Centenary March
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The Centenary March ( ro, Marșul Centenarului) or Centenary March of the Great Union ( ro, Marșul Centenarului Marii Uniri) was a civic demonstration organized by
George Simion George Nicolae Simion (born 21 September 1986 in Focșani, Romania) is a Romanian right-wing to far-right politician and civic activist. He is the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a political party in Romania that g ...
and various non-governmental organizations from
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
, known under the collective name "Alliance for the Centenary". It started in
Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical ...
(Romania) on 1 July 2018 and ended in
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
(Moldova) on 1 September 2018. Its participants, both
Moldovans Moldovans, sometimes referred to as Moldavians ( ro, moldoveni , Moldovan Cyrillic: молдовень), are a Romance-speaking ethnic group and the largest ethnic group of the Republic of Moldova (75.1% of the population as of 2014) and a sign ...
and
Romanians The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
, targeted 300
cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
, passing through several points significant for the
Great Union In Romanian historiography, the Great Union ( ro, Marea Unire) or Great Union of 1918 () was the series of political unifications the Kingdom of Romania had with several of the so-called Romanian historical regions, starting with Bessarabia on ...
(
Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
,
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
and
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
).


Organization of the march

The march was 1,300 km long and was initially divided into 11 stages of more or less 5 days each: #
Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical ...
-
Căianu Mic Căianu Mic ( hu, Kiskaján) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Căianu Mare (''Nagykaján''), Căianu Mic, Ciceu-Poieni (''Csicsópolyán''), and Dobric (''Nagydebrek''). It also in ...
(1–5 July) #
Căianu Mic Căianu Mic ( hu, Kiskaján) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Căianu Mare (''Nagykaján''), Căianu Mic, Ciceu-Poieni (''Csicsópolyán''), and Dobric (''Nagydebrek''). It also in ...
-
Bahnea Bahnea ( hu, Bonyha; Hungarian pronunciation: , until 1898 ''Szászbonyha''; German: ''Bachnen'') is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bahnea, Bernadea (''Bernád''), Cund (''Kund''; ''Reussdorf'') ...
(7–11 July) #
Bahnea Bahnea ( hu, Bonyha; Hungarian pronunciation: , until 1898 ''Szászbonyha''; German: ''Bachnen'') is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bahnea, Bernadea (''Bernád''), Cund (''Kund''; ''Reussdorf'') ...
-
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
(13–17 July) #
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
-
Curtea de Argeș Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...
(18–22 July) #
Curtea de Argeș Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...
-
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River. Târgoviște was one of the ...
(24–28 July) #
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River. Târgoviște was one of the ...
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Cerașu Cerașu is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Cerașu, Slon, Valea Borului, Valea Brădetului, Valea Lespezii and Valea Tocii. Cerașu borders the following communes: Chiojdu (Buzău County) and Vama Bu ...
(29 July–3 August) #
Cerașu Cerașu is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Cerașu, Slon, Valea Borului, Valea Brădetului, Valea Lespezii and Valea Tocii. Cerașu borders the following communes: Chiojdu (Buzău County) and Vama Bu ...
- Ojdula (5–9 August) # Ojdula -
Tecuci Tecuci () is a city in Galați County, Romania, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. It is situated among wooded hills, on the right bank of the Bârlad River, and at the junction of railways from Galați, Bârlad, and Mărășești. ...
(11–15 August) #
Tecuci Tecuci () is a city in Galați County, Romania, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. It is situated among wooded hills, on the right bank of the Bârlad River, and at the junction of railways from Galați, Bârlad, and Mărășești. ...
-
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...
(17–20 August) #
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...
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Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
(21–24 August) #
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
-
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
(26 August–1 September) In the Centenary March, generally between 20 and 30 km per day were walked on foot. During it, the participants intended to collect one million signatures to launch a
referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
on the
unification of Romania and Moldova The unification of Moldova and Romania is a popular concept in the two countries that began in the late 1980s, during the Revolutions of 1989. The Romanian Revolution in 1989 and the independence of Moldova in 1991 further contributed to the ...
, which was one of the main objectives of the march. Participants were often accompanied by three
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es sent by the
city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
of Iași, each with a color of the
flag of Romania The national flag of Romania ( ro, drapelul României) is a tricolour. The Constitution of Romania states that "The flag of Romania is tricolour; the colours are arranged vertically in the following order from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red". ...
(blue, yellow and red). They were used as "mobile museums" with images from the First World War and the
Great Union In Romanian historiography, the Great Union ( ro, Marea Unire) or Great Union of 1918 () was the series of political unifications the Kingdom of Romania had with several of the so-called Romanian historical regions, starting with Bessarabia on ...
.
Action 2012 Action 2012 ( ro, Acțiunea 2012), officially Unionist Platform Action 2012 ( ro, Platforma Unionistă Acțiunea 2012, link=no) or Civic Platform Action 2012 (), is a coalition of non-governmental organizations striving for the unification of Mo ...
was involved in the march's organization.


