Leon Kalustian
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Leon or Levon Kalustian, also known as Calustian ( hy, Լևոն Գալուստեան, ''Levon Kalustyan''; October 17, 1908 – January 24, 1990), was a
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 ...
n journalist, essayist and memoirist. An
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
on his father's side, he abandoned his studies to work in the interwar press, taking editorial positions at ''
Cuvântul ''Cuvântul'' (, meaning "The Word") was a daily newspaper, published by philosopher Nae Ionescu in Bucharest, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It ...
'', ''
Curentul ''Curentul'' is a Romanian newspaper, based in Bucharest. It was founded in January 1928 by Pamfil Șeicaru and relaunched in October 1997. Before 1944, Șeicaru had written daily the main editorial An editorial, or leading article (UK) or ...
'', and finally '' Mișcarea''. As a left-winger who ultimately joined the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
, he took a side in public controversies, defending the political line espoused by
Nicolae Titulescu Nicolae Titulescu (; 4 March 1882 – 17 March 1941) was a Romanian diplomat, at various times government minister, finance and foreign minister, and for two terms president of the General Assembly of the League of Nations (1930–32). Early ye ...
and attacking
Stelian Popescu Stelian Popescu (February 18, 1874 in Lacu Turcului, Prahova County – 8 March 1954 in Madrid, Spain) was a nationalist Romanian journalist. Biography He was elected to Parliament many times. He was Minister of Justice in the Ionescu cab ...
. Kalustian was allegedly a collaborator of
Siguranța Siguranța was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety ( ro, Di ...
secret policemen, and remained close to the disgraced spy chief,
Eugen Cristescu Eugen Cristescu (3 April 1895 – 12 June 1950) was the second head of the Kingdom of Romania's domestic espionage agency, the Secret Intelligence Service (SSI), forerunner of today's SRI, convicted in 1946 as a war criminal. He previously se ...
. While retiring from political journalism with the advent of a dictatorial regime, under the
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
, he accepted various commissions from the Front, and was employed by its official newspaper ''România''. Identified as an enemy by the
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
, which took over in 1948, Kalustian was detained without trial for some four years, and did penal labor as a steel fixer. He was then again arrested, and sentenced, for having kept and sold books banned by state censorship. Ultimately released in 1964, Kalustian was allowed to publish again from 1966. He was still exposed to acts of persecution and to constant surveillance by the
Securitate The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
, and harassed into becoming its informant. From the late 1970s, ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and ...
'' magazine hosted his regular columns, leading both the public and the regime to rediscover him as a progressive author. Despite this take, Kalustian networked with anti-communists such as
Nicolae Carandino Nicolae Carandino (19 July 1905 – 16 February 1996) was a Romanian journalist, pamphleteer, translator, dramatist, and politician. He was born in Brăila into a family of intellectuals, the son of a Romanian mother and Greek father. After co ...
and
Corneliu Coposu Corneliu (Cornel) Coposu () (20 May 1914 – 11 November 1995) was a Christian Democratic and liberal conservative Romanian politician, the founder of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party ( ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc Cre ...
, both predicting and working toward the eventual fall of communism. He lived to witness the
Romanian Revolution of 1989 The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, dying a month later in his native town of
Focșani Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
.


Biography


Early life

Born in Focșani, his parents were Sarchis Kalustian (1867–1921) and Iulia (''née'' Gherghel; 1876–1948).Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. I, p. 821. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. His father was from
Ottoman Armenia Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (or Ottoman Armenians) mostly belonged to either the Armenian Apostolic Church or the Armenian Catholic Church. They were part of the Armenian millet until the Tanzimat reforms in the nineteenth century equaliz ...
, while his mother was an ethnic Romanian from
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 ...
. Leon (or Levon) was the oldest of four children: two sisters, Vartuhi (1910–1998) and Satenig (1916–1996), and a brother, Manuil (1911–1985).Repere biografice
at leonkalustian.ro, a project of the Duiliu Zamfirescu Vrancea County Library
The latter three lived their entire lives in the family home, at Tunelului Street 4.
Varujan Vosganian Varujan Vosganian (; hy, Վարուժան Ոսկանեան, born on 25 July 1958) is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet of Armenian origin. Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce (2006–2008) in the Tăriceanu ...
, "Fotografie de grup", in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Issue 48/2010, p. 4
In late 1937, Kalustian's enemies at ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrevi ...
'' daily circulated alleged fragments from the Kalustian file at Focșani's civil registry. These informed that Sarchis and Iulia were an unmarried couple, and non-citizens; he was a Gregorian Christian, and she a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
."De la un capăt la altul al țării, toți românii strigă: 'Jos simbriașii lui Auschnitt!' Cine? Leon Kalustian", in ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrevi ...
'', October 11, 1937, p. 11
According to fellow Armenian Romanian journalist
Bedros Horasangian Bedros is a name in Eastern Armenian meaning "rockhard", and is thus a form of the name Peter (name), Peter. Bedrosian (Eastern Armenian Petrosyan), meaning "son of Bedros / Petros" is also a common Armenian name. Religious personalities ;Armenian ...
, who conversed with him in the 1980s, Kalustian, "despite the ancient pedigree of isArmenian family, could not speak Armenian, but had instead splendidly mastered the Romanian language".
Bedros Horasangian Bedros is a name in Eastern Armenian meaning "rockhard", and is thus a form of the name Peter (name), Peter. Bedrosian (Eastern Armenian Petrosyan), meaning "son of Bedros / Petros" is also a common Armenian name. Religious personalities ;Armenian ...
