and black, masked mannequins, representing depersonalization and the loss of identity in modern times. Music critics gave the song itself generally negative reviews, criticizing the recording as underwhelming; some expressed doubt that Romania would qualify. (Full article...)
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"De la capăt" (Romanian for 'From the beginning'; cfr. "da capo") is a song recorded by Romanian group Voltaj for their tenth studio album X (2016). It was made available as a single for digital download on 31 October 2014 by Cat Music and Voltz Media. A Romanian song, two other versions were released eventually—"De la capăt (All Over Again)" in Romanian and English, and "All Over Again" fully in English. "De la capăt (All Over Again)" was written by band members Călin Goia, Gabriel Constantin and Adrian Cristescu with Silviu Marian Păduraru and Victor Răzvan Alstani, while music was composed by the aforementioned alongside Monica-Ana Stevens and Andrei-Mădalin Leonte. "De la capăt" has been described as an indie pop rock and soft rock song, and is a manifesto raising awareness for children whose parents have left them behind to work abroad.
"De la capăt (All Over Again)" represented Romania in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. The country went on to reach 15th place in a field of 26, scoring a total of 35 points. During Voltaj's minimalistic and mostly black-and-white show, the stage was scattered with multiple suitcases while excerpts from the music video were shown on the background LED screen. "De la capăt" received mixed reviews from music critics, with praise for the song's message and lyrics, as well as for band soloist Goia's vocal delivery. Observers have compared the track to "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" (1995) by Delirious?. It won in the Best Pop Rock Song category at the 2015 Radio România Actualități Awards. (Full article...)
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"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...)
Gabriel made an alliance with the Hajdús—irregular troops stationing along the borders of Transylvania and Royal Hungary—and laid claim to Transylvania against the elderly prince, Sigismund Rákóczi in February 1608. Rákóczi abdicated and the Diet of Transylvania elected Gabriel prince without resistance. Both the Sublime Porte and the Habsburg ruler Matthias II acknowledged Gabriel's election. He ignored the privileges of the Transylvanian Saxons and captured their wealthiest town, Szeben (now Sibiu in Romania), provoking an uprising in 1610. His attempts to expand his authority over the Ottoman vassal Wallachia and his negotiations with Matthias II outraged the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I. The Sultan decided to replace Gabriel with an exiled Transylvanian nobleman, Gabriel Bethlen, and sent troops to invade the principality in August 1613. Transylvania was unable to resist and the Diet dethroned Gabriel. He was murdered by Hajdú assassins. (Full article...)
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Blakumen or Blökumenn were a people mentioned in Scandinavian sources dating from the 11th through 13th centuries. The name of their land, Blokumannaland, has also been preserved. Victor Spinei, Florin Curta, Florin Pintescu and other historians identify them as Romanians (variation of the exonym Vlach), while Omeljan Pritsak argues that they were Cumans. Judith Jesch adds the possibility that the terms meant "black men", the meaning of which is unclear. Historians identify Blokumannaland as the lands south of the Lower Danube which were inhabited by Vlachs in the Middle Ages, adding that the term may refer to either Wallachia (to the north of the Danube) or Africa in the modern Icelandic language. (Full article...)
An accompanying music video for "Gimme Gimme" was shot by Edward Aninaru in October 2016 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was uploaded onto Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. During the filming sessions, the singer was accompanied by a Romanian and South American team, and both John Perez and Khaled Mokhtar served as directors of photography. The clip portrays Inna exploring the city and ends with her appearance at a party at night. Music critics were positive towards the recording, calling it summery and noting its club-oriented style. Commercially, it reached the top 20 in Romania, Turkey and the French, Polish and British club charts. (Full article...)
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The relationship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Iron Guard was one of ambivalence. The Romanian Orthodox Church promoted its own version of nationalism which highlighted the role of Orthodoxy in preserving the Romanian identity. Starting with the 1920s, the Church became entangled with fascist politics and antisemitism. In this context, the Iron Guard, also known as the Legion of the Archangel Michael, a fascist movement founded in 1927, became very influential with church grassroots. Numerous rank-and-file priests joined the Iron Guard ranks and actively supported its policies; so did a minority of influential high-ranking clergymen such as Nicolae Bălan or Vartolomeu Stănescu.
Patriarch Miron Cristea, on the other hand, felt threatened by the Iron Guard's anti-establishment rhetoric and so did his successor Nicodim Munteanu. Thus, when the National Legionary State was proclaimed in 1940, Munteanu showed little enthusiasm. The insurrection of 1941 ended with Marshal Ion Antonescu crushing the Guard and taking full control of the country. The Holy Synod [ro] of the Romanian Orthodox Church was quick to condemn the Rebellion but, at the same time, numerous priests who had actively taken part in it were protected from repercussions by their respective bishops. (Full article...)
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Left humerus of the holotype specimen in ventral (A) and distal (B) view
Hatzegopteryx ("Hațeg basin wing") is a genus of azhdarchidpterosaur found in the late Maastrichtian deposits of the Densuş Ciula Formation, an outcropping in Transylvania, Romania. It is known only from the type species, Hatzegopteryx thambema, named by Buffetaut et al. in 2002 based on parts of the skull and humerus. Additional specimens, including a neck vertebra, were later placed in the genus, representing a range of sizes. The largest of these remains indicate it was among the biggest pterosaurs, with an estimated wingspan of 10 to 12 metres (33 to 39 ft).