March


First stage (Alba Iulia–Căianu Mic)

On July 1, the Centenary March started in Alba Iulia, in the region of Transylvania. Local authorities and civilians lit the Union Flame in front of the Coronation Cathedral, where Ferdinand I was proclaimed King of Greater Romania, which is the reason why the city was chosen as the starting point. Hundreds of participants, armed with torches, came from both Romania and Moldova. In Piața Tricolorului, people gave speeches about the importance of union with Moldova and held a
Romanian flag The national flag of Romania ( ro, drapelul României) is a tricolour. The Constitution of Romania states that "The flag of Romania is tricolour; the colours are arranged vertically in the following order from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red". T ...
long. They stated that they thought the march was a step forward towards the unification of both states. Afterwards, they started the route towards Chișinău. The first stage of the march, from July 1 to July 5, covered a route starting in Alba Iulia, passing through
Teiuș Teiuș (, german: Dreikirchen, Dornstadt; hu, Tövis) is a town in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania, with a population of 7,284 inhabitants. The town, declared as such in 1994, administers four villages: Beldiu (''Marosbéld''), Căpud (''Ma ...
, Unirea,
Turda Turda (; hu, Torda, ; german: link=no, Thorenburg; la, Potaissa) is a city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the Europe ...
and
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
and ending in
Căianu Mic Căianu Mic ( hu, Kiskaján) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Căianu Mare (''Nagykaján''), Căianu Mic, Ciceu-Poieni (''Csicsópolyán''), and Dobric (''Nagydebrek''). It also in ...
. It was estimated that between 50 and 100 people would participate in this stage of the march.
George Simion George Nicolae Simion (born 21 September 1986 in Focșani, Romania) is a Romanian right-wing to far-right politician and civic activist. He is the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a political party in Romania that g ...
appealed people to participate in the march: On July 3, the march abandoned the Alba County and arrived in the village of Dumbrava, in the
Cluj County Cluj County (; german: Kreis Klausenburg, hu, Kolozs megye) is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Transylvania. Its seat ( ro, Oraș reședință de județ) is Cluj-Napoca (german: Klausenburg). Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Kolozs megye ...
. At this point, the participants had already passed through Teiuș,
Aiud Aiud (; la, Brucla, hu, Nagyenyed, Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Straßburg am Mieresch) is a city located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. The city's population is 22,876. It has the status of municipality and is the 2nd-largest c ...
, Decea and Unirea ever since their start in Alba Iulia. Here, they visited the Dumbrava Monastery, and some hours later, they entered the town of Turda. They went to the
Mihai Vodă Monastery The Mihai Vodă Monastery, founded by Mihai Viteazul, is one of the oldest buildings in Bucharest. It was built in 1591, surrounded by stone walls, similar to a fortress. The monastery buildings served multiple purposes over time such as residence ...
of the town, near the Obelisk of Michael the Brave. The latter was a Wallachian prince who briefly ruled for the first time in history the three principalities inhabited by Romanians (Moldavia,
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
and Wallachia). Afterwards, they stayed in the city center for a while. On July 4, the participants arrived in Cluj-Napoca through a
gas station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...
at night. They continued the march through several streets of the city, where they found people dressed in traditional
Romanian dress Romanian dress refers to the traditional clothing worn by Romanians, who live primarily in Romania and Moldova, with smaller communities in Ukraine and Serbia. Today, the vast majority of Romanians wear modern style dress on most occasions, and ...
es and monarchists with royal flags. Afterwards, they were received in the Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral, in the Avram Iancu Square, by
Andrei Andreicuț Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: *Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman *And ...
,
metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...
of the
Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj The Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj ( ro, Mitropolia Clujului, Maramureșului și Sălajului) is a metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Its see is the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj; its suffragan dioceses are Maramureș and S ...
. They then stopped at the
Piața Unirii Piața Unirii (; ''Unification Square'' or ''Union Square'' in English) is one of the largest squares in central Bucharest, Romania, located in the center of the city where Sectors 1, 2, 3, and 4 meet. Part of the Civic Centre, it is bisected by U ...
at approximately 21:00, thus walking the first of the march. There, the participants started chanting ''Basarabia, pământ românesc!'' (" Bessarabia, Romanian land!"). The participants were welcomed by representatives of the municipality of Cluj-Napoca, greeted the people of the city and offered them Romanian tricolor flags and other symbols. Simion appealed to more people to participate in the upcoming ten stages of the march. On July 5, the first stage of the Centenary March ended in Căianu Mic, in the
Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German language, German as ''Kreis Bistritz-N ...
, where the participants received help and support from the locals.


