Vasile Vasilievici Stroescu (russian: Василий Васильевич Строеско, ''Vasily Vasilyevich Stroesko''; November 11, 1845 – April 13, 1926), also known as Vasile de Stroesco,"Vasile de Stroesco" and ""Scrisoarea dlui V. de Stroesco, in ''Unirea'', Nr. 14/1910, pp. 1–2 Ion Preasca

in ''

Adevărul Moldova ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth") is a Moldovan daily newspaper, based in Chișinău founded in December 2010."Communiqués", in ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

'', September 2, 1918, p. 2 or Vasile Stroiescu, was a

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 ...

n and

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 politician, landowner, and philanthropist. One of the proponents and sponsors of

Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is the nationalism which asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is the Romanian ultranationalism.Aristotle KallisGenocide and Fascism: The Eliminationist Drive ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate (, ) was a part of the Russian Empire from 1812 to 1917. Initially known as Bessarabia Oblast (Бессарабская область, ''Bessarabskaya oblast'') as well as, following 1871, a governorate, it included ...

, as well as among the Romanian communities of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, he was also a champion of self-help and of

cooperative farming An agricultural cooperative, also known as a farmers' co-op, is a cooperative in which farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity. A broad typology of agricultural cooperatives distinguishes between agricultural service cooperati ...

. He inherited or purchased large estates, progressively dividing them among local peasants, while setting up local schools and churches for their use. An erudite and traveler, he abandoned his career in law to focus on his agricultural projects and cultural activism. For the latter work, he became an honorary member of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...

. Having backed the nationalist papers ''

Basarabia 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 ...

'' and '' Cuvânt Moldovenesc'', Stroescu was drawn into the more elitist cell of the nationalist movement, centered on the parts of the ''

zemstva A ''zemstvo'' ( rus, земство, p=ˈzʲɛmstvə, plural ''zemstva'' – rus, земства) was an institution of local government set up during the great emancipation reform of 1861 carried out in Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander ...

'' and

gentry assembly Assembly of the Nobility (russian: дворянское собрание, благородное собрание) was a self-governing body of the sosloviye (estate) of the Russian nobility in Imperial Russia from 1766 to 1917. Their official st ...

. He was thus honorary president of the

National Moldavian Party The National Moldavian Party was a political party in Bessarabia. History Prior to 1917, Bessarabian intelligentsia was divided between noblemen, conservatives, democrats, and socialists. Vasile Stroescu, a rich but very modest filantrop bo ...

shortly after the

February Revolution The February Revolution ( rus, Февра́льская револю́ция, r=Fevral'skaya revolyutsiya, p=fʲɪvˈralʲskəjə rʲɪvɐˈlʲutsɨjə), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and somet ...

but, with

Vladimir Herța Vladimir Herța (May 14, 1868, Chișinău - August 3, 1924, Chișinău) was a Moldovan politician, mayor of Chișinău between 1918 and 1919. He has played an important role in the act of the Union. Biography Vladimir Herța was born on May 14 ...

, drifted away from the core of the movement to set up his own aristocratic branch. He became an absentee member of ''

Sfatul Țării ''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russian Empire, w ...

'' during the existence of a

Moldavian Democratic Republic The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; ro, Republica Democratică Moldovenească, ), also known as the Moldavian Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the ''Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–Novembe ...

and its union with Romania. In 1919–1920, he served in the Assembly of Deputies, and was its ''de facto'' President for one day, on November 20, 1919. Rallying with the

Bessarabian Peasants' Party The Bessarabian Peasants' Party ( ro, Partidul Țărănesc din Basarabia, PȚB or PȚ-Bas; also ''Partidul Țărănesc Basarabean'', ''Partidul Țărănist Basarabean'') or Moldavian National Democratic Party (''Partidul Național-Democrat Moldove ...

, Stroescu became critical of the unification process, decrying government abuses in Bessarabia, and also objected to the 1920s land reform. He died shortly after in

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 ...

, having also served in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and was granted a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

Biography

Beginnings

The Stroescus were a family of ethnic Romanian aristocrats and shepherds from

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

: the family patriarch Ioan Stroescu had the Moldavian

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Russian nobility, Russia, Boyars of Moldavia and Wallachia, Wallachia and ...

title of '' jitnicer'' in the late 17th century. His grandson, Gavriil, was a '' șătrar''; Ienache, Gavriil's son, reverted to pastoralism, and owned ranches in

Iași County Iași County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași. It is the most populous county in Romania, after the Municipality of Bucharest (which has the same administrative level as that of a coun ...

.Bezviconi (1943), p. 163 His own two sons Vasile (1795–1875) and Ioan moved between Moldavia and Bessarabia, which, following the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest, had been absorbed into the Russian Empire. Vasile owned ten estates on either side of the border, split between Iași and

Hotin Khotyn ( uk, Хотин, ; ro, Hotin, ; see other names) is a city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of the ...

counties. The Stroescus were all inducted into

Russian nobility The Russian nobility (russian: дворянство ''dvoryanstvo'') originated in the 14th century. In 1914 it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members (about 1.1% of the population) in the Russian Empire. Up until the February Revolution ...

in 1828 and granted arms in 1867. From his marriage to Profira Manoil Guțu (1808–1856), Vasile Sr had three sons—Mihail (1836–1889), Gheorghe (1840–1922), Vasile Jr. The couple also had four daughters, married off to aristocrats of Russian,

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, or Polish Bessarabian descent: Ana Kazimir, Maria Druganov, Elena Martos, and Ecaterina Șumanski. The latter's husband was

Clemente Șumanski Clemente is both an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese surname and a given name. Notable people with the surname include: Surname * Aldo Di Clemente (born 1948), Italian amateur astronomer * Anna Clemente (born 1994), Italian racewalker * Ari Clemen ...

