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Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; 5 November 1880 – 19 October 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communist republic (1947–1948 and 1958). One of the most prolific
Romanian-language Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communities in t ...
writers, he is remembered mostly for his
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
and adventure novels, as well as for his nature writing. An author whose career spanned five decades, Sadoveanu was an early associate of the traditionalist magazine '' Sămănătorul'', before becoming known as a Realist writer and an adherent to the
Poporanist Poporanism is a Romanian version of nationalism and populism. The word is derived from ''popor'', meaning "people" in Romanian. Founded by Constantin Stere in the early 1890s, Poporanism is distinguished by its opposition to socialism, promotion ...
current represented by '' Viața Românească'' journal. His books, critically acclaimed for their vision of age-old solitude and natural abundance, are generally set in the historical region of Moldavia, building on themes from Romania's medieval and early modern history. Among them are '' Neamul Șoimăreștilor'' ("The Șoimărești Family"), '' Frații Jderi'' ("The Jderi Brothers") and '' Zodia Cancerului'' ("Under the Sign of the Crab"). With '' Venea o moară pe Siret...'' ("A Mill Was Floating down the Siret..."), '' Baltagul'' ("The Hatchet") and some other works of fiction, Sadoveanu extends his fresco to contemporary history and adapts his style to the psychological novel, Naturalism and Social realism. A traditionalist figure whose perspective on life was a combination of nationalism and Humanism, Sadoveanu moved between right- and left-wing political forces throughout the
interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
, while serving terms in Parliament. Rallying with People's Party, the National Agrarian Party, and the
National Liberal Party-Brătianu National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
, he was editor of the leftist newspapers ''
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 ...
'' and '' Dimineața'', and was the target of a violent
far right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
press campaign. After World War II, Sadoveanu became a political associate of 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 ...
. He wrote in favor of the Soviet Union and
Stalinism Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...
, joined the Society for Friendship with the Soviet Union and adopted Socialist realism. Many of his texts and speeches, including the political novel ''
Mitrea Cocor ''Mitrea Cocor'' is a 1953 Romanian war drama film directed by Victor Iliu and Marieta Sadova.Liehm & Liehm p.142 It is based on the 1949 socialist realist novel of the same name by Mihail Sadoveanu. A poor young Romanian goes off to fight durin ...
'' and the famous slogan ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'' ("The Light Arises in the East"), are also viewed as
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
in favor of communization. A founding member of the Romanian Writers' Society and later President of 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 ...
, Sadoveanu was also a member of the Romanian Academy since 1921 and a recipient of the
Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (russian: международная Ленинская премия мира, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a pane ...
for 1961. He was also Grand Master of the Romanian Freemasonry during the 1930s. The father of Profira and Paul-Mihu Sadoveanu, who also pursued careers as writers, he was the brother-in-law of literary critic
Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan (, last name also Sadoveanu-Andrei, first name also Isabella or Izabella; born Izabela Morțun, pen names I.Z.S.D. and Iz. Sd.;
.


Biography


Early years

Sadoveanu was born in
Pașcani, in western Moldavia. His father's family hailed from the southwestern part of the Old Kingdom, in Oltenia. Their place of origin, Sadova, provided their chosen surname (lit. "from Sadova"),Călinescu, p. 615 which was adopted by the family only in 1891."Mihail Sadoveanu"
biographical note i
''Cronologia della letteratura rumena moderna (1780-1914)'' database
at the University of Florence's Department of Neo-Latin Languages and Literatures; retrieved 7 April 2008
Cornel Ungureanu Cornel may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Cornel (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Cornel Wilde (1915–1989), American actor and director born Kornél Lajos Weisz * Eric Cornel (born 1996), Canadian hockey player Plant ...

"Mihail Sadoveanu - secțiuni dintr-o geografie literară"
, 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 ...
'', February 2006
Mihail's father was the lawyer Alexandru Sadoveanu (d. 1921), whom literary critic
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
described as "a bearded and well-to-do man"; according to the writer's own notes, Alexandru was unhappy in marriage, and his progressive isolation from public life impacted on the entire family.Crohmălniceanu, p. 193 Mihail's mother, Profira née Ursachi (or Ursaki; d. 1895), hailed from a line of Moldavian shepherds, all of whom, as the writer recalled, had been illiterate. Literary historian Tudor Vianu believes this contrast of regional and social identities played a part in shaping the author, opening him up to a "Romanian universality", but notes that, throughout his career, Sadoveanu was especially connected with his Moldavian roots. Mihail had a brother, also named Alexandru, whose wife was the Swiss-educated literary critic Izabela Morțun (later known as ''Sadoveanu-Evan'', she was the cousin of socialist activist
Vasile Morțun Vasile G. Morțun (November 30, 1860 – July 20, 1919) was a Romanian politician, playwright and prose writer. Biography Origins, journalism and political beginnings Born in Roman, he came from a wealthy Moldavian '' boyar'' family, and was o ...
).Călinescu, p. 667 Another one of his brothers, Vasile Sadoveanu, was an agricultural engineer. Mihail Constantineanu
''Sadoveanu în ultimul an de viață - Neverosimila vacanță''
at th
Memoria Library
retrieved 6 April 2008
Beginning in 1887, Sadoveanu attended primary school in Pașcani. His favorite teacher, a Mr. Busuioc, later served as inspiration for one of his best-known short stories, ''Domnu Trandafir'' ("Master Trandafir"). While away from school, young Sadoveanu used much of his spare time exploring his native region on foot, hunting, fishing, or just contemplating nature. He was also spending his vacations in his mother's native Verșeni. During his journeys, Sadoveanu visited peasants, and his impression of the way in which they were relating to authority is credited by critics with having shaped his perspective on society. Shortly after this episode, the young Sadoveanu left to complete his secondary studies in Fălticeni and at the
National High School National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
.''Mihail Sadoveanu. Cronologie''
, at the
Museum of Romanian Literature A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...
; retrieved 6 April 2008
Alex Mitru
"Patriarhul cuvîntului românesc se întoarce în amintiri, la Casa din deal"
, in '' Evenimentul'', 5 November 2004
While in Fălticeni, he was in the same class as future authors
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
and
I. Dragoslav I. Dragoslav or Ion Dragoslav (), pen names of Ion V. Ivaciuc"Dragoslav Ion"
, biographical note i
, but, having lost interest in schoolwork, he failed to get his remove, before eventually graduating top of his class.


First literary attempts, marriage and family

In 1896, when he was aged sixteen, Sadoveanu gave thought to writing a
monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
on Moldavian Prince
Stephen the Great Stephen III of Moldavia, most commonly known as Stephen the Great ( ro, Ștefan cel Mare; ; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 ...
,"Calendar. Click istoric"
, in '' Jurnalul Național'', 19 October 2007
but his first literary attempts date from the following year. It was in 1897 that a
sketch story A sketch story, literary sketch or simply sketch, is a piece of writing that is generally shorter than a short story, and contains very little, if any, plot. The genre was invented after the 16th century in England, as a result of increasing publi ...
, titled ''Domnișoara M din Fălticeni'' ("Miss M from Fălticeni") and signed ''Mihai din Pașcani'' ("Mihai from Pașcani"), was successfully submitted for publishing to the Bucharest-based satirical magazine ''Dracu''. He started writing for Ovid Densusianu's journal '' Vieața Nouă'' in 1898. His contributions, featured alongside those of Gala Galaction,
N. D. Cocea N. D. Cocea (common rendition of Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, , also known as Niculae, Niculici or Nicu Cocea; November 29, 1880 – February 1, 1949) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, critic and left-wing political activist, known as a major but co ...
, and Tudor Arghezi, include another sketch story and a lyric poem.Crohmălniceanu, p. 194 Sadoveanu was however dissatisfied with Densusianu's agenda, and critical of the entire Romanian Symbolist movement for which the review spoke. He ultimately began writing pieces for non-Symbolist magazines such as ''Opinia'' and ''Pagini Literare''. In parallel, he founded and printed by hand a short-lived journal, known to researches as either ''Aurora'' or ''Lumea''. Sadoveanu left for Bucharest in 1900, intending to study law at the University's Faculty of Law, but withdrew soon after, deciding to dedicate himself to literature.Crohmălniceanu, p. 195 He began frequenting the
bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
society in the capital, but, following a sudden change in outlook, abandoned poetry and focused his work entirely on Realist prose. In 1901, Sadoveanu married Ecaterina Bâlu, with whom he settled in Fălticeni, where he began work on his first
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
s and decided to make his living as a professional writer. His first draft for a novel, ''Frații Potcoavă'' ("The Potcoavă Brothers"), came out in 1902, when fragments were published by ''Pagini Alese'' magazine under the pseudonym ''M. S. Cobuz''. Ion Simuț
"Centenarul debutului sadovenian"
, in '' România Literară'', Nr. 41/2004
The following year, Sadoveanu was drafted into the Romanian Land Forces, stationed as a guard near Târgu Ocna, and inspired by the experience to write some of his first social criticism narratives. After that time, he spent much of his home in the country, where he raised a large family. Initially, the Sadoveanus lived in a house previously owned by celebrated Moldavian raconteur
Ion Creangă Ion Creangă (; also known as Nică al lui Ștefan a Petrei, Ion Torcălău and Ioan Ștefănescu; March 1, 1837 – December 31, 1889) was a Moldavian, later Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th-century Romania ...
, before they commissioned a new building, famed for its surrounding ''Grădina Liniștii'' ("Garden of Quietude"). He was the father of eleven, among whom were three daughters: Despina, Teodora and
Profira Sadoveanu Profira Sadoveanu (pen name, Valer Donea; May 21, 1906 – September 12, 2003) was a Romanian prose writer and poet. Biography Born in Fălticeni, her parents were novelist Mihail Sadoveanu and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Bâlu). She ...
, the latter of whom was a poet and a novelist. Antonio Patraș
"Cu Profira Sadoveanu, în dulcele stil clasic"
, 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 ...
'', December 2007
Of his sons, Dimitrie Sadoveanu became a painter, while Paul-Mihu, the youngest (born 1920), was author of the novel ''Ca floarea câmpului...'' ("Like the Flower of the Field...") which was published posthumously.''22 Septembrie 2010''
, Radio România Cultural calendar page; retrieved 30 December 2010