Second stage (Căianu Mic–Bahnea)

On July 7, the second stage began, which covered Căianu Mic,
Cămărașu Cămărașu ( hu, Pusztakamarás; german: Kammerischdorf) is a Commune in Romania, commune in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cămărașu, Năoiu (''Novoly'') and Sâmboleni (''Mezőszombattelke''). Demograph ...
,
Crăiești Crăiești ( hu, Mezőkirályfalva, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Crăiești, Lefaia (''Lefája''), Milășel (''Kisnyulas'') and Nima Milășelului (''Kisnyulasi ...
,
Reghin Reghin (; hu, Szászrégen, or ; german: (Sächsisch) Regen) is a city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The ...
,
Târgu Mureș Târgu Mureș (, ; hu, Marosvásárhely ) is the seat of Mureș County in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania. It is the List of cities and towns in Romania, 16th largest Romanian city, with 134,290 inhabitants as of the 2011 Romania ...
and
Bahnea Bahnea ( hu, Bonyha; Hungarian pronunciation: , until 1898 ''Szászbonyha''; German: ''Bachnen'') is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bahnea, Bernadea (''Bernád''), Cund (''Kund''; ''Reussdorf'') ...
. The participants of the first stage passed the Union Flame to those of the second, and these began the journey. Under
torrential rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water fo ...
s, they crossed
Lechința Lechința (german: Lechnitz; hu, Szászlekence) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bungard, Chiraleș, Lechința, Sângeorzu Nou, Sâniacob, Țigău, and Vermeș. Geography The c ...
, where they were received by the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Romeo Florian. They also passed through Sărmășel-Gară (thus entering the
Mureș County Mureș County (, ro, Județul Mures, hu, Maros megye) is a county ('' județ'') of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative ...
), Satu Nou and Silivașu de Câmpie, where the mayor Ioan Dâmbean assisted them. Then, they spent the night in Crăiești and marched towards Reghin. To face the rain, patriotic songs and unionist messages were sung. Simion stated that although they rarely have breaks, the participants are not tired and are happy to have already traveled a good distance from Alba Iulia. Highlighted Adrian Balica, a 73-year-old man from
Grătiești Grătiești is a commune in Sectorul Rîșcani of Chișinău municipality, Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the ...
, Moldova, who is the oldest participant. The participants reached Fărăgău on July 9. At the entrances of the village, they were received by the priest Hadrian Horațiu Mălinaș and the mayor Ioan Milășan. Together, they walked to the center of the village while singing a patriotic song. After having lunch and talking with the natives for two hours, the participants resumed their way to Reghin. They arrived in the afternoon, and found that the inhabitants of the city had prepared a special reception for them at 18:00 in the
parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...
of a
restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
. The authorities congratulated the participants for this initiative and urged them to continue taking the Union Flame to Bessarabia.
Fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...
s were played, traditional dances were performed and
bread and salt Bread and salt is a welcome greeting ceremony in some Slavic, Nordic, Baltic, Balkan and other European cultures as well as in Middle Eastern cultures. It is also shared with some non-Slavic nations—Lithuanians, Latvians (both Baltic), Roman ...
was shared. On July 10, the participants arrived in Târgu Mureș. They reported that, during the journey through the Mureș County, the march was supported by many local mayors and
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s. At the entrance to the city, a small march was made in front of the Ascension of the Lord Cathedral, shouting ''Mureș vrea Unire!'' (Mureș wants the Union!). Several ordinary citizens, as well as members of various associations such as the New Right Association, the Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș, or the Free Dacians Association, among others, attended the marchers in the city. The city council of Târgu Mureș offered accommodation and food for the participants. By July 13, the Centenary March was in the village of Bahnea.