, Mayor of Kishinev in the 1870s. Vasile Jr was born on November 11, 1845, in Trinca, a Hotin County village (now in

Edineț District Edineț () is a district () in the north-west of Moldova, with the administrative center at Edineț. The other major city is Cupcini. As of 1 January 2011, its population was 82,900. Geography The district is bordered by Briceni District to th ...

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 ...

). He attended the Bessarabian Lyceum of Kishinev, then the school of

Kamenets-Podolskiy Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...

and

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

Richelieu Lyceum The Richelieu Lyceum (russian: Ришельевский лицей) in Odesa, the Russian Empire, was created on the initiative of the mayor of the city and the governor of New Russia, the Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. ...

. Later, he studied law at the universities of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, and

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. The latter awarded him a

doctorate of law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

. An erudite, Stroiescu reportedly spoke all Slavic languages, German, French, English and Italian, in addition to his native Romanian. Upon graduation, he traveled throughout Europe, including in the

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

, and also visited the Western colonies in Africa.Constantin (2010), p. 240 This was a passion shared by his older brother Mihail, who was once shipwrecked in the Pacific, and later wrote memoirs of his adventures. Vasile was appointed a judge at the

city tribunal in 1867, becoming colleagues with writer

Alexandru Hâjdeu Alexandru Hâjdeu or Alexander Faddeevich Hizhdeu (russian: Алекса́ндр Фадде́евич Хижде́у; 30 November 1811 – 9 November 1872) was a Russian Imperial writer of Romanian descent, who lived in Bessarabia, now Moldova. ...

. Following his father's death, he withdrew from the legal profession altogether, making Brînzeni his main residence. There, he began his trade as a gentleman farmer, peasant educator, and amateur agronomist, while maintaining a lively interest in historical research. After receiving his inheritance, Stroescu owned 9,000

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...

s (22,000

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

s), but later came to purchase 16,000 more hectares (some 4,000 acres) of land, with several manors, ranches, and stables, making him one of the richest people in the region.Bolovan & Bolovan, p. 23 Many of his properties he auctioned off, using the money to finance his philanthropy, or divided between the peasant '' obshchiny'', with Stroescu as a pioneer of

and cooperative forestry. He personally verified his plowmen's techniques and corrected their mistakes. As noted by Brînzeni native

Ion Buzdugan Ion Alion Buzdugan ( Romanian Cyrillic and russian: Ион Буздуган, born Ivan Alexandrovici Buzdâga;Onisifor Ghibu, "Trei luni din viața Basarabiei", in '' Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 13/1924, p. 283Constantin Poenaru, "Viața bucovine ...

, he was "modest and balanced", but also "ruthless with those who squandered his wealth." Fellow activist

Pan Halippa Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he wa ...

noted that Stroescu was a "real democrat" and "true Christian", who "never married and lived modestly." "This man", Halippa claims, "used his great managerial competence to please those living on his estate. He ..helped everyone own a proper home grange, acting as a statesman ought to. ..If only those ministers who call themselves democrats and socialists could know how the great Bessarabian Romanian Vasile Stroescu used to live!" By 1918, Stroescu only had some 8,000 hectares left to his name, spread about between Trinca, Bădragii Vechi, Druța and

Zăbriceni Zăbriceni is a commune in Edineț District, Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north ...

.Clark, p. 296

Nationalist sponsor

As noted by historian

Iurie Colesnic Iurie Colesnic (born 12 August 1955 in Dereneu, Călăraşi) is a technical literature corrector, former publishing director, literary historian, politician and writer of the Republic of Moldova. Biography Iurie Colesnic was born on 12 August ...

, Stroescu and Nicolae Ștefan Casso stood among those boyars who reverted

Russification Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cultur ...

Moldovenism Moldovenism is a political term used to refer to the support and promotion of the Moldovan identity and Moldovan culture primarily by the opponents of such ideas. Some of its supporters ascribe this identity to the medieval Principality of Mol ...

, "neutralizing the influence" of pro-imperial adversaries such as

Alexander N. Krupensky Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

. Stroescu built of refurbished several schools in Bessarabia, founded hospitals in his native village and in

Brătușeni Brătușeni is a commune in Edineț District, Moldova. It is composed of two villages, Brătușeni and Brătușenii Noi.ktitor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox ch ...

'' of Bessarabian Orthodox churches in Trinca, Pociumbăuți, Șofrîncani, and Zăicani. In 1899, he offered to sponsor state schools, provided that they be allowed to teach classes in Romanian. This proposal was simply disregarded by government. With the liberalization made possible by the

Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...

, Stroescu began participating in conspiratorial meetings of the Romanian elite in Kishinev, exchanging ideas with Halippa,

Nicolae Alexandri __NOTOC__ Nicolae N. Alexandri (17 May 1859, Chişinău - 17 November 1931, Chişinău) was a Bessarabian politician. Biography Nicolae N. Alexandri graduated from Saint Petersburg State University. He was the first editor in chief of Cuvân ...

Ion Inculeț Ion Constantin Inculeț (; 5 April 1884, Răzeni, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire, now the Republic of Moldova – 18 November 1940, Bucharest, Romania) was a Bessarabian and Romanian politician, the President of the Country Council of the ...

Nicolae Bivol Nicolae Bivol (1 June 1882 – after 1941) was a Bessarabian politician, member of the Sfatul Țării between 1917–1918, and Mayor of Chișinău in two terms between 1923–1924 and 1925–1926. Biography Early life Bivol was born in Ialove ...