''Sămănătorul'', ''Viața Românească'' and literary debut

After receiving an invitation from poet Ștefan Octavian Iosif in 1903, Sadoveanu contributed works to the traditionalist journal '' Sămănătorul'', led at the time by historian and critic Nicolae Iorga. He was by then also a contributor to '' Voința Națională'', a newspaper published by the National Liberal Party and managed by politician
Vintilă Brătianu Vintilă Ion Constantin Brătianu (16 September 1867 – 22 December 1930) was a Romanian politician who served as Prime Minister of Romania between 24 November 1927 and 9 November 1928. He and his brothers Ion I. C. Brătianu and Dinu Brătianu ...
—beginning December of the same year, the paper serialized ''Șoimii'' ("The Hawks"), an extended variant of ''Frații Potcoavă'', with an introduction by historian Vasile Pârvan. In 1904, he regained Bucharest, where he became a
copyist A copyist is a person that makes duplications of the same thing. The term is sometimes used for artists who make copies of other artists' paintings. However, the modern use of the term is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are emplo ...
for the Ministry of Education's Board of Schools, returning to Fălticeni two years later. After 1906, he rallied with the group formed around '' Viața Românească'', which was also joined by his sister-in-law Izabela. ''Sămănătorul'' and ''Viața Românească'', having comparable influence over the literature of Romania, stood for a traditionalist and ruralist approach to art, even though the latter adopted a more left-wing perspective, known as '' Poporanism''. The leading Poporanist ideologue, Garabet Ibrăileanu, became a personal friend of the young writer after inviting him on an excursion down the Râșca River.Crohmălniceanu, p. 197 With his subsequent pieces for ''Viața Românească'', Sadoveanu became especially known as the raconteur of hunting trips,Călinescu, pp. 575-576 but also sparked controversy when a young woman writer,
Constanța Marino-Moscu Constanța Marino-Moscu (17 April 1875–20 September 1940) was a Romanian short story writer. Born in Agapia, Neamț County, her father was the farmer Panait Marino and his wife Ana (''née'' Popovici). After attending primary school in Paș ...
, accused him of having plagiarized her works in his ''Mariana Vidrașcu'', a serialized novel which was discontinued and later largely forgotten. 1904 was Sadoveanu's effective debut year: he published four separate books, including ''Șoimii'', ''Povestiri'' ("Stories"), ''Dureri înăbușite'' ("Suppressed Pains") and ''Crâșma lui Moș Petcu'' ("Old Man Petcu's Alehouse"). Constantin Coroiu
"Sadoveanu din spatele operei. Part II" (interview with Constantin Ciopraga)"
, in '' Evenimentul'', 10 October 2005
The beginning of a prolific literary career covering more than a half century and of his collaboration with Editura Minerva publishing house, this debut was marked by intense preparation, and drew on literary exercises spanning the previous decade. His ''Sămănătorul'' colleague Iorga deemed 1904 "Sadoveanu's Year", Radu Cernătescu, "Sadoveanu și francmasoneria" (with a note by
Cornel Ungureanu Cornel may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Cornel (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Cornel Wilde (1915–1989), American actor and director born Kornél Lajos Weisz * Eric Cornel (born 1996), Canadian hockey player Plant ...
), in '' Orizont'', Nr. 6/2010
while the influential and aging critic
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
, leader of the conservative literary society '' Junimea'', gave a positive review to ''Povestiri'', and successfully proposed it for a Romanian Academy award in 1906. In a 1908 essay, Maiorescu was to list Sadoveanu among Romania's greatest writers. According to Vianu, Maiorescu saw in Sadoveanu and other young writers the triumph of his theory on a "popular" form of Realism, a vision which the ''Junimist'' thinker had advocated in his essays from as early as 1882. Sadoveanu later credited Iorga, Maiorescu, and especially so the cultural promoter
Constantin Banu Constantin Gheorghe Banu (March 20, 1873 – September 8, 1940) was a Romanian writer, journalist and politician, who served as Arts and Religious Affairs Minister in 1922–1923. He is remembered in literary history as the founder of ''Flacăra'' ...
and ''Sămănătorul'' poet George Coșbuc, with having helped him capture the interest of the public and his peers. He was by then facing adversity from opponents of ''Sămănătorul'', primarily critic
Henric Sanielevici Henric Sanielevici (, first name also Henri, Henry or Enric, last name also Sanielevich; September 21, 1875 – February 19, 1951) was a Romanian journalist and literary critic, also remembered for his work in anthropology, ethnography, sociology ...
and his ''Curentul Nou'' review, which published claims that Sadoveanu's volumes, which depicted immoral acts such as adultery and rape, showed that Iorga's program of moral didacticism was hypocritical. As he latter recalled, Sadoveanu was himself upset with some of Iorga's critical judgments regarding his own work, noting that the ''Sămănătorist'' doyen had once declared him equal to
Vasile Pop Vasile Pop (1789 – March 6, 1842) was an Imperial Austrian ethnic Romanian physician. Born into an intellectual family in Chimitelnic, Mureș County, Transylvania, he began his education at the Greek-Catholic gymnasium in Târgu Mureș. H ...
(one of Iorga's protegés, and viewed as overrated by Sadoveanu). The same year, Sadoveanu became one of ''Sămănătorul''s editors, alongside Iorga and Iosif. The magazine, originally a traditionalist mouthpiece founded by Alexandru Vlahuță and George Coșbuc, proclaimed with Iorga its purpose of establishing "a national culture", emancipated from foreign influence. However, according to Călinescu, this ambitious goal was only manifested in a "great cultural influence", as the journal continued to be an
eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
venue which grouped together ruralist traditionalists of the "national tendency" and adherents to the
cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
currents such as Symbolism. Călinescu and Vianu agree that ''Sămănătorul'' was, for a large part, a promoter of older guidelines set by ''Junimea''. Vianu also argues that Sadoveanu's contribution to the literary circle was the main original artistic element in its history, and credits Iosif with having accurately predicted that, during a period of literary "crisis", Sadoveanu was the person to provide innovation. He continued to publish at an impressive rate: in 1906, he again handed down for print four separate volumes. In parallel, Sadoveanu pursued his career as a civil servant. In 1905, he was employed as a clerk by the Ministry of Education, headed by the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
's
Mihail Vlădescu Mihail C. Vlădescu (25 April 1865 – 1944) was a Romanian botanist and politician. Born in Câmpulung, his parents Constantin and Bălașa were intellectuals. After being educated by private tutors, he went to Paris for his high school degree b ...
. His direct supervisor was poet
D. Nanu Dumitru G. Nanu (October 26, 1873 – February 12, 1943) was a Romanian poet and translator. Born in Câmpulung to Gheorghe Nanu and his wife Zoia (''née'' Hristodos), he attended primary school in his native town, followed by Matei Basara ...
, and he had for his colleagues the geographer George Vâlsan and the short story writer
Nicolae N. Beldiceanu Nicolae N. Beldiceanu (May 15, 1881–June 9, 1923) was a Romanian short story writer. Born in Rădășeni, Suceava County, his parents were Nicolae Beldiceanu and his wife Aglaia (''née'' Lateș). He studied at the National College in Iași ...
.Călinescu, p. 646 Nanu wrote of this period: "It is a clerical packed full with men of letters, no work is being done, people smoke, drink coffee, create dreams, poems and prose .." Having interrupted his administrative service, Sadoveanu was again drafted into the Land Forces in 1906, being granted an officer's rank. An already overweight man, he had to march from
Probota Probota is a commune in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hunga ...
in Central Moldavia to
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, which caused him intense suffering.