Third stage (Bahnea–Sibiu)

The third stage of the march would begin on July 13. The participants of the second stage, while still in Bahnea, gave the Union Flame to those who would participate in the third one. This stage would take place in Bahnea,
Hoghilag Hoghilag (german: Halvelagen; hu, Holdvilág) is a Communes of Romania, commune located in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is composed of three villages, namely: Hoghilag, Prod (german: Pruden; hu, Prod), and Valchid (german: Wal ...
,
Sighișoara Sighișoara (; hu, Segesvár ; german: Schäßburg ; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Schäsbrich''; yi, שעסבורג, Shesburg; la, Castrum Sex) is a city on the Târnava Mare River in Mureș County, Romania. Located in the historic region of Transy ...
,
Agnita Agnita (; german: Agnetheln; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Ongenîtlen''; hu, Szentágota) is a town on the Hârtibaciu river in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is considered the locality in the center of the country. The town administer ...
,
Nocrich Nocrich (german: Leschkirch; hu, Újegyház) is a commune in Sibiu County, Romania, in the region of Transylvania. The commune is situated between Agnita and Sibiu. It is composed of five villages: Fofeldea, Ghijasa de Jos, Hosman, Nocrich and Ți ...
and
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
. Therefore, the same day, the participants arrived in Sighișoara. Here, they visited the
Historic Centre of Sighișoara The Historic Centre of Sighișoara (''Sighișoara Citadel'') is the old historic center of the town of Sighișoara (german: Schäßburg, hu, Segesvár), Romania, built in the 12th century by Saxon settlers. It is an inhabited medieval citadel that ...
and stayed at night at a
lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...
. The City Council of
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
decided to send three
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es collectively known as the "Union Caravan" (''Caravana Unirii'') to the march, each with a color of the Romanian flag (blue, yellow and red). These buses were intended to be used as "museums on wheels" about the centenary of the Great Union. However, Dan Coțcaru, a
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
from the city, complained about the activities that were taking place on the march (parties and drinking) and that the buses were being ignored. On July 14, the march left in the morning and went to
Daneș Daneș in ( Hungarian: ''Dános'', Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Dunesdorf) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania, near Sighișoara. It is composed of four villages: Criș, Daneș, Seleuș and Stejărenii (''Beșa'' until 1960). ...
, where the city council housed them. Coțcaru complains that Simion left the buses in Sighișoara and did not notify the bus drivers where they had to go next. On July 15, the participants passed through
Dumbrăveni Dumbrăveni (before 1945 ''Ibașfalău''; german: Elisabethstadt; Saxon dialect: ''Eppeschdorf''; hu, Erzsébetváros) is a town in the north of Sibiu County, in the centre of Transylvania, central Romania. The town administers two villages, Ern ...
and
Mediaș Mediaș (; german: Mediasch, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Medwesch''/''Medveš'', hu, Medgyes) is the second largest town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. Geographic location Mediaș is located in the middle basin of Târnava Mare River, a ...
and reached
Copșa Mică Copșa Mică (german: Kleinkopisch; hu, Kiskapus) is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, located north of Sibiu, 33 km east of Blaj, and 12 km southwest of Mediaș. The town's population of 5,201 (as of 2011) is significan ...
, all of them in the
Sibiu County Sibiu County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Its county seat ( ro, reședință de județ) is the namesake town of Sibiu (german: Hermannstadt). Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szeben ...
and walking approximately . This town had already sent a delegation to Alba Iulia on the first day of the march. The authorities of the town received and prepared a dinner for them. As there was not enough accommodation, the local
fire department A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
permitted the participants to stay there during the night. Although the mayor of Copșa Mică offered the participants another night in the town, these left in the morning and marched towards
Slimnic Slimnic ( hu, Szelindek) is a commune located in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Albi, Pădureni, Ruși, Slimnic and Veseud. Slimnic and Ruși villages have fortified church A fortified church is a church ...
and Sibiu. Coțcaru reports that the following night, in Slimnic, a drunk participant who believed his
luggage Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...
was stolen threatened to kill one of the bus drivers. Half an hour later, his luggage was found and the situation calmed down. On July 17, during noon, the Centenary March finally reached Sibiu, thus ending the third stage and completing . Upon arrival, the participants received a
blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will. Etymology and Germanic paganism The modern English language term ''bless'' likely ...
from the priest Constantin Necula at the Holy Trinity Cathedral urging them not to give up and to fight for unification. Afterwards, they marched to the Grand Place of Sibiu while singing ''Trăiască, trăiască, trăiască și înflorească, Moldova, Ardealul și Țara Românească!'' ("Long live, long live, long live and flourish, Moldavia, Transylvania and Wallachia!"). Once there, they held hands, sang patriotic songs, talked with the locals and shared flags, calendars and nationalist
insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...
s. They were also received by the Society for Romanian Culture and Literature in Bukovina. Simion insisted that despite the difficulties, they would not give up. He also said that many people were greeting and helping them. An appeal was made for volunteers to donate more water, food, sleeping bags and shoes for the participants. The
Metropolis of Transylvania A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...
offered to the participants rooms to pass the night. The three buses accompanied the march all day.