Alexis Nour Alexis Nour (; born Alexei Vasile Nour,Gheorghe G. Bezviconi, ''Necropola Capitalei'', Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Bucharest, 1972, p.203 also known as Alexe Nour, Alexie Nour, As. Nr.;Ion Pelivan Ion Gheorghe Pelivan (April 1, 1876 in Răzeni – January 25, 1954 in Sighetu Marmației) was a Romanian politician. In 1898, Ion Pelivan graduated from the Theological Seminary of Chișinău and in 1903 from the University of Tartu. Then ...

, and Paul Gore, where they first discussed the prospect of Romania and Bessarabia uniting. As Pelivan notes, he and

Emanuil Gavriliță Emanuil G. Gavriliță (11 August 1847 in Nicorești – 10 June 1910 in Băxani) was a lawyer, journalist and activist from Bessarabia. He was the director of Basarabia, a newspaper from Chișinău. Mircea RusnacRenaşterea cultural-naţion ...

tried to persuade Stroescu to finance a magazine for the Romanian-speaking populace, but the landowner "seemed rather skeptical". However, in 1906 he sponsored Halippa in setting up a democratic-and-nationalist newspaper, ''

'', eventually shut down by the Russian authorities in March 1907. By 1910, Stroescu had expatriated himself to Switzerland, and was living in

Davos Platz , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch , twintowns = } Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...

. His charity work continued to have a profound effect among the Romanian communities of

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 ...

, in

, where Stroescu notably founded the boarding house serving the Diocese of Arad, as well as "tens of churches, schools and hospitals". Although a patron of Romanian Orthodoxy, he was critical of the church's claim to have preserved Romanian identity, noting that its nationalist discourse was a recent "invention of the parsons, to emphasize their own merits". He saw Orthodoxy as equal to its rival

Romanian Greek-Catholic Church The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic ( la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Romaniae; ro, Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică), sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the ...

, arguing that "a religious difference cannot divide us", since "Romanians of both religions behave one to the other as true Christians and therefore as brethren". As such, in 1910 Stroescu allied himself with the Greek Catholics to tackle the effects of

Magyarization Magyarization ( , also ''Hungarization'', ''Hungarianization''; hu, magyarosítás), after "Magyar"—the Hungarian autonym—was an assimilation or acculturation process by which non-Hungarian nationals living in Austro-Hungarian Transleithan ...

, donating 100,000

Kronen Kronen Brauerei, also known as Private Brewery Dortmund Kronen, was one of the oldest brewery, breweries in Westphalia and has its headquarters at the Old Market in Dortmund. The company was able to look back on more than 550 years of brewing ...

to the cultural fund in

Blaj Blaj (; archaically spelled as ''Blaș''; hu, Balázsfalva; german: Blasendorf; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Blußendref'') is a municipiu, city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,630 inhabita ...

. Other estimates suggest that his sponsorship of schools, including Orthodox ones, ran at 950,000 Kronen in 1913–500,000 of these were channeled through Partenie Cosma, and 200,000 more through the Archbishopric of Sibiu, while 100,000 went to the creation of a girls' school in Arad. His contribution also included a Stroescu Fund at ASTRA Society and various payments to the

Cultural League for the Unity of All Romanians Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...

. In Romanian-ruled

Western Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova), also called Western Moldavia or Romanian Moldavia, is the historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1859, the Pr ...

, he fitted primary schools from a special fund, which ran at 200,000 lei, and, in 1906–1908, put up 300,000 lei for the building of a

Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral The People's Salvation Cathedral ( ro, Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului), also known as the National Cathedral ( ro, Catedrala Națională, link=no), is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral under construction in Bucharest to serve as the patriarchal cathe ...

In May 1910, as recognition of his activities, and in particular for his work with the Blaj foundations, Stroescu was elected an honorary member of the

. This appointment left him indifferent, as he considered his deeds "only natural". He declared himself "at my country's disposal, with all this mind God gave me, from all my heart and with my entire wealth".Galbur, p. 162 According to Halippa and Pelivan, his focus fell on Transylvania and elsewhere only because censorship and repression prevented him from openly financing nationalism in his native province. Another account is that he was felt called into action by the anti-Magyarization writings of

Ioan Slavici Ioan Slavici (; 18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanian writer and journalist from Hungary, later from Romania. He made his debut in ''Convorbiri literare'' ("Literary Conversations") (1871), with the comedy ''Fata de birău'' ("The M ...

.Bolovan & Bolovan, p. 24 Moreover, his philanthropic activity was preceded by that of his late brother Mihail, who, as early as 1882, had set up ten model schools in Romania-proper, after having failed to create a Romanian studies department at Novorossiya University. Also noted for founding a school in Stolniceni, Mihail had set up a rural hospital at Bekir, eventually splitting his wealth between ASTRA, the Romanian vocational schools of

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 ...

, and his tenant farmers. The family's renewed contributions have led various authors to refer to Vasile as Transylvania or Bessarabia's "

Maecenas Gaius Cilnius Maecenas ( – 8 BC) was a friend and political advisor to Octavian (who later reigned as emperor Augustus). He was also an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets, including both Horace and Virgil. During the rei ...

". Transylvanians such as Justinian Teculescu dedicated him verse of praise; others believed that he was not a real man, but a fictional character created by the Romanian state to hide its direct involvement in Austro-Hungarian affairs. Stroescu also sponsored individual Bessarabians to pursue their education abroad, as he did with physician and fellow Romanian nationalist

Elena Alistar Elena Alistar-Romanescu (1 June 1873 – 1955) was a Bessarabian physician and politician who was part of Sfatul Țării from Bessarabia. She was the aunt of poet Magda Isanos. Biography Alistar was born on 1 June 1873 in Vasylivka, Bolhrad R ...