1910s and World War I

Sadoveanu returned to his administrative job in 1907, the year of the Peasants' Revolt. Kept in office by the National Liberal cabinet of
Ion I. C. Brătianu Ion Ionel Constantin Brătianu (, also known as Ionel Brătianu; 20 August 1864 – 24 November 1927) was a Romanian politician, leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister of Romania for five terms, and Foreign Minister on seve ...
, he served under the reform-minded Education Minister Spiru Haret. Constantin Coroiu
"Sadoveanu din spatele operei"
, in '' Evenimentul'', 14 January 2006
Inspired by the bloody outcome of the Revolt, as well as by Haret's moves to educate the peasantry, Sadoveanu reportedly drew suspicion from the Police when he published
self-help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...
guides aimed at industrious ploughmen, a brand of social activism which even resulted in a formal inquiry. Mihail Sadoveanu became a professional writer in 1908–1909, after joining the Romanian Writers' Society, created in the previous year by poets Cincinat Pavelescu and Dimitrie Anghel, and becoming its president in September of that year.''Uniunea Scriitorilor din România. Scurt istoric''
, at 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 ...
site; retrieved 5 April 2008
Cassian Maria Spiridon
"Secolul breslei scriitoricești"
, 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 ...
'', April 2008
The same year, he, Iosif, and Anghel, together with author Emil Gârleanu, set up ''Cumpăna'', a monthly directed against both Ovid Densusianu's eclecticism and the ''Junimist'' school (the magazine was no longer in print by 1910). At the time, he became a noted presence among the group of intellectuals meeting in Bucharest's
Kübler Coffeehouse Kubler or Kübler may refer to: People with the surname ''Kubler'' * Françoise Kubler (born 1958), French operatic soprano * George Kubler (1912–1996), American art historian * Ida Ivanka Kubler (born 1978), visual artist * Jason Kubler (born ...
.
Krikor Zambaccian Krikor is a Western Armenian given name, equivalent to Eastern Armenian given name Grigor and the English equivalent Gregory and its variants in different languages. A diminutive of the name is Koko. Notable people with the name include: Religi ...
, Chapter VII: "Mediul artistic și literar dintre cele două războaie mondiale", i
''Însemnările unui amator de artă''
published and hosted by Editura LiterNet; retrieved 21 August 2009
In 1910, he was also appointed head of the
National Theater Iași National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
, a position which he filled until 1919. That year, he translated from the French one of Hippolyte Taine's studies on the genesis of artworks.Crohmălniceanu, p. 584 He resigned his office within the Writers' Society in November 1911, being replaced by Gârleanu, but continued to partake in its administration as a member of its leadership committee and a censor. He was a leading presence at ''Minerva'' newspaper, alongside Anghel and critic
Dumitru Karnabatt Dumitru or Dimitrie Karnabatt (last name also Karnabat, Carnabatt or Carnabat, commonly known as D. Karr; October 26, 1877 – April 1949) was a Romanian poet, art critic and political journalist, one of the minor representatives of Symbolism. He w ...
, and also published in the Transylvanian traditionalist journal, '' Luceafărul''. Sadoveanu was again called under arms during the Second Balkan War of 1913, when Romania confronted Bulgaria. Having reached the rank of Lieutenant, he was stationed in Fălticeni with the 16th Infantry Regiment, after which he spent a short period on the front. He returned to literary life. Becoming good friends with poet and humorist George Topîrceanu, he accompanied him and other writers on cultural tours during 1914 and 1915.Săndulescu, in Topîrceanu, Vol. I, pp. XXI-XXII The series of writings he published at the time includes the 1915 '' Neamul Șoimăreștilor''. In 1916–1917, as Romania entered World War I and was invaded by the Central Powers, Sadoveanu stayed in Moldavia, the only part of Romania's territory still under the state's authority (''see
Romanian Campaign The Kingdom of Romania was neutral for the first two years of World War I, entering on the side of the Allied powers from 27 August 1916 until Central Power occupation led to the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918, before reentering the war on 10 ...
''). The writer oscillated between the Germanophilia of his ''Viața Românească'' friends, the stated belief that war was misery and the welcoming of Romania's commitment to the Entente Powers. At the time, he was reelected President of the Writers' Society, a provisional mandate which ended in 1918, when Romania signed the peace with the Central Powers, and, as Army reservist, edited the Entente's regional propaganda outlet, ''România''. He was joined by Topîrceanu, who had just been released from a POW camp in Bulgaria, and with whom he founded the magazine ''Însemnări Literare''. Sadoveanu subsequently settled in the Iași neighborhood of
Copou The Copou Park or Copou Gardens is the oldest public park in Iaşi, Romania. Its development started in 1834 under the reign of Mihail Sturdza, making the park one of the first public gardens in Romania and a Iaşi landmark. In its centre lies ...
, purchasing and redecorating the villa known locally as ''Casa cu turn'' ("The House with a Tower"). Adrian Pârvu
"Casa cu turn din Copou"
, in '' Jurnalul Național'', 28 October 2005
In the 19th century, it had been the residence of politician
Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on October 11, 1863, ...
, and, during the war, hosted composer George Enescu. During that period, he collaborated with leftist intellectual
Vasile Morțun Vasile G. Morțun (November 30, 1860 – July 20, 1919) was a Romanian politician, playwright and prose writer. Biography Origins, journalism and political beginnings Born in Roman, he came from a wealthy Moldavian '' boyar'' family, and was o ...
and, together with him and Arthur Gorovei, founded and edited the magazine ''Răvașul Poporului''.


Creative maturity and early political career

In 1921, Sadoveanu was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy; he gave his reception speech in front of the cultural forum two years later, structuring it as a praise of
Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian ...
in general and folkloric poetry in particular. At the time, he renewed his contacts with ''Viața Românească'': with Garabet Ibrăileanu and several others, he joined its
interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...
nucleus, while the review often featured samples of his novels (some of which were originally published in full by its publishing venture). His house was by then host to many cultural figures, among whom were writers Topîrceanu, Gala Galaction,
Otilia Cazimir Otilia Cazimir (pen name of Alexandra Gavrilescu; February 12, 1894 – June 8, 1967) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, translator and publicist, nicknamed the "poetess of gentle souls", known as a children's poems author. Biography Origins ...
,
Ionel Ionel is a Romanian masculine given name. People named Ionel *Ionel Augustin (born 1955), retired Romanian footballer *Ionel Averian (born 1976), Romanian sprint canoeist * Ionel Constantin (born 1963), Romanian sprint canoeist *Ionel Dănciulesc ...
and Păstorel Teodoreanu, and
Dimitrie D. Pătrășcanu Dimitrie D. Pătrășcanu (October 8, 1872–November 4, 1937) was a Romanian prose writer and dramatist. Born in Tomești, Iași County, his parents were Dimitrie Pătrășcanu, a farmer, and his wife Maria (''née'' Vicol). He attended pri ...
, as well as conductor Sergiu Celibidache. He was also close to a minor socialist poet and short story author, Ioan N. Roman, whose work he helped promote,Călinescu, p. 598 to the aristocrat and memoirist
Gheorghe Jurgea-Negrilești Gheorghe is a Romanian given name and surname. It is a variant of George, also a name in Romanian but with soft Gs. It may refer to: Given name * Gheorghe Adamescu * Gheorghe Albu * Gheorghe Alexandrescu * Gheorghe Andriev * Gheorghe Apostol * ...
,
Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian li ...

"Senzaționalul unor amintiri de mare clasă"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania. The magazine was started in 2000. The weekly publishes articles on Romania's cultural and arts scene as well as politica ...
'', Nr. 130, August 2002
and to a satirist named Radu Cosmin. Despite his health problems, Sadoveanu frequently traveled throughout Romania, notably visiting local sights which inspired his work: the Romanian Orthodox monasteries of
Agapia Agapia is a commune in Neamț County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Agapia, Filioara, Săcălușești and Văratec. At the 2002 census, 100% of inhabitants were ethnic Romanians, and 99.2% were Romanian Orthodox. The ...
and Văratec, and the
Neamț Fortress Neamț may refer to the following places in Romania: *Neamț County, an administrative division *Neamț Mountains *Neamț Citadel, a fortress near Târgu Neamț, Neamț County *Piatra Neamț, the capital city of Neamț County *Târgu Neamț, a town ...
. After 1923, together with Topîrceanu,
Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chi ...
and other ''Viața Românească'' affiliates, he also embarked on a series of hunting trips. He was charmed in particular by the sights he discovered during a 1927 visit to the Transylvanian area of
Arieș The Arieș ( hu, Aranyos) is a left tributary of the river Mureș in Transylvania, Romania. It discharges into the Mureș in Gura Arieșului, southwest of Luduș. Its total length (including its headwater Arieșul Mare) is , and its drainage ba ...
. The same year, he also visited the Netherlands, which he reached by means of the Orient Express. His popularity continued to grow: in 1925, 1929 and 1930 respectively, he published his critically acclaimed novels '' Venea o moară pe Siret...'', '' Zodia Cancerului'' and '' Baltagul'', and his 50th anniversary was celebrated at a national level. In 1930, Sadoveanu, Topîrceanu and the schoolteacher T. C. Stan wrote and edited a series of primary school textbooks. In 1926, after a period of indecision, Sadoveanu rallied with the People's Party, where his friend, the poet Octavian Goga, was a prominent activist. He then rallied with Goga's own National Agrarian Party. During the general election of 1927, he won a seat in the
Chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations *Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics *Debate chamber, the space or room that houses deliber ...
for Bihor County, in Transylvania, holding a seat 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 ...
for Iași County after the 1931 suffrage.Cioroianu, ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'', p. 28 Under Nicolae Iorga's National Peasants' Party cabinet of the period, Sadoveanu was President of the Senate. The choice was motivated by his status as "a cultural personality". Around that date, he was affiliated with the
National Liberal Party-Brătianu National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
, a right-wing party inside the liberal current, who stood in opposition to the main National Liberal group. In parallel, he began contributing to the left-wing 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 ...
''. Florentina Tone
"Scriitorii de la ''Adevĕrul''"
in ''
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 ...
'', 30 December 2008
Sadoveanu was by then affiliated with the Freemasonry, as first recorded by the organization in 1928,Cioroianu, ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'', p. 23 but was probably a member since 1926 or 1927.Ornea, ''Anii treizeci'', p. 458 Reaching the 33rd degree within the organizationOrnea, ''Anii treizeci'', p. 459 and overseeing the Masonic Lodge '' Dimitrie Cantemir'' of Iași, he was elected Grand Master of the National Union of Lodges in 1932, thus replacing the vacating
George Valentin Bibescu George III Valentin, Prince Bibescu (; 22 March 1880, Bucharest – 2 July 1941, Bucharest) was a Romanian early aviation pioneer and automobile enthusiast. Family His parents were George Bibescu (son of Gheorghe Bibescu) and Valentine de Riquet ...
. There subsequently occurred a split between Bibescu and Sadoveanu's supporters, aggravated by their publicized conflict with a third group, that of
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 ...
—splits which ended after some three years, when Sadoveanu marginalized both of his opponents, without however earning legitimate recognition from the ''
Grand Orient de France The Grand Orient de France (GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonry, Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly ab ...
''. By 1934, he was recognized as Grand Master of the United Romanian Freemasonry, which regrouped all major local Lodges.