, "Pagina 12", in ''
Contemporanul ''Contemporanul'' (The Contemporary) is a Romanian literary magazine published in Iaşi, Romania from 1881 to 1891. It was sponsored by the socialist circle of the city. A new magazine ''Contimporanul ''Contimporanul'' (antiquated spelling of ...
'', Vol. XXII, Issue 10, October 2011, p. 12
He was generally identified as an Armenian, o more generally as a
Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
ine, by his literary peers, including Carandino and
Victor Eftimiu Victor Eftimiu (; 24 January 1889 – 27 November 1972) was a Romanian poet and playwright. He was a contributor to ''Sburătorul'', a Romanian literary magazine. His works have been performed in the State Jewish Theater of Romania. Eftim ...
. The latter reportedly viewed him as a figure out of a saray, "a tray of
sorbet Sorbet (), also called "water ice", is a frozen dessert made using ice combined with fruit juice, fruit purée, wine, liqueur, honey, etc. Generally sorbets do not contain dairy ingredients, while sherbets do. Etymology The word "sorbet" e ...
on his head".Carandino, p. 216 Young Leon attended one year of high school in his native town and beyond that was self-taught. His detractors at ''Universul'' report that his original employment was as a "servant boy in Ianculescu's barber shop, at Focșani." Settling early in the national capital
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, his first published work appeared in ''Cuvântul'' newspaper in 1926; he was an editor for ''Cuvântul'' (1926–1927), ''Curentul'' (1928–1934), ''Mișcarea'' (1931–1932) and ''România'' (1938–1940). Other publications to which he contributed include '' Dimineața'', ''
Adevărul ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...
'', '' Facla'', ''
Azi ''Azi'' (''Today'' in Romanian) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. The paper was started in 1990. Today was also the name of a literary magazine published monthly in Romania, from March 1932 to August 1938, under the directio ...
'', ''Lumea Românească'', ''Reporter'', ''
Adevărul Literar și Artistic ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published du ...
'', ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', '' Manuscriptum'', and '' Luceafărul''. Pen names he used included Democrit, Elka, Lucullus, Kalunkar, Al. Teodoru, Vladimir, L.K. and Kalvincar. The last one was formed from his surname and those of his fellow ''Facla'' columnists Carandino and
Ion Vinea Ion Vinea (born Ioan Eugen Iovanaki, sometimes Iovanache; April 17, 1895 – July 6, 1964) was a Romanian poet, novelist, journalist, literary theorist, and political figure. He became active on the modernist scene during his teens—his poetic wo ...
. The early interwar years consolidated Kalustian's reputation as a "great erudite" and a leading socialist publicist. In June 1933, he married Iza Dora Aronovici, a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
woman from
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 ...
nine years his senior. Although Kalustian's charm, which assured his place in high society, caused friction within the marriage, the union endured. As recounted by Carandino, Kalustian spent little time writing, and more time networking, managing to establish close rapports with politicians, from
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod Alexandru Vaida-Voevod or Vaida-Voievod (27 February 1872 – 19 March 1950) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician who was a supporter and promoter of the Union of Transylvania with Romania, union of Transylvania (before 1920 part of ...
to
Grigore Iunian Grigore Iunian (September 30, 1882 – 1939) was a Romanian left-wing politician and lawyer. A member of the National Liberal Party (PNL) during the 1910s, he rallied with the Peasants' Party (PȚ) after World War I, and followed it into the ...
. His youth was spent on "poker games, the racetrack, tea parties with the madams", as well as "success in women". During his ''Curentul'' stage, he sided with the left-wing sections of the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...
(PNȚ). This implied taking up the fight against Carol Caraiman, the disgraced and exiled Crown Prince, who was attempting to return as
King of Romania The King of Romania (Romanian: ''Regele României'') or King of the Romanians (Romanian: ''Regele Românilor''), was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian ...
. Carol finally staged a coup against the Romanian Regency on June 6, 1930, isolating his opponents and taking the thone for himself; Kalustian and the "old political reporter" Paul Costin were tasked with removing anti-Carlist content from that night's edition of ''Curentul''.Leon Kalustian, "Simple note. Ziarul ''Mișcarea'' — 1930", in ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and ...
'', Issue 37/1980, p. 18
These events, Kalustian notes, meant that ''Curentul'' had to move from "diatribes to
dithyramb The dithyramb (; grc, διθύραμβος, ''dithyrambos'') was an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility; the term was also used as an epithet of the god. Plato, in ''The Laws'', while discussing ...
s" when it came to Carol; in order to ensure an "indirect transition", he was tasked with focusing all attention on the "Georgist" Liberals, which were new and radical arrivals on the Romanian political scene. The Georgists' eponymous leader,
Gheorghe I. Brătianu Gheorghe (George) I. Brătianu (January 28 1898 – April 23–27, 1953) was a Romanian politician and historian. A member of the Brătianu family and initially affiliated with the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Par ...
, eventually asked the 21-year-old Kalustian, or "Vladimir Elka", to work at ''Mișcarea'' alongside
Dem. Theodorescu Dem. Theodorescu (most common rendition of Demetru Theodorescu or Teodorescu, first name also Mitică; October 26, 1888 – April 11, 1946) was a Romanian journalist, humorist, and critic, remembered for his social-themed novels but also for his c ...
(recommended by Kalustian as a "great and incomparable journalist"),
Ion Pas Ion Pas (born Ioan M. Pascu; October 6, 1895 – May 20, 1974) was a Romanian novelist, translator and left-wing politician. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Marin Pascu, a small-time craftsman, and his wife Maria (''née'' Ispas). He attended ...
, and Sergiu Milorian. Emerging as a feared polemicist, Kalustian defended democratic values and launched virulent attacks on ''Universul'' owner
Stelian Popescu Stelian Popescu (February 18, 1874 in Lacu Turcului, Prahova County – 8 March 1954 in Madrid, Spain) was a nationalist Romanian journalist. Biography He was elected to Parliament many times. He was Minister of Justice in the Ionescu cab ...