, and founded an eponymous Stroescu Help Club for the

Romanian Americans Romanian Americans are Americans who have Romanian ancestry. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 478,278 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry, however other sources provide higher estimates, which are most ...

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. Between June 1910 and August 1911, he paid for Nour to publish a Russian-language paper, ''Bessarabets'', and, after 1913, financed the newspaper '' Cuvânt Moldovenesc'', published by Halippa and Alexandri, also helping peasants with their subscriptions. By 1912, Stroescu was living in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

, but still appeared incognito to celebrate the golden jubilee of

Petru Maior Petru Maior (; 1761 in Marosvásárhely ''(now Târgu Mureș, Romania)'' – 14 February 1821 in Budapest) was a Romanian writer who is considered one of the most influential personalities of the Age of Enlightenment in Transylvania (the ''Tran ...

Society in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. However, he was expressing his disenchantment with his Transylvanian colleagues. His letters to his fund's beneficiaries often included "drastic reprimands." In November 1910, he addressed an open letter to the Transylvanian leader

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 ...

, which noted that the Romanian students at

Franz Joseph University Royal Hungarian Franz Joseph University ( hu, Magyar Királyi Ferenc József Tudományegyetem) was the second modern university in the Hungarian realm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Founded in 1872, its seat was initially in Kolozsvár (Cluj ...

had proven incapable of either forming their own union or of publicizing calls for material support in the local press. In early 1913, he published a piece in the newspaper ''Românul'' of Arad, attacking Romanian banks for paying

dividend A dividend is a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, it is able to pay a portion of the profit as a dividend to shareholders. Any amount not distributed is taken to be re-in ...

s higher than 5%, and their clients for accepting them; the difference, he argued, could go toward sponsoring culture. Responding to this "judicious and unusually categorical" critique, the economist Ion Mateiu suggested that the reduction demanded by Stroescu was needlessly abrupt. Stroescu, who donated 50,000 Kronen to settling disputes between ASTRA and the popular banks, and then to the creation of alternative

credit union A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including depo ...

s, found sympathy with the writing team at '' Luceafărul'', which basked in his critique of "our petty bourgeoisie ndits plutocratic ideals". Through ASTRA, he also distributed his brochure ''Statutele și îndrumările pentru băncile poporale'' ("Statutes and Guiding for the People's Banks"). The

Bihar County Bihar was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary and a county of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and Principality of Transylvania (since the 16th century, when it was under the rule of the Princes of Transylvania). Most of ...

bankers objected to such initiatives, seeing Stroescu as an unfair competitor to their business.Andruș, p. 590

Revolution and union

By 1914, Stroescu's relations with the Austro-Hungarian authorities were noticeably strained. His sponsoring of a Christmas 1913 folk party in

Beiuș Beiuș (; hu, Belényes) is a city in Bihor County, Romania near the Apuseni Mountains. The river Crișul Negru flows through Beiuș, and the city administers a single village, Delani (''Gyalány''). Between the late 18th and very early 20th c ...

almost ended with the prosecution of its organizer, Nicolae Coroiu. The outbreak of World War I caught Stroescu on the Russian side, ending all his work in Transylvania; the government of

István Tisza Count István Imre Lajos Pál Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged (archaically anglicized Stephen Emery Louis Paul Tisza, in short Stephen Tisza; 22 April 1861 – 31 October 1918) was a Hungarian politician, prime minister, political scientist, inte ...

listed him as a "public menace", suspected of wanting to incite a Romanian rebellion in Transylvania. He returned to Odessa in 1914, and managed to persuade the authorities to release his protégée Alistar, who had been arrested for sedition. In late 1916, Romania entered the war, siding with Russia against Austria-Hungary and the other

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 ...

. Following the

, which inaugurated an episode of social rebellion and national emancipation throughout Russia, the Stroescus were targeted by Russian revolutionaries. Gheorghe's former manor in Bălceana was ransacked by deserters from the

Romanian Front The Romanian Front ( ro, Frontul Românesc, FR) was a moderate fascist party created in Romania in 1935. Led by former Prime Minister Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, it originated as a right-wing splinter group from the mainstream National Peasants' Part ...

, who burned down his manuscripts, and so were other country homes owned by the family. The Brînzeni estate was spared: the peasants there, having already set up a network for trafficking Romanian books into Bessarabia, also formed a self-defense unit which protected their shared wealth. Vasile was at

Soroca Soroca (russian: link=no, Сороки, Soroki, uk, Сороки, Soroky, pl, Soroki, yi, סאָראָקע ''Soroke'') is a city and municipality in Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative ...

, where he signed a manifesto for Bessarabian self-determination, officially backed by the ''

zemstvo A ''zemstvo'' ( rus, земство, p=ˈzʲɛmstvə, plural ''zemstva'' – rus, земства) was an institution of local government set up during the great emancipation reform of 1861 carried out in Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander ...

'' and the

. He then took part in the establishment of Bessarabia's own

(PNM), formed on . This came only after protracted negotiations with a Transylvanian refugee,

Onisifor Ghibu Onisifor Ghibu (May 31, 1883 – October 3, 1972) was a Romanian teacher of pedagogy, member of the Romanian Academy, and politician. Biography Early life Born into a peasant family in Szelistye (now Săliște, Romania), near Nagyszeben (now Si ...