Late 1930s and World War II

He was publishing new works at a regular rate, culminating in the first volume of his historical epic '' Frații Jderi'', which saw print in 1935. In 1936, the writer accepted the honorary chairmanship of ''Adevărul'' and its morning edition, '' Dimineața''. During that time, he was involved in a public dispute with the
far right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
and
fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
press, replying to their attacks in several columns. Affiliates of the radical right organized public burnings of his volumes. The scandal prolonged itself over the following years, with Sadoveanu being supported by his friends in the literary community. Among them was Topîrceanu, who was at the time hospitalized, and whose expression of support was made shortly before his death to
liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...
. In September 1937, as a statement of solidarity and appreciation, the University of Iași conferred Sadoveanu the title of doctor ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
''. Mihail Sadoveanu withdrew from politics in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as Romania came to be led by successive right-wing dictatorships, he offered a measure of support to King Carol II and his
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 ...
, which attempted to block the more radically fascist
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 ...
from power. He was personally appointed a member of the reduced corporatist Senate by Carol. Ion Simuț
"A fost sau n-a fost?"
, in '' România Literară'', Nr. 7/2007
In 1940, the official establishment Editura Fundațiilor Regale published the first volume of his ''Opere'' ("Works"). Sadoveanu kept a low profile under the Iron Guard's Nazi-allied National Legionary regime. After '' Conducător''
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...
overthrew the Guard during the
Legionary Rebellion Between 21 and 23 January 1941, a rebellion of the Iron Guard paramilitary organization, whose members were known as Legionnaires, occurred in Bucharest, Romania. As their privileges were being gradually removed by the ''Conducător'' Ion Ant ...
and established his own fascist regime, the still-apolitical Sadoveanu was more present in public life, and lectured on cultural subjects for the
Romanian Radio The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company ( ro, Societatea Română de Radiodifuziune), informally referred to as Radio Romania ( ro, Radio România), is the public radio broadcaster in Romania. It operates FM broadcasting, FM and AM broadcasting, ...
. After publishing the final section of his ''Frații Jderi'' in 1942, Sadoveanu again retreated to the countryside, in his beloved Arieș area, where he had built himself a chalet and a church; this seclusion produced his ''Povestirile de la Bradu-Strâmb'' ("Bradu-Strâmb Stories")."Cabana lui Sadoveanu, rezervată polițiștilor"
, in '' România Liberă'', 30 January 2008
During those years, the sixty-year-old writer met Valeria Mitru, a much younger
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
journalist, whom he married after a brief courtship. In August 1944, Romania's King Michael Coup toppled Antonescu and switched sides in the war, rallying with the
Allies 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 ...
. As a Soviet occupation began at home, Romanian troops fought alongside the Red Army on the European theater. Paul-Mihu Sadoveanu was killed in action in Transylvania on 22 September. During the same months, Sadoveanu was a candidate for the Writers' Society presidency, but, in what has been read as proof of a rivalry within the Freemasonry, was defeated by
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 ...
. Later that year, the 40th anniversary of Mihail Sadoveanu's debut was celebrated with a special ceremony at the academy and Tudor Vianu's speech, offered as a retrospective of his colleague's entire work.


Communist system and political rise

After the Soviet-backed advent of the
Communist system Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
in Romania, Sadoveanu supported the new authorities, and turned from his own version of
Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
to officially-endorsed Socialist realism (''see
Socialist realism in Romania After World War II, socialist realism, like in the Soviet Union, was adopted by a number of new communist states in Eastern Europe, including Romania. This was accompanied by a series of organizational moves, such as the incarceration of numerous ...
''). This was also the start of his association with the Soviet-sponsored
Romanian Society for Friendship with the Soviet Union Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
(ARLUS), which was led by biologist and physician Constantin Ion Parhon. Having served as a host to official Soviet envoys Andrey Vyshinsky and
Vladimir Kemenov Vladimir Semyonovich Kemenov (; 2 June 1908 – 14 June 1988) was a Soviet art historian and statesman who headed the VOKS for the USSR in the 1940s. Life and career He was born in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipro). In 1940, he succeeded Viktor ...
during their late 1944 visits, he soon after became president of the ARLUS "Literary and Philosophical Section" (seconded by Mihai Ralea and
Perpessicius Perpessicius (; pen name of Dumitru S. Panaitescu, also known as Panait Șt. Dumitru, D. P. Perpessicius and Panaitescu-Perpessicius; October 22, 1891 – March 29, 1971) was a Romanian literary historian and critic, poet, essayist and fiction wri ...
). In February 1945, he joined Parhon, Enescu, linguist
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 ...
, composer George Enescu, biologist
Traian Săvulescu Traian Săvulescu (2 February 1889, Râmnicu Sărat – 29 March 1963, Bucharest) was a Romanian biologist and botanist, founder of the Romanian School of Phytopathology, member and president of the Romanian Academy. Early life and education The ...
and mathematician
Dimitrie Pompeiu Dimitrie D. Pompeiu (; – 8 October 1954) was a Romanian mathematician, professor at the University of Bucharest, titular member of the Romanian Academy, and President of the Chamber of Deputies. Biography He was born in 1873 in Broscăuți, ...
in a protest against the cultural policies of
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Nicolae Rădescu and his cabinet, one in a series of moves to discredit the non-communist Rădescu and make him leave power. With Ion Pas, Gala Galaction,
Horia Deleanu Horia or ''Horea'' may refer to: Places in Romania Communes *Horea, Alba *Horia, Constanța *Horia, Neamț *Horia, Tulcea *Hilișeu-Horia, Botoșani Villages *Horea, in Sanislău, Satu Mare *Horia, in Vladimirescu, Arad *Horia, in Surdila-Greci, Br ...
,
Octav Livezeanu Octav is a Romanian male given name that may refer to: *Octav Băncilă (1872–1944), Romanian realist painter *Octav Botez (1884–1943), Romanian literary critic and historian *Octav Botnar (1913–1998), businessman *Octav Cozmâncă (born 1947 ...
and
N. D. Cocea N. D. Cocea (common rendition of Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, , also known as Niculae, Niculici or Nicu Cocea; November 29, 1880 – February 1, 1949) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, critic and left-wing political activist, known as a major but co ...
, Sadoveanu edited the association's weekly literary magazine ''Veac Nou'' after June 1946. Sadoveanu's literary and political change became known to the general public in March 1945, when he lectured about Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at a conference hall in Bucharest. Part of a conference cycle, his speech was famously titled ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'', which soon became synonymous with the attempts to improve the image of
Stalinism Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...
in Romania. ARLUS would issue the text of his conference as a printed volume later in the year. Also in 1945, Sadoveanu journeyed to the Soviet Union together with some of his fellow ARLUS members—among them biologists Parhon and Săvulescu, sociologist Dimitrie Gusti, linguist Iorgu Iordan, and mathematician
Simion Stoilow Simion Stoilow or Stoilov ( – 4 April 1961) was a Romanian mathematician, creator of the Romanian school of complex analysis, and author of over 100 publications. Biography He was born in Bucharest, and grew up in Craiova. His father, Colonel ...
. Invited by the Soviet Academy of Sciences to attend the 220th anniversary of its foundation, they also visited research institutes, '' kolhozy'', and day care centers, notably meeting with Nikolay Tsitsin, an agronomist favored by Stalin. After his return, he wrote other controversial texts and gave lectures which offered ample praise to the Soviet system. That year, the ARLUS enterprise Editura Cartea Rusă also published his translation of Ivan Turgenev's ''
A Sportsman's Sketches ''A Sportsman's Sketches'' (russian: Записки охотника, Zapiski ohotnika; also known as ''A Sportman's Notebook'', ''The Hunting Sketches'' and ''Sketches from a Hunter's Album'') is an 1852 cycle of short stories by Ivan Turgenev. ...
''. During the rigged election of that year, Sadoveanu was a candidate for the Communist party-organized Bloc of Democratic Parties (BPD) in Bucharest, winning a seat in the newly unified
Parliament of Romania The Parliament of Romania ( ro, Parlamentul României) is the national bicameral legislature of Romania, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies ( ro, Camera Deputaților) and the Senate ( ro, Senat). It meets at the Palace of the Parliament i ...
. Paula Mihailov Chiciuc
"Comunism - Iscusitele condeie din slujba 'democrației' "
, in '' Jurnalul Național'', 17 July 2007
In its first-ever session (December 1946), the legislative body elected him its president.Cioroianu, ''Pe umerii lui Marx'', p. 282 He was at the time residing in
Ciorogârla Ciorogârla is a commune in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Ciorogârla and Dârvari. The Ciorogârla River flows through this location; its name, of Slavic origin, means "murky stream". ...
, having been awarded a villa previously owned by
Pamfil Șeicaru Pamfil is a Romanian given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: * Pamfil Polonic (1858–1943), Romanian archaeologist and topographer * Pamfil Yurkevich (1826–1874), Ukrainian philosopher * Radu Pamfil Radu Pamfil (21 Augus ...
, a journalist whose support for fascist regimes had made him undesirable, and who had moved out of Romania. The decision was viewed as evidence of
political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, in ...
by the opposition National Peasants' Party, whose press deemed Sadoveanu the "Count of Ciorogârla". In 1948, after Romania's King Michael I was overthrown by the BPD-member parties and the communist regime officially established, Sadoveanu rose to the highest positions ever granted to a Romanian writer, and received significant material benefits.Frunză, p. 374 In 1947–1948, he was, alongside Parhon,
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 ...
,
Gheorghe Stere Gheorghe is a Romanian given name and surname. It is a variant of George, also a name in Romanian but with soft Gs. It may refer to: Given name * Gheorghe Adamescu * Gheorghe Albu * Gheorghe Alexandrescu * Gheorghe Andriev * Gheorghe Apostol * ...
, and
Ion Niculi Ion Niculi (January 25, 1887 – July 31, 1979), Romanian communist politician, served as vice president of the Presidium of the Romanian People's Republic (1947–1948). Underground activist Niculi was born in Iaşi to a working-class fami ...
, a member of the Presidium of the People's Republic, which was elected by the BPD-dominated legislative."Rural Life in Ruritania", in '' Time'', 22 June 1962Cioroianu, ''Pe umerii lui Marx'', p. 283 He also kept his seat at the academy, which at the time was undergoing a communist-led purge, and, with several other pro-Soviet intellectuals, was voted in the Academy Presidium.