. As an adversary in such polemics,
Petre Pandrea Petre is a surname and given name derived from Peter. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Petre * Charles Petre Eyre (1817–1902), English Roman Catholic prelate * Ion Petre Stoican (circa 1930–1990), Romanian vi ...
recorded his belief that Kalustian was an agent of the interwar secret service, or ''
Siguranța Siguranța was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety ( ro, Di ...
'', who primarily informed his superiors about the goings-on in journalist circles. More specifically, ''Universul'' claimed to expose Kalustian as "secret agent No. 48", noting that "such work, albeit in service to the state, does not call for Romanian citizenship." The claims were partly confirmed by a ''Siguranța'' report of November 1934, which suggests that he continued to work as an informant for
Eugen Cristescu Eugen Cristescu (3 April 1895 – 12 June 1950) was the second head of the Kingdom of Romania's domestic espionage agency, the Secret Intelligence Service (SSI), forerunner of today's SRI, convicted in 1946 as a war criminal. He previously se ...
after the latter had been ousted from his position as director of that agency. According to that report, Kalustian and diplomat
Nicolae Titulescu Nicolae Titulescu (; 4 March 1882 – 17 March 1941) was a Romanian diplomat, at various times government minister, finance and foreign minister, and for two terms president of the General Assembly of the League of Nations (1930–32). Early ye ...
colluded with the PNȚ to have Cristescu reinstated. A 1935 interview in ''Facla'' includes details on Kalustian's social and political outlook, including his statement that it was impossible not to write about the "social inequities reatingtwo worlds, one of the satiated and the other of the famished".
Aurel Baranga Aurel Baranga (born Aurel Leibovici; June 20, 1913 – June 10, 1979) was a Romanian playwright and poet. Born into a Jewish family in Bucharest, his parents were company clerk Jean Leibovici and his wife Paulina. He graduated from Matei Basa ...
, "Pagini de ziaristică antifascistă", in ''
Scînteia ''Scînteia'' (Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper ''Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until th ...
'', April 14, 1977, p. 4
Early that year, '' Rampa'' announced that Kalustian had completed a
political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...
on the Škoda Affair, but that state censorship was sure to confiscate it: "The author will print it, though, if not for the general public then at least for his friends." The work was probably almost entirely based on public records of the scandal. In May, ''Zorile'' newspaper put out Kalustian's protest against the censoring of a conference by his fiend, Silviu Rusu, in which Rusu wished to speak about
Jiddu Krishnamurti Jiddu Krishnamurti (; 11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected thi ...
; the audience was reportedly chased out by the
Romanian Police The Romanian Police ( ro, Poliția Română, ) is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and it is led by a General Inspector with the rank of Secretary ...
. Kalustian's text intimated that Rusu was a fellow left-wing activist—though, according to scholar Liviu Bordaș, this was an exaggeration on his part. During the early 1930s, Titulescu established his international profile as a peace activist, and was elected chairman of the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
. Kalustian joined him on his international tours; a diary note by novelist
Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu (; 9/21 April 1894 – 14 May 1957) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, philosopher and poet. He marked the end of the traditional novel era and laid the foundation of the modern novel era in Romania. Life Petrescu was born in Bu ...
reports a conversation between himself and Kalustian, in which the latter confided that he was hired to exaggerate Titulescu's impact of Europe's political affairs. After one appearance in
Weimar Germany The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a Constitutional republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in ...
:
"We went to a hotel and, once there, he asked me to write down my article on his conference. I wrote down the title: ''A Conference by Mr Titulescu''. He said: 'Come now, you're a smart boy... Why then have this 'a conference' business? Write down: 'A brilliant conference...'. I went on: 'Last night, in front of a large audience'. He: 'What's this then, 'a large audience'? Write down: 'in front of a large and distinguished audience, comprising, among various others, Messrs Stresemann, Brüning', just add all their names, to hell with them.' "


Anti-fascism

In July 1936, Kalustian concentrated on warning his readers about the unchecked excesses of fascist paramilitaries from both the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
and the ''
Lăncieri The ''Lăncieri'' ("Lancers", ) were a Romanian fascist paramilitary movement initially attached to the National-Christian Defense League, and following the merger on 16 July 1935 of the NCDL and the National Agrarian Party to form the National C ...
'':
"the capital's streets are taken over by gangs of blue- or green-shirted individuals, calling themselves 'students'. ..they stalk from the darkness, to hit from behind, they jump, twenty armed beasts at a time, on just one man, who's unarmed, they empty their guns into peaceful men, they set alight firecrackers to conceal their own escape, they handle stilettos and set fie to newspapers—to those newspapers which stand up against the return to barbarity, to prehistory".
Kalustian's articles covered the assassination of
Mihai Stelescu Mihai Stelescu (1907 – July 16, 1936) was a Romanian political activist. Biography With the Iron Guard Born in Galați,Pop, p.44 he joined, while still in high school, the Legion of the Archangel Michael (later also known as the ''Iron Guard ...
, founder of the dissident
Crusade of Romanianism The Crusade of Romanianism ( ro, Cruciada Românismului, also known as ''Vulturii Albi'', "White Eagles", ''Steliști'', "Stelists", or ''Cruciați'', "Crusaders") was an eclectic far-right group in Romania, founded in late 1934 by Mihai Stelesc ...