Unusually among giant azhdarchids, Hatzegopteryx had a very wide skull bearing large muscular attachments, bones with a spongy internal texture instead of being hollow, and a short, robust, and heavily muscled neck measuring 1.5 metres (5 ft) long, which was about half the length of other azhdarchids with comparable wingspans and was capable of withstanding strong bending forces. Hatzegopteryx inhabited Hațeg Island, an island situated in the Cretaceous subtropics within the prehistoric Tethys Sea. In the absence of large theropods, Hatzegopteryx was likely the apex predator of Hațeg Island, tackling proportionally larger prey (including dwarf titanosaurs and iguanodontians) than other azhdarchids. (Full article...)
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"Wow" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011). Written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, it was made available for digital download on 20 April 2012 as the fifth single from the record through DIY Records. Musically, "Wow" is an electropop song.
"Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, held in Helsinki, Finland after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. In Helsinki, Romania automatically qualified to the final due to their top ten placement in the previous year and finished in 13th place with 84 points. "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" was promoted through performances in Belarus and a music video shot in Romania by Dan Manoliu. It charted at number 82 on the Romanian Top 100. (Full article...)
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Peony during an interview in 2019
Ester Alexandra Crețu (Romanian pronunciation:[ˈesteralekˈsandraˈkret͡su]; born 21 July 1993), known professionally as Ester Peony (formerly only Ester), is a Romanian singer and songwriter. She represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "On a Sunday" after winning the selection show Selecția Națională 2019. However, she failed to qualify for the Grand Final in Tel Aviv. Peony started to compose music for Romanian artists before gaining recognition for posting covers on YouTube in 2015. Later that year, she attained commercial success in Romania with her single "Sub aripa ta" featuring Vescan. (Full article...)
The colors of the national flag of Romania (Romanian: Drapelul României) has a long history, though the association of the three colors only dates to the 18th century. Red, yellow and blue were found on late 16th-century royal grants of Michael the Brave, as well as shields and banners. Thus, the late 13th century Wijnbergenarmorial shows the coat of arms of the Wallachian ruler Litovoi as consisting of a shield of ten vertically alternating gold-and-red bands,. The same two colors, gules and or, also appeared on the late 15th century flag and coat of arms of Moldavia, during the reign of Stephen the Great. Then, from the late 16th century until the mid-17th century, the historical coat of arms of Transylvania gradually developed as a shield party per fess, consisting of a black eagle on blue background in the upper field, a dividing red band in the middle, and seven red towers on golden background in the lower field. Finally, in the last quarter of the 18th century, Bukovina gets its own coat of arms from the Habsburg Empire, a blue-and-red shield party per pale with a black aurochs' head in the middle, and three golden six-pointed stars surrounding it. During the Wallachian uprising of 1821, these three colors were present, along others, on the canvas of the revolutionaries' flag and its fringes; for the first time a meaning was attributed to them: "Liberty (blue-sky), Justice (yellow field), Fraternity ( blood)". (Full article...)
Paula Monica Mitrache (born 14 June 1971), known by the stage name Haiducii (Romanian pronunciation:[hajˈdutʃij]), is a Romanian-Italian singer, model and actress. She released her single "Dragostea din tei" in 2004, a cover of O-Zone's homonymous single of the previous year. Commercially, "Dragostea din tei" reached widespread commercial success, reaching number 1 in Austria, Italy, Portugal and Sweden, as well as the top ten in eight other countries. It was also certified Gold and Platinum in several territories. In late 2004, Haiducii released "Mne s Toboy Horosho" and, in late 2005, "More 'N' More (I Love You)", her last singles that managed to hit the chart, reaching numbers 5 and 8 in Italy, respectively. Paula Mitrache in Haiducii, the singer's debut studio album, followed in 2008, which includes these first hit songs. (Full article...)
The rock sculpture of Decebalus, made between 1994–2004, is a carving in rock of the face of Decebalus (r. AD 87–106), the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania.
... that Dimitrie Ralet, a pioneer Romanian orientalist, commended Ottoman reformers for not "blindly adopting what we in Europe take to mean civilization"?
... that following the ban of its labour unions in 1934, the Romanian United Socialist Party would rely on its youth and women's wings for political action?
... that Romanian adventure novelist N. D. Popescu-Popnedea "generate[d] laughter" with his deposition at a political assassin's trial?
... that Romanian literary scholar Dan Simonescu, who edited a chronicle dealing with the reign of Michael the Brave, had to delete any mention of Michael having "all the Jews murdered"?
Image 4Romania 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 111941 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 12Map of Europe in 1648 showing Transylvania and the two Romanian principalities: Wallachia and Moldavia (from History of Romania)
Image 42Lieutenant Emil Rebreanu was awarded the Medal for Bravery in gold, the highest military award given by the Austrian command to an ethnic Romanian; he would later be hanged for desertion while trying to escape to Romania. (from History of Romania)
Image 59Bran Castle (German: Törzburg, Hungarian: Törcsvár) built in 1212, is commonly known as Dracula's Castle and is situated in the centre 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 68Romania 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)
Image 69Ethnic 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 85The Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1786, Italian map by G. Pittori, since the geographer Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni (from History of Romania)
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