Final years, illness and death

After the Writers' Society was restructured as 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 ...
in 1949, Sadoveanu became its Honorary President. In 1950, he was named President of the Writers' Union, replacing Zaharia Stancu. According to writer
Valeriu Râpeanu Valeriu is a Romanian-language masculine given name, and may refer to: *Valeriu Cosarciuc *Valeriu Cotea *Valeriu Traian Frențiu *Valeriu Gaiu *Valeriu Ghilețchi *Valeriu Graur *Valeriu Lazăr *Valeriu Lazarov *Valeriu Marcu *Valeriu Matei *Vale ...
, this last appointment was a sign of Stancu's marginalization after he had been excluded from 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 ...
, while the Writers' Union was actually controlled by its First Secretary, the communist poet
Mihai Beniuc Mihai Beniuc (; 20 November 1907 – 24 June 1988) was a Romanian socialist realist poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was born in 1907 in Sebiș, Arad County (at the time in Austria-Hungary), and attended the Moise Nicoară High School in Arad ...
. Sadoveanu and Beniuc were reelected at the Union's first Congress (1956). In the meanwhile, Sadoveanu published several Socialist realist volumes, among which was ''
Mitrea Cocor ''Mitrea Cocor'' is a 1953 Romanian war drama film directed by Victor Iliu and Marieta Sadova.Liehm & Liehm p.142 It is based on the 1949 socialist realist novel of the same name by Mihail Sadoveanu. A poor young Romanian goes off to fight durin ...
'', a controversial praise of collectivization policies. First published in 1949, it earned Sadoveanu the first-ever State Prize for Prose. Throughout the period, Sadoveanu was involved in major communist-endorsed cultural campaigns. Thus, in June 1952, he presided over the academy's Scientific Council, charged with modifying the Romanian alphabet, at the end of which the letter '' â'' was discarded, and replaced everywhere with '' î'' (a spelling Sadoveanu is alleged to have already shown preference for in his early works). In March 1953, soon after Stalin's death, he led discussions within the Writers' Union, confronting his fellow writers with the new Soviet cultural directives as listed by Georgy Malenkov, and reacting against young authors who had not discarded the since-condemned doctrines of
proletkult Proletkult ( rus, Пролетку́льт, p=prəlʲɪtˈkulʲt), a portmanteau of the Russian words "proletarskaya kultura" (proletarian culture), was an experimental Soviet artistic institution that arose in conjunction with the Russian Revolut ...
. The author was also becoming involved in the
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
's peace movement, and led the National Committee for the Defense of Peace at a time when the Soviet Union was seeking to portray its
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
enemies as warmongers and the sole agents of
nuclear proliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as " Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Wea ...
. He also represented Romania to the
World Peace Council The World Peace Council (WPC) is an international organization with the self-described goals of advocating for universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass d ...
, and received its
International Peace Prize The World Peace Council (WPC), a pro-Soviet non-governmental organization, has awarded a number of prizes, beginning in 1950. These have been awarded to individuals, organisations, peoples, and places. Typically, several winners would be voted at ...
for 1951. As a parliamentarian, Sadoveanu stood on the committee charged with elaborating the new republican constitution, which, in its final form, reflected both Soviet influence and the assimilation of Stalinism into Romanian political discourse. In November 1955, shortly after turning 75, he was granted the title of "Hero of Socialist Labor". After 1956, when the regime announced that it had embarked on a limited version of
De-Stalinization De-Stalinization (russian: десталинизация, translit=destalinizatsiya) comprised a series of political reforms in the Soviet Union after the death of long-time leader Joseph Stalin in 1953, and the thaw brought about by ascension ...
, it continued to recommend Mihail Sadoveanu as one of its prime cultural models. Having donated ''Casa cu turn'' to the state in 1950, he moved back to Bucharest, where he owned a house near the
Zambaccian Museum The Zambaccian Museum in Bucharest, Romania is a museum in the former home of Krikor Zambaccian (1889 –1962), a businessman and art collector. The museum was founded in the Dorobanți neighbourhood in 1947, closed by the Ceauşescu regime ...
. From 7 to 11 January 1958, Sadoveanu, Ion Gheorghe Maurer and
Anton Moisescu Anton Moisescu (12 February 1913 – 2002) was a Romanian politician who was the acting Chairman of the Presidium of the Grand National Assembly from 7 January 1958 until 11 January 1958, together with Mihail Sadoveanu, and thus interim head o ...
were acting Chairmen of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly, which again propelled him to a position as titular head of state. His literary stature but also his political allegiance earned him the Soviet
Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (russian: международная Ленинская премия мира, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a pane ...
, which he received shortly before his death. After a long illness marked by a
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
which impaired his speech and left him almost completely blind, Sadoveanu was cared for by a staff of physicians supervised by
Nicolae Gh. Lupu Nicolae Gh. Lupu (24 February 1884, in Arsura, Vaslui County, Romania – 30 April 1966, in Bucharest) was a Romanian physician. In 1948, he was elected a titular member of the Romanian Academy. After completing his studies at the Faculty of Me ...
and reporting to the Great National Assembly. The Sadoveanus withdrew to Neamț region, where they lived in a villa assigned to them by the state and located near the Voividenia hermitage and the locality of
Vânători-Neamț Vânători-Neamț is a commune in Neamț County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Lunca, Mânăstirea Neamț, Nemțișor, and Vânători-Neamț. The commune lies on the banks of the river Nemțișor. It is located in ...
, being visited regularly by literary and political friends, among them Alexandru Rosetti.Cioroianu, ''Pe umerii lui Marx'', p. 284 Mihail Sadoveanu died there at 9 AM on 19 October 1961, and was buried at Bellu cemetery, in Bucharest. His successor as President of the Writers' Union was Beniuc, elected during the Congress of January 1962. Following her husband's death, Valeria Sadoveanu settled in proximity to the
Văratec Monastery Văratec Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox women's monastery located in north-eastern part of the country, in Văratec village, Agapia Commune, Neamț County. It is situated at 12 km from Târgu Neamț and 40 km from Piatra Neamț. It is the ...
, where she set up an informal literary circle and Orthodox prayer group, notably attended by literary historian
Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga (August 20, 1920 – May 5, 2006) was a Romanian comparatist and essayist. A native of the national capital Bucharest, she was educated at its main university, going on to become a professor there. Together with a f ...
and by poet Ștefana Velisar, and dedicated herself to protecting the community of nuns."Revista presei"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania. The magazine was started in 2000. The weekly publishes articles on Romania's cultural and arts scene as well as politica ...
'', Nr.167, May 2003
She survived Mihail Sadoveanu by over 30 years.


Literary contributions


Context

Often seen as the leading author of his generation, and generally viewed as one of the most representative Romanian writers, Mihail Sadoveanu was also believed to be a first-class story-teller, and received praise especially for his nature writing and his depictions of rural landscapes. An exceptionally prolific author by Romanian standards, he published over a hundred individual volumes" 'Ceahlăul literaturii române', sărbătorit la Chișinău"
in ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine t ...
'', 9 November 2005
(120 according to the American magazine '' Time''). His contemporaries tended to place Sadoveanu alongside Liviu Rebreanu and
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 ...
—for all the differences in style between the three figures, the interwar public saw them as the "great novelists" of the day. 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 ...
describes their activity, altogether focused on depicting the rural world but diverging in bias, as one sign that the Romanian interwar itself was exceptionally effervescent, while Romanian-born American historian of literature
Marcel Cornis-Pope Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian s ...
sees Sadoveanu and Rebreanu as their country's "two most important novelists of the first half of the twentieth century".Cornis-Pope, p. 447 In 1944, Tudor Vianu spoke of Sadoveanu as "the most significant writer Romanians resentlyhave, the first among his equals." While underlining his originality in the context of Romanian literature and among the writers standing for "the national tendency" (as opposed to the more
cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
modernists Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
), George Călinescu also noted that, through several of his stories and novels, Sadoveanu echoed the style of his predecessors and contemporaries Ion Luca Caragiale,
Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești (January 1, 1868 – December 14, 1946) was a Romanian short story writer and politician. The scion of a minor aristocratic family from Târgoviște, he studied law and, as a young man, drew close to the ''Junim ...
, Emil Gârleanu,
Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chi ...
,
Otilia Cazimir Otilia Cazimir (pen name of Alexandra Gavrilescu; February 12, 1894 – June 8, 1967) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, translator and publicist, nicknamed the "poetess of gentle souls", known as a children's poems author. Biography Origins ...
,
Calistrat Hogaș Calistrat Hogaș (born Calistrat Dumitriu; April 19, 1848 – August 28, 1917) was a Moldavian, later Romanian prose writer. The son of a Tecuci priest, he studied at the University of Iași before beginning an over four-decade career as a high sc ...
,
I. A. Bassarabescu Ioan Alecu Bassarabescu (commonly rendered I. A. Bassarabescu; December 17, 1870 - March 27, 1952) was a Romanian comedic writer, civil servant and politician, who served one term (1926–1927) in the Senate of Romania. His work, mainly in prose ...
and Ionel Teodoreanu. Also included among the "national tendency" writers, Gârleanu was for long seen as Sadoveanu's counterpart, and even, Călinescu writes, "undeservedly upstaged" him.Călinescu, p. 631 Cornis-Pope also writes that Sadoveanu's epic is a continuation of "the national narrative" explored earlier by
Nicolae Filimon Nicolae Filimon (; 6 September 1819 – 19 March 1865) was a Wallachian Romanian novelist and short-story writer, remembered as the author of the first Realist novel in Romanian literature, ''Ciocoii vechi şi noi'' ("The Old and the New Parvenu ...
, Ioan Slavici and Duiliu Zamfirescu, while literary historians Vianu and
Z. 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 ...
note that Sadoveanu also took inspiration from the themes and genres explored by ''
Junimist ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost persona ...
'' author
Nicolae Gane Nicolae Gane (February 1, 1838 – April 16, 1916) was a Moldavian, later Romanian prose writer, poet and politician. Born in Fălticeni, his family were '' boyars'' of small and medium importance; his parents were ''postelnic'' Matei Gane and his ...
. In his youth, Sadoveanu also admired and collected the works of
N. D. Popescu-Popnedea Nicolae D. Popescu (August 9, 1843–June 8, 1921) was a Romanian prose writer. He was born in Bucharest to Romanian Orthodox priest Dimitrie Popescu and his wife Niculina. Popescu began high school in his native city, but left early in 1861 i ...
, a prolific and successful author of almanacs,
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
s and adventure novels. Later, his approach to
Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
was also inspired by his reading of Gustave Flaubert and especially
Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
. Both Sadoveanu and Gane were also indirectly influenced by Wilhelm von Kotzebue, the 19th century
Imperial Russian The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...
diplomat and author of the Romanian-themed story ''Laskar Vioresku''. In Vianu's assessment, Sadoveanu's work signified an artistic revolution within the local Realist school, comparable to the adoption of perspective by the visual artists of the Renaissance. Mihail Sadoveanu's interest in the rural world and his views on tradition were subjects of debate among the modernists. The modernist doyen
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
, who envisaged an urban literature in tune with European tendencies, was one of Sadoveanu's most notorious critics. However, Sadoveanu was well received by Lovinescu's adversaries within the modernist camp:
Perpessicius Perpessicius (; pen name of Dumitru S. Panaitescu, also known as Panait Șt. Dumitru, D. P. Perpessicius and Panaitescu-Perpessicius; October 22, 1891 – March 29, 1971) was a Romanian literary historian and critic, poet, essayist and fiction wri ...
and '' Contimporanul'' editor
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 latter of whom, in search for literary authenticity, believed in bridging the gap between the avant-garde and folk culture. This opinion was shared by Swedish literary historian
Tom Sandqvist Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
, who sees Sadoveanu's main point of contact with modernism was his interest in the
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
elements and occasional absurdist streaks of local folklore. In the larger dispute about national specificity, and partly in response to Vinea's claim, modernist poet and essayist Benjamin Fondane argued that, as a sign
Romanian culture The culture of Romania is an umbrella term used to encapsulate the ideas, customs and social behaviours of the people of Romania that developed due to the country's distinct geopolitical history and evolution. It is theorized and speculated that ...
was tributary to those it had come into contact with, "Sadoveanu's soul can be easily reduced to the Slavic soul".