, by his former colleagues in the Guard. Kalustian confirmed for his readers that Stelescu had been "chopped to pieces", and sarcastically added: "They didn't eat him." In late 1936, writing for ''Dimineața'', Kalustian took the side of petty clerks driven into poverty by the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, warning that a revolt was looming. During 1937, he published pieces defending his patron Titulescu after the latter had been sidelined by an informal coalition of his various enemies (whom Kalustian called "dunces"). Writer
Aurel Baranga Aurel Baranga (born Aurel Leibovici; June 20, 1913 – June 10, 1979) was a Romanian playwright and poet. Born into a Jewish family in Bucharest, his parents were company clerk Jean Leibovici and his wife Paulina. He graduated from Matei Basa ...
worked with Kalustian at ''Lumea Românească'' in 1936–1937, describing him as a man of "sparkling, lively, unrelenting intelligence". Critic and left-wing essayist
Șerban Cioculescu Șerban Cioculescu (; 7 September 1902 – 25 June 1988) was a Romanian literary critic, literary historian and columnist, who held teaching positions in Romanian literature at the University of Iași and the University of Bucharest, as well as m ...
recalled in 1975 his "great satisfaction" at reading Kalustian's renewed attacks on "the immense nonentity that was Stelian Popescu, who had fashioned himself into an 'apostle' of nationalism and a great newspaperman".
Șerban Cioculescu Șerban Cioculescu (; 7 September 1902 – 25 June 1988) was a Romanian literary critic, literary historian and columnist, who held teaching positions in Romanian literature at the University of Iași and the University of Bucharest, as well as m ...
, "Autografe semnificative", in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Issue 17/1975, p. 7
At the time, ''Universul'' saw Kalustian,
Geo Bogza Geo Bogza (; born Gheorghe Bogza; February 6, 1908 – September 14, 1993) was a Romanian avant-garde theorist, poet, and journalist, known for his left-wing and communist political convictions. As a young man in the interwar period, he was known ...
and
Mircea Damian Mircea Damian (pen name of Constantin Mătușa; March 14, 1899–June 16, 1948) was a Romanian prose writer and journalist. Early life Born in Izvoru, Olt County, he attended primary school in his native village, followed by high school in ...
as press agents for the Jewish industrialist
Max Auschnitt Max Carol Auschnitt,Cerasela Moldoveanu, "În căutarea lui Schwartz... Contribuția evreilor la Războiul de Întregire Națională a României (1916–1919)", in ''Revista de Istorie Militară'', Issues 5–6/2017, p. 90 also known as Ausschnitt ...
, "commissioned to besmirch, with their Judaic mud, with their filthy posters and rags, all men who espouse the notion of a Romanian rebirth". Kalustian rated as one of his accomplishments having published in ''Lumea Românească'' letters which showed Popescu to have been a "traitor" during the 1916–1918 occupation of southern Romania by the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
. These documents purportedly evidenced that Popescu tied tied to reach a deal with
August von Mackensen Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" in 1899, was a German field marshal. He commanded successfully during World War I of 1914–1918 and became one of the ...
, who was overseeing the occupation forces. By 1937, Kalustian was supporting Titulescu in his conflict with King Carol's ''
camarilla A camarilla is a group of courtiers or favourites who surround a king or ruler. Usually, they do not hold any office or have any official authority at the royal court but influence their ruler behind the scenes. Consequently, they also escape havi ...
''. In November of that year, Titulescu made a return visit to Romania;
Gavrilă Marinescu Gabriel Marinescu (first name also Gavril or Gavrilă; November 7, 1886 – November 26/27, 1940) was a Romanian general. Born in Tigveni, Argeș County, he was the son of a teacher. He attended Saint Sava National College in Bucharest, the schoo ...
's Police closely monitored those in contact with him, including both Kalustian and Stelian Popescu. In early 1938, Carol's personal regime was set up at the detriment of all other parties, eventually establishing the catch-all
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
(FRN). Kalustian quit political journalism, which he did not resume for forty years; as later noted by novelist Constantin Țoiu, "a gag was shoved into alustian'smouth" by the successive fascist governments. Constantin Țoiu, "Elegie întîrziată", in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Issue 16/1976, p. 7
Kalustian was still featured with sports commentary in
Cezar Petrescu Cezar Petrescu (; December 1, 1892–March 9, 1961) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, and children's writer. He was born in Hodora, Iași County, the son of Dimitrie Petrescu, an engineer and a teacher. After attending elementary school ...
's ''România'', where, in September, he chronicled the national football team's defeat by a Greater Germany squad. According to Kalustian, this upset was only met possible by the annexations of March, whereby "first-rate" Austrian players had changed kits. In his memoirs, diplomat
Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu (; September 15, 1916 in Războieni, Romania – June 22, 1992 in Paris, France) was a Romanian writer, best known for his 1949 novel, ''The 25th Hour'', first published by Plon in France. Life Virgil Gheorghiu ...
alleges that Kalustian had a more secretive role at ''România''—namely, ensuing that the newspaper stayed in line with government policies dictated by
Armand Călinescu Armand Călinescu (4 June 1893 – 21 September 1939) was a Romanian economist and politician, who served as 39th Prime Minister from March 1939 until his assassination six months later. He was a staunch opponent of the fascist Iron Guard and m ...
, the FRN
Interior Minister An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
. Vartan Arachelian, a younger Armenian journalist who met Kalustian and Carandino later in their lives, argues that both were mostly unwilling to share details on their employment by ''România''. As he notes, the collaboration with a newspaper of the authoritarian right clashed with their left-wing credentials, and also made them targets for retribution by the
Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
. In his memoirs, Carandino made a note of his employment there and his good pay at a time when "many of my left-wing colleagues were unemployed"; he also recounts that Kalustian and Emil Serghie negotiated the terms of his recruitment. Overall: "Once dictatorships had settled in, alustianpreferred to act from the shadows, to act a very important role which his friends, especially those on the left, were able to profit from. Unexpectedly, a truly worthy journalist was withdrawing from the spotlight, but without his presence being any less sensed." Kalustian was also employed as a personal secretary by ''România''s editor-in-chief,
Cezar Petrescu Cezar Petrescu (; December 1, 1892–March 9, 1961) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, and children's writer. He was born in Hodora, Iași County, the son of Dimitrie Petrescu, an engineer and a teacher. After attending elementary school ...
