Romania

The imposition of Communist ideology was a misfortune for millions in Eastern Europe, but never for Dennis Deletant. Instead, it drew him to Romania. The renowned historian’s association with the country and its people dates back to 1965, when he first visited. Since then, Romania has made Dennis appreciate the value of shrewd dissimulation, in the face of the state’s gross intrusion in the life of the individual. This vivid memoir charts his first-hand experience of the Communist era, coloured by the early 1970s surveillance of his future wife Andrea; his contacts with dissidents; and his articles and BBC World Service broadcasts, which led to his being declared persona non grata in 1988. In Search of Romania also considers how life went on under dictatorship, even if it was largely mapped out by the regime. How did individual citizens negotiate the challenges placed in their path? How important was the political police, the Securitate, in maintaining compliance? How did dissent towards the regime manifest? How did all this affect the moral compass of the individual? Why did utopia descend into dystopia under Ceaușescu? And how has his legacy influenced the difficult transition to democracy since the collapse of Communism?

A comprehensive and engaging new history charting Romania's development over 2000 years from its establishment to the present day.

A land of mountains, hills, and fertile plains, Romania is a tourist destination waiting to be discovered. It is a rich and complex country: a place whose cities are home to beautiful parks and vibrant cultural scenes; whose people welcome guests warmly into their homes, sharing the best of whatever they have, and party into the night, suffused by Latin joie de vivre. Buffeted over time between three great powers—the West, Russia, and Turkey—Romania betrays the cultural influences of each, and it can be a difficult place to get a handle on. Culture Smart! Romania provides an indispensable tool for the foreign visitor, digging deep behind the clichés, explaining many of the behavioral quirks of the people, smoothing your path toward better understanding, and outlining the many attractions—cultural, social, and geographical—that await you in this underexplored part of Europe.

They have waited incalculable millennia in the unexplored recesses of the Carpathian Mountains. Now an ancient race of dragons is emerging to separate fact from fable in a never-before-divulged record of their origins, their purpose, and their fears for a planet under siege in the Age of Humans.?We are myths. We never existed.?Lumea-Veche, most senior member of the ancient race of Dragons, knows it?s neither wise nor healthy to live in the Age of Humans. Best to remain patient, and endure safely in fabrications. But as humans wreak havoc on the planet, it?s time for an alliance, and for the Dragon race to finally reveal its unique and storied past to the shallow historians who have long distorted it.Here, in the first in a series, is the enlightening document by Lumea-Veche and Tanarul, Lumea?s curious, skeptical, and inquisitive two-hundred-years-young student. Together they embark on an incredible journey that takes them from the land that humans call Romania to the Rhine Valley of Germany to the mountains of Oman near the Arabian Sea, to the jungles of India, to the Arctic Ocean and beyond to seek out and engage the varied species of surviving Dragons to tell their exceptional stories. We meet the descendant of the first dragon slain by a human knight who was later known as St. George. We explore the Aztec civilization through the eyes of the flying serpent Quetzecoatl. We follow the artistic evolution of the world-famous image of the Chinese dragon, courtesy of the race?s eldest survivor. We discover the astonishing origins of the dragon crest of the Dracula legend. And most of all, we come closer than ever to understanding these mysterious symbols of the unknown that up until now have only been the stuff of folklore and fairy tales that have perpetuated an unfounded myth of the gold-hoarding, town-destroying monsters well into the 21st century.

Romania is a country located in southeastern Europe with a population of around 19.5 million people. It is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the northeast, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania's capital and largest city is Bucharest, which is also its political and cultural center. The country covers a total area of 238,391 square kilometers and is home to many natural wonders, including the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta, and the Black Sea coast. Romania has a rich cultural heritage that dates back to prehistoric times, with notable influences from the Romans, Byzantines, Saxons, and Ottomans, among others. The country is known for its beautiful architecture, diverse cuisine, and lively folk traditions. Some of the country's most popular attractions include the medieval fortified city of Sighisoara, the castles of Dracula and Peles, the painted monasteries of Bucovina, and the Sphinx and Babele rock formations in the Bucegi Mountains. Despite its challenges with corruption and economic development, Romania is a fascinating and dynamic country that offers visitors a unique blend of old-world charm and modern appeal.

The studies included in this volume reflect on the history and culture of Romania during the twentieth century, a critical century for the country that saw such realizations as the achievement of national unity, as well as the horrors of two world wars and the installation of a brutal communist dictatorship, ending in the overthrow of the totalitarian regime and the hopes for a freer and more prosperous future. These papers, written in English and Romanian, were presented at the Eighth International Conference of the Center for Romanian Studies, held in Iasi, Romania, on 24-25 June 2002, on the theme "Twentieth Century Romania: A Retrospective." Studies include: Dumitru Sandru, Arestarile Operate În 1945 În RomÂnia Dupa Instaurarea Guvernului Petru Groza; Matthew H. Ciscel, Cei de la Rusi: The linguistic identity of the Bessarabian Romanians in the 20th Century; Dissidents of the Great Unification?; Stelu Serban, About electoral volatility in interwar Romania; Simona Gheorghiu, Nicolae Iorga and the Iron Guard; Florian Banu, Regele Carol al II-lea si emigratia romÂneasca din America În timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial; Mihail Rotaru, Sfatul Tarii si autodeterminarea Basarabiei; Basil D. Georgiadis, Life After Ceausescu: The Challenge of Democracy and NATO Membership for Romania; Wally Bacon, Contextualizing Interwar Romanian-Polish Relations; Liviu Groza, Periodicizari ?i Tranzitii În Secolul XX din perspectiva romÂneasca; and many more.