Characteristics

Sadoveanu's personality and experience played a major part in shaping his literary style. After his 1901 marriage, Mihail Sadoveanu adopted what Călinescu deemed "
patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
" lifestyle. The literary historian noted that he took a personal interest in educating his many children, and that this also implied "making use of a whip". An Epicurean, the writer was a homemaker, an avid hunter and fisherman, and a chess aficionado. Recognized, like his
epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...
ist colleague Păstorel Teodoreanu, as a man of refined culinary tastes, Sadoveanu cherished
Romanian cuisine Romanian cuisine () is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been mainly influenced by Turkish and a series of European cuisines in partic ...
and Romanian wine. The lifestyle choices were akin to his literary interests: alongside the secluded and rudimentary existence of his main characters (connected by Călinescu with the writer's supposed longing for "regressions to the patriarchal times"),Călinescu, p. 622 Sadoveanu's work is noted for its imagery of primitive abundance, and in particular for its lavish depictions of ritualistic feasts, hunting parties and fishing trips. Călinescu opined that the value of such descriptions within individual narratives grew with time, and that the author, once he had discarded
lyricism Lyricism is a quality that expresses deep feelings or emotions in an inspired work of art. Often used to describe the capability of a Lyricist. Description Lyricism is when art is expressed in a beautiful or imaginative way, or when it has an ...
, used them as "a means for the senses to enjoy the fleshes and the forms that nature offers man."Călinescu, p. 621 He added that Sadoveanu's aesthetics could be said to recall the art of the Golden Age in Holland: "One could almost say that Sadoveanu rebuilds in present day Moldavia ..the Holland of wine jugs and kitchen tables covered in venison and fish." Vianu also argued that Sadoveanu never abandoned himself to purely aesthetic descriptions, and that, although often depicted with Impressionistic means, nature is assigned a specific if discreet role within the plot lines, or serves to render a structure. The traditionalist Garabet Ibrăileanu, referring to Sadoveanu's poetic nature writing, even declared it to have "surpassed nature." At the other end, the modernist Eugen Lovinescu specifically objected to Sadoveanu's depiction of a primordial landscape, arguing that, despite adopting Realism, his rival was indebted to Romanticism and
subjectivity Subjectivity in a philosophical context has to do with a lack of objective reality. Subjectivity has been given various and ambiguous definitions by differing sources as it is not often the focal point of philosophical discourse.Bykova, Marina F ...
.Călinescu, p. 803 Lovinescu's attitude, critic Ion Simuț notes, was partly justified by the fact that Sadoveanu never truly parted with the traditionalism of '' Sămănătorul''. In 1962, '' Time'' also commented that his style was "curiously dated" and recalled not Sadoveanu's generation, but that of Leo Tolstoy and Ivan Turgenev, "although he has nothing like the power or skill of any of them." For Călinescu and Vianu too, Sadoveanu is a creator with seemingly Romantic tastes, which recall those of François-René de Chateaubriand. Unlike Lovinescu, Vianu saw these traits as "not at all detrimental to the balance of adoveanu'sart." Seen by literary critic
Ioan Stanomir Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the cle ...
as marked by "volubility",Stanomir, p. 26 and thus contrasting with his famously taciturn and seemingly embittered nature, the form of
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
used by Mihail Sadoveanu, particularly in his
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
s, was noted for both its use of
archaism In language, an archaism (from the grc, ἀρχαϊκός, ''archaïkós'', 'old-fashioned, antiquated', ultimately , ''archaîos'', 'from the beginning, ancient') is a word, a sense of a word, or a style of speech or writing that belongs to a hi ...
s and the inventive approach to the
Romanian lexis The lexis of the Romanian language (or Daco-Romanian), a Romance language, has changed over the centuries as the language evolved from Vulgar Latin, to Common Romanian, to medieval, modern and contemporary Romanian. A large proportion (about 42%) ...
. Often borrowing plot lines and means of expression from medieval and early modern Moldavian chroniclers such as
Ion Neculce Ion Neculce (1672–1745) was a Moldavian chronicler. His main work, ''Letopisețul Țărâi Moldovei e la Dabija Vodă până la a doua domnie a lui Constantin Mavrocordat' (''The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia Constantin Mavrocordat'') w ...
and
Miron Costin Miron Costin (March 30, 1633 – 1691) was a Moldavian (Romanian) political figure and chronicler. His main work, ''Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei e la Aron Vodă încoace' (''The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia Aron Vodă]'') was meant to e ...
, the author creatively intercalates several Romanian dialects, local dialects and registers of speech, moving away from a mere imitation of the historical language. Generally third-person narratives, his books often make little or no dialectal difference between the speech used by the story-teller and the character's voices. According to Călinescu, Sadoveanu displays "an enormous capacity of authentic speech", similar to that of Caragiale and
Ion Creangă Ion Creangă (; also known as Nică al lui Ștefan a Petrei, Ion Torcălău and Ioan Ștefănescu; March 1, 1837 – December 31, 1889) was a Moldavian, later Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th-century Romania ...
. The writer himself recorded his fascination with the "eloquence" of rudimentary orality, and in particular with the speech of ''
Rudari Boyash or ''Bayash'' (endonym: ''Bȯjáṡ'', Romanian: ''Băieși'', Hungarian: ''Beás'', Slovak: ''Bojáš'', South Slavic: ''Bojaši'') refers to a Romani ethnic group living in Romania, southern Hungary, northeastern and northwester ...
''
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
he encountered during his travels. Building on observations made by several critics, who generally praised the poetic qualities of Sadoveanu's prose, Crohmălniceanu spoke in detail about the Moldavian novelist's role in reshaping the literary language. This particular contribution was first described early in the 20th century, when Sadoveanu was acclaimed by
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
for having adapted his writing style to the social environment and the circumstances of his narratives. Vianu however notes that Sadoveanu's late writings tend to leave more room for neologisms, mostly present in those parts where the narrator's voice takes distance from the plot. Another unifying element in Sadoveanu's creation is his recourse to literary types. As early as 1904, Maiorescu praised the young raconteur for accurately depicting characters in everyday life and settings. Tudor Vianu stressed that, unlike most of his Realist predecessors, Sadoveanu introduced an overtly sympathetic view of the peasant character, as "a higher type of human, a heroic human". He added: "Simple, in the sense that they are moved by a few devices hichcoincide with the fundamental instincts of mankind, heyare, in general, mysterious." In this line, Sadoveanu also creates images of folk sages, whose views on life are of a Humanist nature, and often depicted in contrast with the rationalist tenets of Western culture. Commenting on this aspect, Sadoveanu's friend George Topîrceanu believed that Sadoveanu's work transcended the "more intellectual ndmore artificial" notion of "types", and that "he creates ..humans." The main topic of his subsequent work, Sandqvist argues, was "an archaic world where the farmers and the landlords were free men with equal rights" (or, according to Simuț, "a utopia of archaic heroism"). Thus, Călinescu stresses, Sadoveanu's work seems to be the monolithic creation through which "a single man" reflects "a single, universal nature, inhabited by a single type of man", and which echoes a similar vision of archaic completeness as found in the literature of poet
Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...
. The similarity in vision with Eminescu's "nostalgia, return, protest, demand, aspiration toward a uralworld
e has E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
left" was also proposed by Vianu, while Topîrceanu spoke of "the paradoxical discovery that adoveanuis our greatest poet since Eminescu." Mihail Sadoveanu also shaped his traditionalist views on literature by investigating
Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian ...
, which he recommended as a source of inspiration to his fellow writers during his 1923 speech at the Romanian Academy. In Călinescu's view, Sadoveanu's outlook on life was even mirrored in his physical aspect, his "large body, voluminous head, his measured shepherd-like gestures, his affluent but prudent and monologic speech ndferal indifference; his eyes ..of an unknown race." His assessment of the writer as an archaic figure, bluntly stated in a 1930 article ("I believe him to be very uncultured"), was contrasted by other literary historians: Alexandru Paleologu described Sadoveanu as a prominent intellectual figure, while his own private notes show that he was well-read and acquainted with the literatures of many countries. Often seen as a spontaneous writer, Sadoveanu nevertheless took pains to elaborate his plots and research historical context, keeping most records of his investigations confined to his diaries.