. During April 1940, just before the
fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...
, the two visited France and the United Kingdom. Kalustian used this occasion to meet up with the gravely ill Titulescu, one final time, at the
Paris Ritz Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Sin ...
. Forty years later, he went public with the claim that Titulescu had entrusted him with all three copies of his final will, which he was to present to
Iuliu Maniu Iuliu Maniu (; 8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was an Austro-Hungarian-born lawyer and Romanian politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the Un ...
,
Ion Mihalache Ion Mihalache (; March 3, 1882 – February 5, 1963) was a Romanian agrarian politician, the founder and leader of the Peasants' Party (PȚ) and a main figure of its successor, the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ). Early life A schoolteacher bor ...
, and Savel Rădulescu, respectively. The text instructed them to have Titulescu's body reburied at
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...
"once peace will have been reinstated throughout the world". In August, ''România'' recorded Kalustian's presence in the group which saw
Grigore Gafencu Grigore Gafencu (; January 30, 1892 – January 30, 1957) was a Romanian politician, diplomat and journalist. Political career Gafencu was born in Bârlad. He studied law and received his Ph.D. in law from the University of Bucharest. During W ...
, the newly appointed Ambassador to the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, off on his voyage to Moscow. In 1941, the Iron Guard established a "
National Legionary State The National Legionary State was a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Fascism, fascist regime which governed Kingdom of Romania, Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by ...
", leaving Kalustian as a silent witness of fascist violence. According to his own account, he was impressed and inspired when a "simple plowman", Marin Ailincăi of Tomești, undermined Guardist pretensions with his sarcastic wit.


Communist imprisonments

After the August 1944 coup and during the latter stages of World War II, Kalustian returned to public life as a moderate left-wing journalist, rejecting collaboration with the Communist Party. He joined the Romanian Social Democratic Party, whereupon he sided with the anti-communist inner-faction, formed around
Constantin Titel Petrescu Constantin Titel Petrescu (5 February 1888 – 2 September 1957) was a Romanian politician and lawyer. He was the leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Party. He was born in Craiova, the son of an employee of the National Bank in Buchare ...
. He recorded rumors of devastation by the Soviet occupation forces, and, in late years, claimed that the
Constantin Stere Constantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea (Romanian; russian: Константин Егорович Стере, ''Konstantin Yegorovich Stere'' or Константин Георгиевич Стере, ''Konstantin Georgiyevich Stere''; also known u ...
archive in
Bucov Bucov () is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania, just east of Ploiești, the county seat. It is composed of five villages: Bighilin, Bucov, Chițorani, Pleașa and Valea Orlei. The commune is located in the south-central part of the co ...
had been destroyed by a
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
squad; the information is contradicted by othe accounts, which suggest that the Stere documents were either destroyed or scattered by an unnamed caretaker. Arrested in May 1951 under the early
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
, Kalustian was held without trial for four years at
Jilava Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Muntenia, Romania, near Bucharest. It is composed of a single village, Jilava. The name derives from a Romanian word of Slavic origin (Bulgarian жилав ''žilav'' (tough), which passed into Romanian as ''j ...
,
Gherla Gherla (; hu, Szamosújvár; german: Neuschloss) is a municipality in Cluj County, Romania (in the historical region of Transylvania). It is located from Cluj-Napoca on the river Someșul Mic, and has a population of 20,203. Three villages are a ...
and Văcărești prisons.Ion, p. 335 In 1953, he also did time in the comparatively liberal camp of
Onești Onești (; hu, Ónfalva) is a municipiu, city in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 39,172 inhabitants. It is situated in the historical region of Western Moldavia, Moldavia. Administratively, the villages of Slobozia and Borzești ...
, where he and aristocrat Mihail Dim. Sturdza worked as steel fixers. Sturdza reports that Kalustian was able to coax a prison guard into letting them communicate with the outside world by means of "little notes". Between 1956 and 1960, having no other means of subsistence, Kalustian sold books clandestinely, an activity closely monitored by the
Securitate The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
secret police. His case officer, Idel Cohn, opened a file on Kalustian as a "clandestine antiquarian". In December 1960, a search of his home resulted in the seizure of hundreds of books, rare editions, manuscripts, documents, magazines, important works of Romanian and world literature. These had been acquired over time and came from his personal library; additionally, personal observations, notes and letters addressed to his family were impounded. Arrested the following day, Kalustian was tried in September 1961. The court sentenced him to eight years' imprisonment and confiscation of his entire property, the crime being distribution of banned publications. Among these were Stere's ''În preajma revoluției'', Queen Marie's ''Povestea vieții mele'', ''Mustul care fierbe'' by
Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Life and politics Goga was born in Rășinari, near Sibiu. Goga was an active member in the Romanian nationalisti ...
and the ''Memoirs'' of
King 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 ...