, who was perplexed that Bessarabians "hardly understood the importance of having a political party ..that would militate for the national cause." Stroescu held on to an apolitical stance, replying that "he was ready to give as much as he had, but only for cultural enterprises, because politics, he said, was a dirty activity." At Kishinev in early 1917, he met the Transylvanian activist Hortensia Goga, who described him as "healthy and content, ..seems not to be preoccupied by anything except his own person." Eventually, the PNM, representing the more right-wing and nationalist politicians in the Governorate, proposed Bessarabian autonomy and the creation of a national legislature, ''

''. Stroescu, as the "Grand Old Man" of nationalism, was the PNM's honorary leader, with Paul Gore as the executive president and Halippa as secretary. Later, he and Halippa attended the Soldiers' Congress in Odessa, which affirmed its support for "autonomous Bessarabia" and a federated

Russian Republic The Russian Republic,. referred to as the Russian Democratic Federal Republic. in the Decree on the system of government of Russia (1918), 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state (polity), state which controlled, ''de jure'', the territ ...

. The uniformed procession paid him homage by parading in front of London Hotel, where he was staying. In June of the same year, as the gentry assembly formed a Society for Assisting Popular Education and the Study of National Customs, Stroescu became honorary chairman; Gore and

were its "active presidents". During the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...

and Russia's disintegration, ''Sfatul Țării'' was established and Stroescu nominally stood in the regional election. At the time, Pelivan argues, Stroescu was "a great nationalist, but less of a democrat", and alienated from his constituents because "(since 1900) he lived mostly abroad." As noted by Halippa, Stroescu and Herța were trying to set up a distinct PNM for the boyars: "their action did not lead to much .. although we revolutionaries never objected to them being elected to ''Sfatul Țării'' .. since we believed that all intellectual forces needed to be consulted in political matters". Historian

Charles Upson Clark Charles Upson Clark (1875–1960) was a professor of history at Columbia University. He discovered the Barberini Codex, the earliest Aztec writings on herbal medicines extant. Biography Clark was born in 1875 to Edward Perkins Clark and Cat ...

claims that he even served for a while as the legislature's president, during Bessarabia's brief existence as a nominally independent

. However, Stroescu is known to have been seriously ill from September 1917 to the early months of 1919, leaving for England and France, and only championed the

union of Bessarabia with Romania The union of Bessarabia with Romania was proclaimed on by Sfatul Țării, the legislative body of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. This state had the same borders of the region of Bessarabia, which was annexed by the Russian Empire following t ...

from afar. According to a report by Iustin Frățiman, some of Stroescu's charity works were destroyed during a wave of vandalism instigated by the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

soldiers in Bessarabia: "The books donated by Vasiles Stroescu to one library were used to set a fire that lasted for three days on end!" In March, when ''Sfatul Țării'' was visited by the

Romanian Prime Minister The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was s ...

Alexandru Marghiloman Alexandru Marghiloman (4 July 1854 – 10 May 1925) was a Romanian conservative Diplomat, statesman who served for a short time in 1918 (March–October) as Prime Minister of Romania, and had a decisive role during World War I. Early career Bo ...

and voted in favor of union, Stroescu was in Paris. This was an uncertain period, with him in

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

territory while Romania capitulated to the Central Powers. At the time, Stroescu wrote his will, with Pelivan as his

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used. Overview An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...

. It called for redistributing his land (much of it already taken over by the ''zemstvo''), or, alternatively, donating it to the Romanian state; in exchange, he only demanded that peasants receive education in Romanian. As noted in 1927 by Clark, this document reflected the "comfortable old Russian patriarchal atmosphere", and was already outdated by the pace of "militant equalization"—although the dream of Romanian education was eventually fulfilled by the state itself, with its mandatory literacy programs.

Assembly President and dissenter

On September 1, 1918, returning to Paris, Stroescu joined

Vasile Lucaciu Vasile Lucaciu (January 21, 1852 – November 29, 1922) was a Romanian Greek-Catholic priest and an advocate of equal rights of Romanians with the Hungarians in Transylvania. Biogeaphy He was born in Apa, Szatmár County, the son of Mihai Luc ...

and

Ioan Cantacuzino Ioan I. Cantacuzino (; also Ion Cantacuzino; 25 November 1863 – 14 January 1934) was a renowned Romanian physician and bacteriologist, a professor at the School of Medicine and Pharmacy of the University of Bucharest, and a titular member of ...

in creating a National Romanian Action Committee for promoting the cause of

Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...

in Allied countries. He later attached himself to

Take Ionescu Take or Tache Ionescu (; born Dumitru Ghiță Ioan and also known as Demetriu G. Ionnescu; – 21 June 1922) was a Romanian centrist politician, journalist, lawyer and diplomat, who also enjoyed reputation as a short story author. Starting his ...

's National Committee for Romanian Unity. Following the November Armistice, Marghiloman was deposed and Romania, Bessarabia included, reentered the war. In December, this step ensured the Transylvanian union, with the new borders awaiting international recognition at the Paris Peace Conference. Throughout the following months, to Marghiloman's worry, Western powers seemed to favor placing Bessarabia, in whole or in part, under a

League of Nations mandate A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administ ...

. In March 1919 (some two months into the conference), Stroescu also came out in support of other pan-Romanian causes. He became honorary president of the League for the Liberation of Romanians in Timoc and Macedonia; its executive leaders included

George Murnu George Murnu (; rup, Ioryi Murnu; 1 January 1868, Veria, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, now in Greece – 17 November 1957, Bucharest) was a Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian origin. ...