Debut

The writer's debut novel, ''Povestiri'', was celebrated for its accomplished style, featuring early drafts of all themes he developed upon later in life. However, Călinescu argued, some of the stories in the volume were still "awkward", and showed that Sadoveanu had problems in outlining epics. The pieces mainly feature episodes in the lives of
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 ...
s (members of Moldavia's medieval aristocracy), showing the ways in which they relate to each other, to their servants, and to their country. In one of the stories, titled ''Cântecul de dragoste'' ("The Love Song"), Sadoveanu touches on the issue of slavery, depicting the death of a
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...
slave who is killed by his jealous master, while in ''Răzbunarea lui Nour'' ("Nour's Revenge"), a boyar refuses to make his peace with God until his son's death is avenged. Other fragments deal solely with the isolated existence of villagers: for example, in ''Într-un sat odată'' ("Once, in a Village"), a mysterious man dies in a Moldavian hamlet, and the locals, unable to discover his identity, sell his horse.Călinescu, p. 616 The prose piece ''Năluca'' ("The Apparition") centers on the conjugal conflict between two old people, both of whom attempt to hide the shame of their past. George Călinescu notes that, particularly in ''Năluca'', Sadoveanu begins to explore the staple technique of his literary contributions, which involves "suggesting the smolder of passions hrougha contemplative breath in which he evokes a static element: landscapes or set pieces from nature." Sadoveanu's subsequent collection of short stories, ''Dureri înăbușite'', builds on the latter technique and takes his work into the realm of social realism and naturalism (believed by Călinescu to have been borrowed from either the French writer Émile Zola or from the Romanian Alexandru Vlahuță). For Călinescu, this choice of style brought "damaging effects" on Sadoveanu's writings, and made ''Dureri înăbușite'' "perhaps the poorest" of his collections of stories. In Lovinescu's view, Sadoveanu's move toward naturalism did not imply the necessary recourse to
objectivity Objectivity can refer to: * Objectivity (philosophy), the property of being independent from perception ** Objectivity (science), the goal of eliminating personal biases in the practice of science ** Journalistic objectivity, encompassing fairne ...
. The pieces focus on dramatic moments of individual existences. In ''Lupul'' ("The Wolf"), an animal is chased and trapped by a group of peasants; the eponymous character in ''Ion Ursu'' leaves his village to become a proletarian, and succumbs to alcoholism; the indentured laborer in ''Sluga'' ("The Servant") is unable to take revenge on his cruel employer at the right moment; in ''Doi feciori'' ("Two Sons"), a boyar comes to feel affection for his illegitimate son, whom he has nonetheless reduced to a lowly condition. In 1905, Sadoveanu also published ''Povestiri din război'' ("Stories from the War"), which compose scenes from the lives of Romanian soldiers fighting in the War of 1878. Objecting to a series of exaggerations in the book, '' Time'' nevertheless noted that Sadoveanu "sometimes had the writing skill to make compelling even quite traditional reactions to old-fashioned war". It concluded: "Sadoveanu's sketches have the virtues—and the vices—of old hunting prints and the romantically mannered battle scenes of the 19th century."


Early selections of major themes

Sadoveanu renounces this grim perspective on life in his volume ''Crâșma lui Moș Petcu'', where he returns to a depiction of rural life as unchanged by outside factors. Petcu's establishment, located on the Moldova Valley, is a serene place, visited by quiet and subdued customers, whose occasional outburst of violence are, according to Călinescu, "dominated by slow, stereotypical mechanics, as is with people who can only accommodate within them a single drama." The literary critic celebrated ''Crâșma lui Moș Petcu'' for its depictions of nature, whose purpose is to evoke "the indifferent eternity" of conflicts between the protagonists, and who, at times, relies "on a vast richness of sounds and words."Călinescu, p. 617 He did however reproach the writer "a certain monotony", arguing that Sadoveanu came to use such techniques in virtually all his later works. However, Sadoveanu's stories of the period often returned to a naturalistic perspective, particularly in a series of
sketch stories A sketch story, literary sketch or simply sketch, is a piece of writing that is generally shorter than a short story, and contains very little, if any, plot. The genre was invented after the 16th century in England, as a result of increasing public ...
and
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
s which portray the modest lives of
Romanian Railways Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
employees, of young men drafted into the Romanian Land Forces, of Bovaryist women who playfully seduce adolescents, or of the provincial '' petite bourgeoisie''. At times, they confront the morals of barely literate people with the stern authorities: a peasant obstinately believes that the 1859 union between Wallachia and Moldavia was meant to ensure the supremacy of his class; a young lower-class woman becomes the love interest of a boyar but chooses a life of freedom; and a Rom deserts from the Army after being told to bathe. In ''La noi, la Viișoara'' ("At Our Place in Viișoara"), the life of an old man degenerates into bigotry and avarice, to the point where he makes his wife starve to death. Sadoveanu's positive portrayal of '' hajduks'' as fundamentally honest
outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...
s standing up to
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
injustice, replicates stereotypes found in
Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian ...
, and is mostly present in some of the stories through (sometimes recurrent) heroic characters: Vasile the Great, Cozma Răcoare, Liță Florea etc. In the piece titled ''Bordeenii'' (roughly, "The Mud-hut Dwellers"), he shows eccentrics and misanthropes presided upon by the dark figure of Sandu Faliboga, brigands who flee all public authority and whom commentators have likened to settlers of the Americas. Lepădatu, an unwanted child, speaks for the entire group: "What could I do ..wherever there are big fairs and lots of people? I'd have a better time with the cattle; it is with them that I have grown up and with them that I get along." Romanticizing the obscure events of
early medieval history The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
in ''Vremuri de bejenie'' ("Roving Times", 1907), Sadoveanu sketches the improvised self-defense of a refugee community, their last stand against nomadic Tatars. In reference to the stories in this series, Călinescu stresses that Sadoveanu's main interest is in depicting men and women cut away from civilization, who view the elements of Westernization with nothing more than "wonderment": "Sadoveanu's literature is the highest expression of the savage instinct."Călinescu, p. 620 In later works, the critic believed, Sadoveanu moved away from depicting isolation as the escape of primitives into their manageable world, but as "the refinement of souls whom civilization has upset." These views are echoed by Ovid Crohmălniceanu, who believes that, unlike other Romanian Realists, Sadoveanu was able to show a peasant society that was not merely the prey of modern corruption or historical oppression, but rather refusing all contacts with the wider world—even to the point of Luddite-like hostility in front of new objects. Some of the early stories, Crohmălniceanu argues, do follow the moralizing '' Sămănătorist'' pattern, but part with it when they refuse to present the countryside in "
idyll An idyll (, ; from Greek , ''eidullion'', "short poem"; occasionally spelt ''idyl'' in American English) is a short poem, descriptive of rustic life, written in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the ''Idylls'' (Εἰδύλλια). U ...
ic" fashion, or when they adopt a specific "mythical realism". Sadoveanu began his career as a novelist with more in-depth explorations into subjects present in his stories and novellas. At the time, Crohmălniceanu stresses, he was being influenced by the naturalism of Caragiale (minus the comedic effect), and by his own experience growing up in characteristically underdeveloped Moldavian cities and ''
târg A târg was a medieval Romanian periodic fair or a market town. Originally established on the places where periodic fairs were held, some of them (but not all) became permanent settlements, as craftsmen built their workshops near the place where th ...
uri'' (somewhat similar to the aesthetic of boredom, adopted in poetry by George Bacovia,
Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chi ...
or Benjamin Fondane). Among his first works of the kind is ''Floare ofilită'' ("Wizened Flower"), where a simple girl, Tincuța, marries a provincial civil servant, and finds herself deeply unhappy and unable to enrich her life on any level. Tincuța, seen by Călinescu as one of Sadoveanu's "savage" characters, only maintains urban refinement when persuading her husband to return for supper, but, according to Crohmălniceanu, is also a credible witness to the "small-mindedness" of "
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
" environments. A rather similar plot is built for ''Însemnările lui Neculai Manea'' ("The Recordings of Neculai Manea"), where the eponymous character, an educated peasant, experiences two unhappy romantic affairs before successfully courting a married woman who, although grossly uncultured, makes him happy. ''Apa morților'' ("The Dead Men's Water") is about a Bovaryist woman who discards lovers over imprecise feelings of dissatisfaction, finding refuge in the monotonous countryside. Călinescu noted that such novels were "usually less valuable than direct accounts", and deemed ''Însemnările lui Neculai Manea'' "without literary interest"; in Ovid Crohmălniceanu's view, the same story presents relevant detail on professional and intellectual failure. Praised by its commentators, the short novel ''Haia Sanis'' (1908) shows the eponymous character, a Jewish woman who throws herself into the arms of a local Gentile, although she knows him to be a seducer. Călinescu, who wrote with admiration about how the subject dissimulated pathos into "technical indifference", notes that the erotic rage motivating Haia has drawn "well justified" comparisons with Jean Racine's tragedy '' Phèdre''.Călinescu, p. 630 Crohmălniceanu believes ''Haia Sanis'' to be "perhaps adoveanu'sbest novella", particularly since the "wild beauty" Haia has to overcome at once
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
, endogamy and shame, before dying "in terrible pain" during a botched abortion. Sadoveanu's work of the time also includes ''Balta liniștii'' ("Tranquillity Pond"), where Alexandrina, pushed into an
arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...
, has a belated and sad revelation of true love. In other sketch stories, such as ''O zi ca altele'' ("A Day like Any Other") or ''Câinele'' ("The Dog"), Sadoveanu follows Caragiale's close study of suburban banality.


''Hanu Ancuței'', ''Șoimii'' and ''Neamul Șoimăreștilor''