, all considered dangerous for the socialist order. Following a mass amnesty, Kalustian was released from Gherla in April 1964. In 1966–1967,
Ilie Purcaru Ilie Purcaru (5 November 1933 – 10 October 2008) was a Romanian journalist and poet, much of whose writing was in support of the Socialist Republic of Romania, communist regime. A native of the Oltenia region, he had an early debut in the R ...
commissioned him to write a series commemorating Titulescu in the provincial magazine '' Ramuri''. In October 1967,
militiamen A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
descended on his home (located on Maria Rosetti Street) as part of an intimidation campaign against former political prisoners. Searching for books considered subversive, they sealed his large collection. Pandrea, himself newly released from prison, argues in his journal that some were avoiding Kalustian, whom they perceived as a Securitate informant. Pandrea did not dismiss this claim, but rather viewed it as irrelevant, since "those of us who are not natural-born conspirators will have no fear of agents." Arachelian notes that, through relentless "political persecution", Kalustian was indeed forced into becoming an informant. Kalustian's first book, the 1975 ''Facsimile'', appeared late; it comprised in large part his literary correspondence with teacher Nicolae Bănescu, and, Cioculescu notes, revealed the author's "exceptional sensitivity" and "frantic dedication" to his subject. The Bănescu letters expanded on historical-biographical studies on figures such as C. A. Rosetti,
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
and
George Vâlsan George Vâlsan (January 22, 1885 – August 6, 1935) was a Romanian geographer and writer. Biography Education and career Born in Bucharest, he attended primary school in Iași and Craiova, and began high school in Pitești. He completed secondar ...
, focusing on details that Kalustian selected as especially moving. ''Facsimile'' was followed by ''Conspirații sub cer deschis'' (1976), a selection of his anti-fascist, pro-democracy articles from 1936 to 1938.Ioan Enache, "Note de lectură. L. Kalustian, ''Conspirații sub cer deschis''", in ''
Scînteia ''Scînteia'' (Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper ''Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until th ...
'', May 12, 1976, p. 4
Both editions were curated by literary scholar Valeriu Râpeanu, under contract with Editura Eminescu. ''Conspirații...'' was positively reviewed by Ioan Enache in the Communist Party daily, ''
Scînteia ''Scînteia'' (Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper ''Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until th ...
''. According to Enache, Kalustian "provides today's reader with the reliable image of a tormented epoch, riddled with contradictions, as rendered from within and in lockstep with the events themselves. This book eloquently demonstrates the militant calling of our progressive press." In April 1977, the same newspaper also hosted Baranga's musings about Kalustian, signalling him as one who had stood on the "barricade against fascism", with "remarkable civic courage". Baranga also argued that the work was useful in an era of
neo-fascism Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration sen ...
"across the continents"—referring to groups such as
Ordine Nero The Ordine Nero ( it, Black Order) was an Italian terrorist fascist group founded in 1974 following the dissolution of the fascist Ordine Nuovo. Between 1974 and 1978, bombings by ON led to a number of woundings and deaths, having orchestrated s ...
. In private, Kalustian enjoyed a good rapport with Armenian Arșavir Acterian, who had spent time in communist prisons for his affiliation with the Iron Guard; as reported by Horasangian, the two men jokingly competed as to who had been jailed longer (Kalustian won by only a few months), and exchanged anecdotes of real life. During the early 1970s, Kalustian also resumed his friendship with Carandino, himself a survivor of communist imprisonment; their other friend was another former inmate, the Jewish folklorist
Harry Brauner Harry Brauner (24 February 1908 – 11 March 1988) was an ethnomusicologist, composer, and professor of music from Romania. Life Brauner was born in Piatra Neamț into a Jewish family with many children, including his elder brother, Victor, w ...
. They attended a clandestine coffee shop on Hristo Botev Street, becoming known as the ''
Three Musketeers 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...
''. The group was able to connect with other journalists and Securitate men, and obtained regular access to foreign magazines. These were secretly taken out of packages received by a Securitate general, and circulated widely before being returned and re-sent. Kalustian also made return visits to Focșani, where, around 1974, he met the aspiring Armenian poet
Varujan Vosganian Varujan Vosganian (; hy, Վարուժան Ոսկանեան, born on 25 July 1958) is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet of Armenian origin. Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce (2006–2008) in the Tăriceanu ...
, to whom he sent books (including Vosganian's first-ever dictionary).


Rediscovery and dissidence

In December 1977, Kalustian was one of 21 men and women who expressed solidarity with the communist regime, against the dissident movement launched by
Paul Goma Paul Goma (; October 2, 1935 – March 24, 2020) was a Romanian writer, known for his activities as a dissident and leading opponent of the communist regime before 1989. Forced into exile by the communist authorities, he became a political refug ...
; the list, which was kept in the Securitate archive, also included public intellectuals such as Constantin Abăluță,
Eugen Barbu Eugen Barbu (; 20 February 1924 – 7 September 1993) was a Romanian modern novelist, short story writer, journalist, and correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. The latter position was vehemently criticized by those who contended tha ...
, Fănuș Neagu,
Zigu Ornea Zigu Ornea (; born Zigu Orenstein Andrei Vasilescu"La ceas aniversar – Cornel Popa la 75 de ani: 'Am refuzat numeroase demnități pentru a rămâne credincios logicii și filosofiei analitice.' ", in Revista de Filosofie Analitică', Vol. II, N ...
,
Marin Preda Marin Preda (; 5 August 1922, Siliștea Gumești, Teleorman County, Kingdom of Romania – 16 May 1980, Mogoșoaia, Ilfov County, Socialist Republic of Romania) was a Romanian novelist, post-war writer and director of Cartea Românească publis ...
and Dan Zamfirescu. Though Kalustian returned to journalism in 1978, publishing a column in
Adrian Păunescu Adrian Păunescu (; 20 July 1943 – 5 November 2010) was a Romanian writer, publisher, cultural promoter, translator, and politician. A profoundly charismatic personality, a controversial and complex figure, the artist and the man are almost im ...
's ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and ...