Fourth stage (Sibiu–Curtea de Argeș)

On July 18, the march left Sibiu to start the fourth stage with the Union Flame with them. This stage ran through Sibiu,
Brezoi Brezoi is a town located in Vâlcea County, Romania. It administers eight villages: Călinești, Corbu, Drăgănești, Golotreni, Păscoaia, Proieni, Valea lui Stan and Văratica. It is situated in the historical region of Oltenia. Notable people ...
, Tuțulești, the
Cozia Monastery Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea the Elder in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania. History The name of the monastery is of Cuman origin and ...
,
Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Vîlcea'' or, in the past, ''Rîmnic-Vâlcea'', ) (population: 92,573 as per the 2011 Romanian census) is the county capital ( ro, Reședință de județ) and also the largest town of Vâlcea County, cent ...
and
Curtea de Argeș Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...
. From Sibiu, the participants arrived at Turnu Roșu and stayed in its
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
during the night. The next day, the participants crossed the
Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The ...
through the Olt Valley, a risky path due to the poor conditions of the
road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...
, not suitable for the cross of people, many of whom wore reflective vests. They arrived in Brezoi (
Vâlcea County Vâlcea County (also spelt ''Vîlcea''; ) is a county ( județ) of Romania. Located in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (which are separated by the Olt River), it is also part of the wider Wallachia region. Its capital city is Râm ...
, in the region of Wallachia), where a
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
was taking place. They said that they would have liked to spend the night there, but since they did not know about the festival, they had planned to spend the night elsewhere. They also reached Tuțulești and the Cozia Monastery in
Călimănești Călimănești, often known as Călimănești-Căciulata, is a town in Vâlcea County, southern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Oltenia and the northern part of the county, on the traditional route connecting the region to Tr ...
, where they were well received but had to leave quickly due to delay. The 21st day of July, the march arrived in Fedeleșoiu, where they were warmly congratulated by the population. These gave them food, fresh water and flowers. They visited the Fedeleșoiu Monastery, where priests and other persons in traditional costumes greeted them with the typical local cuisine. The same day, they went to the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea, entering through the east of the city and being at 18:30 in front of the city council. The three buses arrived much earlier, at 11:00, and stayed at the Mircea cel Batran Park with an
exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...
about the Great Union. Many were interested in them, and they stayed in the city center until night. Some thought they were buses of
political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
; they associated the red one with the
PSD PSD may refer to: Educational bodies * Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, a Pre-K to 12th grade school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * Philippine School Doha, a Filipino scho ...
, the yellow one with the PNL and the blue one with the PMP. A priest invited the participants to the St. Dumitru Church and offered them a blessing, to which they responded by singing the song ''Când a fost să moară Ștefan'' ("When
Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