, Sever Bocu and

Tache Papahagi Tache Papahagi (October 20, 1892 – January 17, 1977) was an Aromanian folklorist and linguist. He was born into an Aromanian family in Avdella (), a village that formed part of the Ottoman Empire's Manastir Vilayet and is now in Greece. He att ...

. In the national election of November 1919, Halippa enlisted Stroescu as a candidate for his

(PȚB), which resulted in him representing Orhei County in the Assembly of Deputies. Stroescu shared his ticket with historian

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 ...

, although the latter was not a PȚB man. As recalled by Halippa, he ran simultaneously (and won) in three other electoral precincts—Hotin,

, and

Bălți Bălți (; russian: Бельцы, , uk, Бєльці, , yi, בעלץ ) is a city in Moldova. It is the second largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city is one of the five Moldovan municipalit ...

; and, according to other sources, also in Tighina County and Lăpușna. On November 20, as an homage to his work in promoting the Romanian cause, Stroescu was also selected to preside upon Greater Romania's first parliamentary session, effectively as the Assembly's honorary

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

. Praised by Iorga for its composition and style, the speech forewarned: "With a habit that has become second-nature, we scour the scene to find ways in which we may partake in the fruit of other people's labor. No, Gentlemen, this will no loger do! We must labor ourselves and commit to providing for ourselves. ..In this life of ours we must maintain clean thoughts and clean hands." This drew attention from Marghiloman's Progressive Conservatives, disgraced for their sympathy for the Central Powers. Marghiloman was drawn to Stroescu's anti-corruption hints, namely that "the new administrations of Bessarabia should keep their hands clean." Also on November 20, the Assembly Presidency went to

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 ...

, replaced on December 1 by Iorga; Stroescu still preserved his role as a dean of the Bessarabian caucus: on December 29, he presented for ratification the law on Romanian–Bessarabian unification, which was unanimously carried. Within months, however, he became a critic of the Romanian administration, speaking at the Assembly rostrum about the deteriorating situation of his native province and the

state of siege A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

it was placed under. On February 10, 1920, he took a stand against

, the PȚB Minister for Bessarabia, accusing him of tolerating "oppression in savage fashion", and concluding, to his colleagues' dismay, that "the situation was better under the old Russian régime." This pitted him against the mainstream of his party, and also against Iorga. Despite shows of support from the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

benches and some PȚB deputies, Iorga suspended the session, accusing Stroescu of having "insult dall the past and the future of the nation"; he was supported in this by Marghiloman. In his diary, Iorga summarized the incident: "Stroescu insulted from the rostrum this country as one of exploiters and awful clerks. I asked him to step down." Stroescu was also censured by Inculeț, who dismissed his speech as "café gossip" and a landowner's malcontent, noting that the Bessarabian gentry as a whole reacted with "profound egotism" to the proposed land reform. Nevertheless, Stroescu's position was endorsed by the daily ''

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 ...

'', which referred to Inculeț as a "

satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with consid ...

" who simply ignored criticism, and called Iorga's moderating stance "absurd diplomacy". The paper also denounced Inculeț's suggestion that those dissatisfied with his administration, Stroescu included, could opt to move to

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

. In March, according to the same Iorga, Stroescu voted "discreetly" against land reform, and then spoke out against the majority of supporters. According to historians Sorina and Ioan Bolovan, "Stroescu kept apart from the demagoguery, careerism and pettiness of political intrigues." In August 1923, partly as a protest against government arbitrariness, he participated in the founding of a League for Human Rights, with such members as

Constantin Costa-Foru Constantin Gheorghe Costa-Foru (26 October 1856 - 15 August 1935) was a Romanian journalist, lawyer and human rights activist. He was born in Bucharest on 26 October 1956, in a wealthy family. His father, Gheorghe Costa-Foru (1820–1876), was a ...

Dem I. Dobrescu Dem I. Dobrescu (usual rendition of ''Demetru Ion Dobrescu''; 1869 – 1948) was a Romanian left-wing politician who served as List of Mayors of Bucharest, Mayor of Bucharest between February 1929 and January 1934. Biography Early life Born in J ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ioan Pangal Ioan is a variation on the name John (first name), John found in Romanian language, Romanian, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Russian language, Russian, Welsh language, Welsh (), and Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The fema ...

Istrate Micescu Istrate N. Micescu (22 May 1881 – 22 May 1951) was a Romanian lawyer, Law and Political Science professor at the University of Bucharest's Law Department, and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania. Early life Mices ...

Ilie Moscovici Ilie B. Moscovici (also known as Tovilie; 28 November 1885 – 1 November 1943) was a Romanian socialist militant and journalist, one of the noted leaders of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR). A socialist since early youth and a party ...

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 ...

Radu D. Rosetti Radu D. Rosetti or Rossetti (December 13 Constantin Ciopraga, ''Literatura română între 1900 și 1918'', pp. 296–297. Iași: Editura Junimea, 1970 or December 18, Șerban Cioculescu, "Amintiri. Radu D. Rosetti", in '' România Literară'', I ...

, and

Ștefan Voitec Ștefan Voitec (also rendered Ștefan Voitech,''Politics and Political Parties'', pp. 264, 554 Stepan Voitek;V. Kolesnik, "Spioonide Internatsionaal (Trotskistid faschistlikkude luureasutuste tegevuses)", in ''Edasi'', Issue 105/1937, p. 2 June 1 ...