'', he continued to be monitored by the Securitate. This literary recovery was reportedly arranged by Arachelian, who also aired an interview with Kalustian for
state television State media or government media are media outlets that are under financial and/or editorial control of the state or government, directly or indirectly. There are different types of state and government media. State-controlled or state-run media a ...
;Stepan-Cazazian, p. 6 this institution then produced a documentary film about the literary life at
Casa Capșa Casa Capșa is a historic restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, first established in 1852. At various times it has also included a hotel; most recently, it reopened as a 61-room hotel 17 June 2003. "…long a symbol of Bucharest for its inhabitants ...
, with Kalustian as the narrator. Horasangian credits Kalustian's "discovery" to Păunescu, and notes that the columns produced as a result were "not at all bad". In 1980, poems about Kalustian, penned by his generation colleague
Vlaicu Bârna Vlaicu Victor Virgil Bârna (December 4, 1913 – March 11, 1999) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet. Born in Crișan, Hunedoara County, in the Transylvania region, his parents Ion Bârna and Maria (''née'' Pavel) were peasants. After ...
, appeared in Bârna's collection ''Sandala lui Empedocle''—critic
Ovid Crohmălniceanu Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
argues that they are among the more accomplished fragments of that volume. Kalustian was additionally featured as a raconteur in a Titulescu issue put out in early 1982 by ''Revista Română'', which was published in four languages and circulated abroad. Kalustian ultimately collected his columns in five volumes, which appeared to generally positive reviews between 1980 and 1985 as ''Simple note''. Commenting on their literary classification, critic Al. Dobrescu found Kalustian the essayist to be midway between Iorga and
Lazăr Șăineanu Lazăr Șăineanu (, also spelled Șeineanu, born Eliezer Schein;Leopold, p.383, 417 Francisized Lazare Sainéan, , Alexandru Mușina"Țara turcită", in ''România Literară'', Nr. 19/2003 or Sainéanu; April 23, 1859 – May 11, 1934) was a R ...
, "but without the former's stylistic vigor or the latter's meticulousness."Al. Dobrescu, "Cronica. ''Simple note''", in ''
Convorbiri Literare ''Convorbiri Literare'' ( Romanian: ''Literary Talks'') is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania. History and profile ''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by ...
'', Vol. XCI, Issue 1192, December 1985, p. 10
Also according to Dobrescu, much of the information they communicated was already public knowledge—with notable exceptions whenever Kalustian discussed the lesser-known writers, from Constantin Beldie and
Cora Irineu Cora may refer to: Science * Cora (fungus), ''Cora'' (fungus), a genus of lichens * Cora (damselfly), ''Cora'' (damselfly), a genus of damselflies * CorA metal ion transporter, a Mg2+ influx system People * Cora (name), a given name and surname * ...
to Nicolae P. Leonăchescu. The critic was upset that Kalustian never seemed interested in recounting his personal meetings with N. D. Cocea and
George Mihail Zamfirescu George Mihail Zamfirescu (born Gheorghe Petre Mihai; 13 October 1898 – 8 August 1939) was a Romanian prose writer and playwright. He was born in Bucharest, the son of Petre Mihai, a drayman, and his wife Lina (Raluca) Costache. Between 1905 ...
, with the articles on them veering into a "deluge of musings, either restrained or pathetic, about the human condition, the cruelties of life, and other such things." Another reviewer, Teodor Vârgolici, praised ''Simple note'' for the "masterful bridging of personal recollections and authentic document"—but disliked Kalustian's negative musings about diarist
Gala Galaction Gala Galaction (; the pen name of Grigore or Grigorie Pisculescu, (the quarter "Pantelimon" is presumed to preserve his memory) ; April 16, 1879—March 8, 1961) was a Romanian Orthodox clergyman and theologian, writer, journalist, left-wing ac ...
, which he read as "personal resentments". Carandino was also allowed to publish a book of memoirs, but only after a lengthy negotiation with the communist censors—according to Arachelian, Kalustian found the process to be ridiculous. Their works drew attention from other literati and political figures, leading them to establish an "Artists' Club" at the coffee shop on Sfinților Street. The owner, Gheorghe Florescu, recalls that they were joined there by
Corneliu Coposu Corneliu (Cornel) Coposu () (20 May 1914 – 11 November 1995) was a Christian Democratic and liberal conservative Romanian politician, the founder of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party ( ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc Cre ...
, once a regional PNȚ leader, and by film actor Cornel Coman. They would often discuss politics from an anti-communist perspective, though they had to interrupt themselves when a Securitate colonel stopped in for coffee. According to Florescu, during one such encounter in May 1980 (shortly after Coman's death) Kalustian made several accurate predictions about the outcome of the
US presidential election The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dire ...
, the eventual
breakup of Yugoslavia The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
, and the global fall of communism. Florescu also reports that, in early 1983, Kalustian and Carandino, together with lawyer Mircea Traian Biju, were engaged in a conspiracy to foment revolt against communist leader
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...
. Though noting that the Securitate was probably unaware of this activity, Florescu proposes that the
Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
was both aware and involved. In June of that year, thanks to the efforts of Păunescu and
Dumitru Radu Popescu Dumitru Radu Popescu (; 19 August 1935 – 2 January 2023) was a Romanian novelist, poet, dramatist, essayist and short story writer. He was a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy and was, between 1980 and 1990, Chairman of the Romanian Wr ...
, the
Romanian Writers' Union The Writers' Union of Romania (), founded in March 1949, is a professional association of writers in Romania. It also has a subsidiary in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. The Writers' Union of Romania was created by the communist regime by taking ...
granted Kalustian an unofficial pension; his name later disappeared from the membership list. His wife died the following month, plunging him into grief; his apathy deepened after his brother died in 1985, and his desire to write steadily faded. A late contribution, praised by fellow author Gheorghe Tomozei for its "delicate ardor", was a review of the Romanian football team's performance at
UEFA Euro 1984 The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France from 12 to 27 June 1984. It was the seventh UEFA European Championship, a competition held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. At the time, only eight countries ...