was about to die"). The police also received them, checking that the march did not consist of any type of propaganda. On July 22, the fourth stage of the march ended in Curtea de Argeș (the first Wallachian capital), covering around in total since the start of the march. The participants arrived in the city in the afternoon, at approximately 19:20. The first destination was the Princely Church. Here, they met with several citizens, with whom they marched towards the
Curtea de Argeș Cathedral The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș (early 16th century) is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. It is located on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, and is dedicated to Dormition of the Mother of God. The buildin ...
. Along the way, they were greeted and applauded by the population. Once there in the cathedral, they met the priest Adrian Enache, who talked to them about the tomb of the Wallachian ruler
Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; c.1459 – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craioveşti (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Cra ...
, as well as the ones of kings
Carol I Carol I or Charles I of Romania (20 April 1839 – ), born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as King from 1881 to 1914. He w ...
and Ferdinand I and the queens Elisabeth and
Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tro ...
. Afterwards, they went to the Municipal Museum and visited the bust of Michael the Brave. The march was received by the mayor and
vice mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected dep ...
, who offered accommodation, and by the
Archdiocese of Argeș and Muscel The Archdiocese of Argeș and Muscel ( ro, Arhiepiscopia Argeșului și Muscelului) is a diocese of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Its see is the Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș and its ecclesiastical territory covers Arge ...
, who donated food to it. Again, the buses arrived earlier, at 10:30, and showed its exhibition to the population.
Corbi Corbi is a commune in Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Corbi, Corbșori, Jgheaburi, Poduri, Poenărei and Stănești. Corbi is located in the northern part of Argeș County: its neighbours are Nucșoara commune ...
, a village in the area, also offered them a place during the night.


Crossing of the border with Moldova

On 27 August 2018, although the participants did not encounter any problems with the
Romanian Border Police The Romanian Border Police ( ro, Poliția de Frontieră) is the structure of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs (Romania), Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for the border security and passport control at border crossing points, airpo ...
, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova did not allow them to enter under the pretext of "disturbance of the public order in the border area". When Romania asked for an explanation for this ban two days later, the Moldovan authorities allowed the participants to enter with the exception of Simion, an activist for the unification, who was returned to Romania without a clear explanation. At first he was banned from entering Moldova for 24 hours, but after he tried to enter again, he was banned for 2 months. Despite the obstacles from the Moldovan authorities, the Centenary March was welcomed by thousands of enthusiasts, ending in a demonstration at the
Great National Assembly Square Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
in Chișinău.


See also

*
Moldova–Romania relations Moldova and Romania have experienced an exceptional relationship since Moldova's independence in 1991. Pan-Romanianism has been a consistent part of Moldovan politics, and was adopted in the Popular Front of Moldova's platform in 1992. Most of M ...


References

{{Unification of Moldova and Romania 2018 in Romania 2018 in Moldova Great Union (Romania) Moldova–Romania relations Protest marches Romanian nationalism in Moldova