. He was elected its first president, with Costa-Foru serving as his secretary. His criticism of government was followed with interest in

White émigré White Russian émigrés were Russians who emigrated from the territory of the former Russian Empire in the wake of the Russian Revolution (1917) and Russian Civil War (1917–1923), and who were in opposition to the revolutionary Bolshevik commun ...

circles, where it was believed that a restored Russian monarchy should include Bessarabia. On their behalf,

suggested that Stroescu, "an honest man in spite of his accepting to be 'elected' by the Roumanian Government as one of the Bessarabian deputies", openly spoke on topics that Iorga and other establishment politicians wanted kept secret. In Soviet Russia, which advanced its own claim to Bessarabia, propagandist

Christian Rakovsky Christian Georgievich Rakovsky (russian: Христиа́н Гео́ргиевич Рако́вский; bg, Кръстьо Георги́ев Рако́вски; – September 11, 1941) was a Bulgarian-born socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevi ...

also used Stroescu's words against Romanian nationalist claims in his 1925 exposé, ''Rumynia i Bessarabia''.

Death and legacy

With his final donation of land, Stroescu renounced his manor in Brînzeni to set up an agricultural and technical school. His prewar fund for ASTRA's public libraries, comprising 25,000 Kronen in 1914, was supplemented by the Transylvania's Directing Council and put to use in 1920. Before his death in

on April 14, 1926, Stroescu served in

, representing a Transylvanian constituency. His funeral service was held on April 17 at the Orthodox White Church on

Calea Victoriei CALEA may refer to: *Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, an act by the US Congress to facilitate wiretapping of U.S. domestic telephone and Internet traffic *Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a private accredit ...

, and witnessed orations by priest

Ioan Lupaș Ioan Lupaș (9 August 1880 – 3 July 1967) was a Romanian historian, academic, politician, Orthodox theologian and priest. He was a member of the Romanian Academy. Biography Lupaș was born in Szelistye, now Săliște, Sibiu County (at the time ...

, who was also the incumbent

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

, and by

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

Miron Cristea Miron Cristea (; monastic name of Elie Cristea ; 20 July 1868 – 6 March 1939) was a Romanian cleric and politician. A bishop in Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Cristea was elected Metropolitan-Primate of the Orthodox Church of the newly unifie ...

; the following day, a

memorial service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

was held at Sibiu Cathedral. Reportedly, Stroescu had wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered all over Romania.M. Gh. Carpen, "Se aude pe stradă: cine-i Vasile Stroescu", in ''Cosînzeana'', Vol. X, Issue 17, April 1920, p. 174 He was instead awarded a

's Sfânta Vineri Cemetery. His tomb there was later decorated with a bust by the Moldavian Mihai Onofrei, and a Bucharest street was renamed after him. The funeral itself was attended by his former colleague and rival Iorga. He noted delegates of all those who had been helped by the deceased—the church, the Bessarabian Peasantists, and the nationalists—but also that the establishment itself was absent. In his obituary, Iorga referred to Stroescu as a "great charitable man and generous benefactor". Other obituaries appeared during the following week. They included front-page editorials 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 ...

'', ''

Gazeta Transilvaniei ''Gazeta de Transilvania'' was the first Romanian-language newspaper to be published in Transylvania. It was founded by George Bariț in 1838 in Brașov. It played a very important role in the awakening of the Romanian national conscience in Trans ...

'', '' Telegraful Român'', ''Cuvântul Ardealului'' and (penned by Ghibu) ''Biruința'', with additional coverage in ASTRA's '' Societatea de Mâine''. As argued by journalist M. Gh. Carpen, Stroescu had already been forgotten in Transylvania a full decade before his death; the brief revival of interest in 1920 had given way to his being tarnished by the "mud puddle" of politics. Stroescu's activity was first explored methodically in an essay by Alexandru Ciulcu, published by ''

Viața Basarabiei ''Viaţa Basarabiei'' (Romanian for "Bessarabia's Life", ) is a Romanian-language periodical from Chişinău, Moldova. Originally a literary and political magazine, published at a time when the Bessarabia region was part of Romania, it was founde ...

'' magazine in 1940. Just months later, Bessarabia fell under a

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...

, during which Ciulcu himself was killed by the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

. Stroescu's memory was repressed in the resulting

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...

and, later, in

Communist Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...

. Nationalized, the Brînzeni manor was turned into a psychiatric clinic. During the

national communism National communism represents various forms in which Marxism–Leninism and socialism has been adopted and/or implemented by leaders in different countries using aspects of nationalism or national identity to form a policy independent from comm ...

of the 1960s, Halippa and the Bessarabian community in Bucharest tried to commemorate their former leader, but were reportedly prevented to do so by the authorities. However, in 1968, Halippa managed to invoke Stroescu and bring up the issue of his being "forgotten", with a formal address to the Academy.Constantin & Negrei (2009), pp. 296–297 Such work was partly continued in America by a nephew of Stroescu's, the journalist Gheorghe Ștefan Donev (1909–1993). The repressive trend was reversed following 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 ...

: in 2013, a

Palace of the Parliament The Palace of the Parliament ( ro, Palatul Parlamentului), also known as the Republic's House () or People's House/People's Palace (), is the seat of the Parliament of Romania, located atop Dealul Spirii in Bucharest, the national capital. The P ...

hall was renamed in his honor, but, as historian Sever Dumitrașcu noted, no Transylvanian school once funded by his money ever accepted to acknowledge him in the same fashion.Iliev, p. 256 In independent

, the lyceum in Brînzeni took his name. A Moldovan Vasile Stroescu Foundation was created, a memorial plaque was put up in 1996 at Trinca, and efforts have been made to establish a memorial house in Brînzeni.