; another was his preface to a book of memoirs by the left-wing peasant activist Ion D. Isac, which was published by Editura Eminescu in 1987. It included Kalustian's personal recollection of electoral battles and anti-fascist alliances. Bookseller Marius Nicolescu notes that, in the 1980s, Kalustian, like George Carabas and Radu Sterescu, was engaging in a semi-legal book trade: "Sometimes in defiance of the authorities and their laws, and sometimes with
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
indulgent complicity". At that stage, Florescu had come under surveillance for his participation in the black market in coffee and other goods; as he reports, the Securitate, which handled his interrogation, asked about his contacts with Kalustian and Carandino, whom it branded "enemies of the people". As a result, Florescu decided to end the "Artists' Club", and would only meet with his friends in Kalustian's apartment. During the 1984–1985 winter, the rooms were left unheated due to the Ceaușescu's austerity policies; unlike his friend and neighbor
Alexandru Rosetti Alexandru Rosetti (October 20, 1895 – February 27, 1990) was a Romanian linguist, editor, and memoirist. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Petre Rosetti Bălănescu, a lawyer and landowner, and his wife Zoe (''née'' Cornescu), whose father wro ...
, Kalustian did not qualify for state assistance. In December, as Florescu faced arrest, Kalustian advised him to seek being beaten up in custody as the better alternative to a prison term. Arachelian recalls that, around 1987, all those who had read Carandino's ''
samizdat Samizdat (russian: самиздат, lit=self-publishing, links=no) was a form of dissident activity across the Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications, often by hand, and passed the document ...
'', which included his clandestine memoirs, were briefly detained by the Bucharest Securitate, and threatened with prosecution. In October 1989, his health increasingly deteriorating, Kalustian returned to Focșani, where his two sisters cared for him until his death the following January. He was buried in the local Armenian cemetery, the service officiated by Zareh Baronian, who had reportedly assisted Kalustian during his final days. One month before his death, the communism was toppled in Romania. An obituary was penned by Paul Lăzărescu in the first post-revolutionary issue of ''
Dreptatea ''Dreptatea'' was a Romanian newspaper that appeared between 17 October 1927 and 17 July 1947, as a newspaper of the National Peasants' Party. It was re-founded on February 5, 1990 as a publication of the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' ...
'', organ of the revived
Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party The Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party ( ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc Creștin Democrat, officially abbreviated PNȚCD) is a Christian democratic and agrarian political party in Romania. It claims to be the rightful successor o ...
. It celebrated Kalustian, a man of "unrelenting verve", for "never abdicat ng not for one moment, from the principles he espoused", and announced that he had been just been admitted into the Writers' Union. Arachelian, who published his own ''Simple note'' column in ''Datina'' magazine, credits Kalustian as the main source of information for his interwar-themed novel—the 1999 ''Noaptea bastarzilor''. As he notes, that writing, along with the complementary novel ''Cartea regelui romantic și a fiilor fără de țară'', is all that endures from the Kalustian–Arachelian conversations, in which the latter was tying to persuade the former into dictating a "subjective history" of Carol's reign. Kalustian's own ''Facsimile'' was republished, in 2000, by Editura Ararat. His memory was invoked by his former friends and colleagues. His centennial in October 2008 was celebrated by Focșani officials, including
Angel Tîlvăr Angel Tîlvăr (born 11 February 1962) is a Romanian politician and English teacher who, from 31 October 2022, holds the position of Minister of National Defense. He was elected senator in the 2004–2008 legislature and then a deputy in the ...
, and the
Union of Armenians of Romania The Union of Armenians of Romania ( ro, Uniunea Armenilor din România, UAR; hy, Ռումինիայի հայերի միություն, translit=Ṙuminiayi Hayeri Miutʿyun, RHM) is an Romanian ethnic minorities parties, ethnic minority politica ...
, with the participation of Arachelian, Baronian, and Varujan Pambuccian; Ionuț Ladea completed a bust of Kalustian, but not in time to be unveiled for that ceremony. In 2013, Traian Dobrinescu made Kalustian, Carandino and Coposu characters in his novel, ''Cei morți înainte de moarte'' ("Those Who Died before Death Itself"). In January 2015, during ceremonies marking 25 years since Kalustian's death, a Kalustian Documentary Fund was established at
Vrancea County Vrancea () is a county ( județ) in Romania, with its seat at Focșani. It is mostly in the historical region of Moldavia but the southern part, below the Milcov River, is in Muntenia. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 340,310 and ...
Library."Colocviu: ''Leon Kalustian, evocări''", ''passim''


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalustian, Leon 1908 births 1990 deaths 20th-century biographers 20th-century essayists 20th-century memoirists 20th-century Romanian novelists Romanian biographers Romanian newspaper editors Romanian memoirists Romanian essayists Romanian columnists Romanian male novelists Romanian activist journalists Free speech activists Association football journalists Romanian sportswriters Adevărul writers Romanian television personalities Documentary film people Secretaries Romanian book and manuscript collectors Antiquarian booksellers Romanian Social Democratic Party (1927–1948) politicians Romanian anti-communists Romanian dissidents People from Focșani Romanian people of Armenian descent Armenian Apostolic Christians Romanian Oriental Orthodox Christians Romanian people of World War II People detained by the Securitate Romanian prisoners and detainees Inmates of Gherla prison Construction trades workers Censorship in Romania Securitate informants