Notes

References

*''The Roumanian Occupation in Bessarabia. Documents''. Paris: Imprimerie Lahure,

920 __NOTOC__ Year 920 ( CMXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December 17 – Romanos I has himself crowned co-emperor of the Byzan ...

*Rodica Andruș, "Sufletul românesc nu cunoaște frontiere. Boierul Vasile Stroiescu", in ''Sargetia'', Vol. XXX, 2002, pp. 587–592. *Andrei Bârseanu, Romul Simu, "Raportul general al comitetului central al »Asociațiunii pentru literatură și cultura poporului român« asupra lucrărilor sale și a situației acesteia în annul 1919", in ''Transilvania'', Nr. 5–9/1920, pp. 547–579. *Alberto Basciani, ''La difficile unione. La Bessarabia e la Grande Romania, 1918–1940''. Rome: Aracne Editore, 2007. *Gheorghe G. Bezviconi, ''Boierimea Moldovei dintre Prut și Nistru'', Vol. II. Bucharest: National Institute of History, 1943. *Sorina Paula Bolovan, Ioan Bolovan, "Vasile Stroescu dans la conscience publique de Transylvanie", in ''Transylvanian Review'', Vol. XI, Issue 2, 2002, pp. 22–29. *

Ștefan Ciobanu Ștefan Ciobanu (born November 11, 1883 – February 28, 1950) was a Romanian historian and academician, author of some important works about ancient Romanian literature, Romanian culture in Basarabia under Russian occupation, Bessarabian de ...

, ''La Bessarabie. Sa population—son passé—sa culture (Académie Roumaine. Études et recherches XIII)''. Bucharest:

Monitorul Oficial ''Monitorul Oficial al României'' is the official gazette of Romania, in which all the promulgated bills, presidential decrees, governmental A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, general ...

, 1941. *

, ''Bessarabia. Russia and Roumania on the Black Sea''. New York City:

Dodd, Mead and Company Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990. History Origins In 1839, Moses Woodruff Dodd (1813–1899) and John S. Ta ...

, 1927. *

, ''Chișinăul din inima noastră''. Chișinău: B. P. Hașdeu Library, 2014. *Ion Constantin, ''Gherman Pântea între mit și realitate''. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 2010. *Ion Constantin, Ion Negrei, ''Pantelimon Halippa: tribun al Basarabiei''. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 2009. *Ion Constantin, Ion Negrei, Gheorghe Negru, ''Ioan Pelivan: istoric al mișcării naționale din Basarabia''. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 2012. *Dragoș Galbur, "«Soarta poporului român din Basarabia se află în mâinile noastre. Să voim și vom face totul»", in

Alexe Rău Alexe Rău, also transliterated from Russian as Alexei Rau (russian: Алексей Рэу) (23 December 1953 — 8 April 2015), was a Moldovan philologist, library scientist, librarian, educator, editor, poet, essayist, and philosopher (Ph.D.) ...

(ed.), ''Basarabenii în lume. (Colecție de materiale și documente prezentate la polipticul cultural-istoric și științific omonim)'', Vol. VI, pp. 160–166. Chișinău:

National Library of Moldova The National Library of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Biblioteca Naţională a Republicii Moldova, BNRM) located in Chişinău, Moldova is the main library of the state which is responsible for conservation, valorization and protection of writt ...

, 2012. *Mihai Iliev, "Vasile Stroescu și românii din Bihor", in ''Tyragetia'', Vol. VI, Issue 2: "Istorie. Muzeologie", pp. 253–256. *

, ''Memorii, Vol. II: (Însemnări zilnice maiu 1917–mart 1920). Războiul național. Lupta pentru o nouă viață politică''. Bucharest: Editura Națională Ciornei, 1930. *

, ''Note politice, 4. 1918–1919''. Bucharest: Editura Institutului de Arte Grafice Eminescu, 1927. *Paweł Henryk Rutkowski, "Zjednoczenie Besarabii z Królestwem Rumunii w 1918 roku", in Marcin Kosienkowski (ed.), ''Spotkania polsko‑mołdawskie. Księga poświęcona pamięci Profesora Janusza Solaka'', pp. 139–149. Lubin: Episteme, 2013. *Constantin I. Stan, "Activitatea Episcopului Justinian Teculescu pentru realizarea și consolidarea Marii Uniri", in ''Angvstia'', Vol. 13, 2009, pp. 159–170. *Svetlana Suveică, ''Basarabia în primul deceniu interbelic (1918–1928): modernizare prin reforme. Monografii ANTIM VII''. Chișinău: Editura Pontos, 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Stroescu, Vasile 1845 births 1926 deaths Anti-Russification activists National Moldavian Party politicians Bessarabian Peasants' Party politicians Moldovan MPs 1917–1918 Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Members of the Senate of Romania Nobility from the Russian Empire Romanian nobility Moldovan judges Jurists from the Russian Empire Moldovan philanthropists Philanthropists from the Russian Empire Romanian philanthropists Romanian cooperative organizers Agriculturalists from Bessarabia Governorate 20th-century Romanian farmers Romanian agriculturalists Moldovan magazine founders Magazine founders from the Russian Empire Moldovan newspaper founders Newspaper founders from the Russian Empire Literacy advocates Founders of Romanian schools and colleges Moldovan human rights activists Romanian human rights activists Honorary members of the Romanian Academy People from Edineț District Eastern Orthodox Christians from Moldova Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Moscow State University alumni Saint Petersburg State University alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Expatriates from the Russian Empire in Switzerland Russian people of World War I Moldovan expatriates in the United Kingdom Moldovan expatriates in France Culture of Transylvania History of Transylvania (1867–1918) Burials at Sfânta Vineri Cemetery