The novella ''Hanu Ancuței'' ("Ancuța's Inn"), described by George Călinescu as a "masterpiece of the jovial idyllicism and barbarian subtlety", and by
Z. 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 ...
as the first evidence of Sadoveanu's "new age", is a
frame story A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
in the line of medieval allegories such as
Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...
's ''
Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; it, label=Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dan ...
'' and
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...
's '' Canterbury Tales''. It retells the stories of travelers meeting in the eponymous inn. Much of the story deals with statements of culinary tastes and shared recipes, as well as with the overall contrast between civilization and rudimentary ways: in one episode of the book, a merchant arriving from the
Leipzig Trade Fair The Leipzig Trade Fair (german: Leipziger Messe) is a major trade fair, which traces its roots back for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, Leipzig fell within the territory of East Germany, whereupon the Leipzig Trade Fair became o ...
bemuses the other protagonists when he explains the more frugal ways and the technical innovations of Western Europe. Sadoveanu applied the same narrative technique in his ''Soarele în baltă'' ("The Sun in the Waterhole"), which, Călinescu argues, displays "a trickier style." In ''Șoimii'', Sadoveanu's first
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
, the main character is Nicoară Potcoavă, a late 16th-century Moldavian nobleman who became Hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and
Prince of Moldavia This is a list of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of Ro ...
. The narrative, whose basic lines had been drawn by Sadoveanu in his adolescent years,Răileanu, p. 5 focuses on early events in Nicoară's life, building on the story according to which he and his brother Alexandru were the brothers of Prince
Ioan Vodă cel Cumplit John III the Terrible ( ro, Ioan cel Cumplit), also John III the Brave ( ro, Ioan cel Viteaz) (1521 – June 14, 1574) was Voivode of Moldavia between February 1572 and June 1574. He was the grandson of Bogdan III and the son of Stephen IV and ...
, whose execution by the
Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
they tried to avenge. The text also follows their attempt to seize and kill Ieremia Golia, a boyar whose alleged betrayal had led to Prince Ioan's capture, and whose daughter Ilinca becomes the brothers' prisoner. This story as well features several episodes where the focus is on depicting customary feasts, as well as a fragment where the Potcoavăs and their Zaporozhian Cossack allies engage in
binge drinking Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, but definitions ( see below) vary considerably. Binge drinking ...
. Glossing over several years in Nicoară's life, and culminating in his seizure of the throne, the narrative shows his victory against pretender
Petru Șchiopul Peter VI the Lame ( ro, Petru Șchiopul; 1537 – 1 July 1594) was Prince of Moldavia from June 1574 to 23 November 1577.Constantin Rezachevici - ''Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova a. 1324–1881'', Volumul I, Edi ...
and Golia, and the price he has to pay for his rise. Alexandru, who falls in love with Ilinca, unsuccessfully asks for the captured Golia not to be killed. Following the murder, both brothers become embittered and renounce power.Călinescu, p. 623 Călinescu described ''Șoimii'' novel as "still awkward", noting that Sadoveanu was only beginning to experiment with the genre. The 1915 '' Neamul Șoimăreștilor'' is a '' Bildungsroman'' centered on the coming of age of one Tudor Șoimaru. The protagonist, born a free peasant in Orhei area, fights alongside
Ștefan Tomșa Ștefan Tomșa or Ștefan VII ( pl, Stefan VII Tomża) (died 5 May 1564 in Lwów) was the ruler of Moldavia in 1563 and 1564. Career Tomșa served as hatman and came to power as leader of a boyar revolt against the Lutheran Ioan Iacob Heraclid ...
in the 1612 battles to capture the Moldavian throne. After participating in the capture of
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
, he returns home and helps local boyar Stroie in recovering his daughter, Magda, who had been kidnapped by Cossacks. Șoimaru, who feels for Magda, is however enraged by news that her father has forced his community into serfdom. Trying to deal with his internal conflict, he travels into Poland–Lithuania, where he discovers that Stroie is plotting against Tomșa, while Magda, who is in love with a ''
szlachta The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...
'' nobleman, scorns his affection. He returns a second time to Orhei, marries into his social group, and plots revenge on Stroie by again rallying with Ștefan Tomșa. Following Tomșa's defeat, he again loses the lands of his ancestors, as Stroie returns home to celebrate his victory and have the Șoimarus put to death. Unexpectedly warned of this by Magda, Tudor manages to turn the tide: he and his family destroy Stroie's manor, killing the master but allowing Magda to escape unharmed. In Călinescu's view, the novel is "somewhat more consistent from an epic perspective", but fails to respect the conventions of the adventure novel it sets out to replicate. The critic, who deemed Magda's courtship by Tudor " sentimental", argued that the book lacks "the richness and unpredictable nature of the love intrigue"; he also objected to the depiction of Tudor as indecisive and inadequate for a heroic role. However, Ovid Crohmălniceanu argued that the suddenness of Tudor's sentimental commitments was characteristic for the "peasant soul" as observed by Sadoveanu.


''Zodia Cancerului'' and ''Nunta Domniței Ruxandra''

'' Zodia Cancerului'', Sadoveanu's later historical novel, is set late in the 17th century, during the third rule of Moldavian Prince
Gheorghe Duca Gheorghe Duca (born 29 February 1952) is a Moldovan academic and politician who is the current president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, an honorary member of the Romanian Academy, and former Moldovan Minister of Environment, Public Works a ...
, and is seen by Călinescu as "of a superior artistic level." The plot centers on a conflict between Duca and the Ruset boyars: the young Alecu Ruset, son of the deposed Prince Antonie, is spared persecution on account of his good relations with the Ottomans, but has to live under close watch. Himself a tormented, if cultured and refined, man, Alecu falls in love with Duca's daughter Catrina, whom he attempts to kidnap. The episode, set to coincide with the start of a major social crisis, ends with Alecu's defeat and killing on Duca's orders. In the background, the story depicts the visit of an ''
Abbé ''Abbé'' (from Latin ''abbas'', in turn from Greek , ''abbas'', from Aramaic ''abba'', a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of ''abh'', "father") is the French word for an abbot. It is the title for lowe ...
'' de Marenne, a Roman Catholic priest and French envoy, who meets and befriends Ruset. Their encounter is another opportunity for Sadoveanu to show the amiable but incomplete exchange between the mentalities of Western and Eastern Europe. In various episodes of the novel, de Marenne shows himself perplexed by the omnipresent wilderness of underpopulated Moldavia, and in particular by the abundance of resources this provides.Călinescu, p. 624 In one paragraph, seen by George Călinescu as a key to the book, Sadoveanu writes: " e Marenne'scurious eye was permanently satisfied. Here was a desolation of solitudes, one that his friends in France could not even guess existed, no matter how much imagination they had been gifted with; for at the antipode of civilization one occasionally finds such things that have remained unchanged from the onset of creation, preserving their mysterious beauty." In a shorter novel of the period, Sadoveanu explored the late years of Vasile Lupu's rule over Moldavia, centering on the marriage of Cossack leader
Tymofiy Khmelnytsky Tymofiy Bohdanovych Khmelnytsky or Tymish Khmelnytsky (, Tymofiej Chmielnicki; 1632 - September 15, 1653) was the eldest son of Cossack hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Married to Moldavian princess Ruxandra Lupu (''Rozanda'' in Ukrainian), daughter ...
and Lupu's daughter, Ruxandra. Titled ''Nunta Domniței Ruxandra'' ("Princess Ruxandra's Wedding"), it shows the Cossacks' brutal celebration of the event around the court in Iași, depicting Tymofiy himself as an uncouth, violent and withdrawn figure.Călinescu, p. 625 The narrative then focuses on the
Battle of Finta The Battle of Finta (27 May 1653) was a confrontation between Prince Matei Basarab's Wallachian army and a combined Moldavian– Cossack–Tatar force under Prince Vasile Lupu and Tymofiy Khmelnytsky. It took place around Finta, now a commune in ...
and the siege of Suceava, through which a Wallachian- Transylvanian force repelled the Moldo-Cossack forces and, turning the tide, entered deep into Moldavia and placed
Gheorghe Ștefan Gheorghe Ștefan (István Görgicze, seldom referred to as ''Burduja''; died 1668 in Szczecin) was Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia between 13 April and 8 May 1653, and again from 16 July 1653 to 13 March 1658; he was the son of boyar Dumitrașcu C ...
on the throne. Sadoveanu also invents a love story between Ruxandra and the boyar Bogdan, whose rivalry with Tymofiy ends in the latter's killing. While Călinescu criticized the plot as being over-detailed, and the character studies as incomplete, Crohmălniceanu found the intricate depiction of boyar customs to be a relevant part of Sadoveanu's "vast historical fresco." In both ''Zodia Cancerului'' and ''Nunta Domniței Ruxandra'', the author took significant liberties with the historical facts. In addition to Tymofiy's death at the hands of Bogdan, the latter narrative used invented or incorrect names for some of the personages, and portrays the muscular, mustachioed, Gheorghe Ștefan as thin and bearded; likewise, in ''Zodia Cancerului'', Sadoveanu invents the character Guido Celesti, who stands in for the actual Franciscan leader of Duca's Iași, Bariona da Monte Rotondo.


''Frații Jderi'', ''Venea o moară pe Siret...'' and ''Baltagul''

With '' Frații Jderi'', Sadoveanu's fresco of Moldavian history maintains its setting, but moves back in time to the 15th century rule of Prince
Stephen the Great Stephen III of Moldavia, most commonly known as Stephen the Great ( ro, Ștefan cel Mare; ; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 ...
. Writing in 1941, before its final part was in print, Călinescu argued that the novel was part of Sadoveanu's "most valuable work", and noted "the maturity of its verbal means." In the first volume, titled ''Ucenicia lui Ionuț'' ("Ionuț's Apprenticeship"), the eponymous Jderi brothers, allies of Stephen and friends of his son Alexandru, fight off the enemies of their lord on several occasions. In what is the start of a ''Bildungsroman'', the youngest Jder, Ionuț Păr-Negru, consumed by love for Lady Nasta, who was kidnapped by Tatars. He goes to her rescue, only to find out that she had preferred suicide to a life of slavery. Călinescu, who believed the volumes show Sadoveanu's move to the consecrated elements of adventure novels, called them "remarkable", but stressed that the narrative could render "the feeling of stumbling, of a languishing flow", and that the dénouement was "rather depressing". The second book in the series (''Izvorul alb'', "The White Water Spring") intertwines the life of the Jderi brothers with that of Stephen's family: the ruler weds the Byzantine princess Mary of Mangop, while Simion Jder falls for Marușca, who is supposedly Stephen's illegitimate daughter. The major episodes in the narrative are Marușca's kidnapping by a boyar, her captivity in
Jagiellon Poland The rule of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Poland between 1386 and 1572 spans the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period in European history. The Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło) founded the dynasty; his marriage ...
, and her rescue at the hands of the Jderi.Călinescu, pp. 626-627 The 1942 conclusion of the cycle, ''Oamenii Măriei-sale'' ("His Lordship's Men"), the brothers are shown defending their ancestral rights and their lord against the Ottoman invader and ambivalent boyars, and crushing the former at the Battle of Vaslui. The ''Jderi'' books, again set to the background of primitivism and natural abundance, also feature episodes of intense horror. These, Călinescu proposes, are willingly depicted "with an indolent complacency", as if to underline that the slow pace and monumental scale of history give little importance to personal tragedies. The same commentator notes a difference between the role nature plays in the first and second volumes: from serene, the landscape becomes hostile, and people are shown fearing earthquakes and droughts, although contemplative depictions of euphoria play a central part in both writings. The meeting between the wider world and the immobile local tradition surfaces in ''Frații Jderi'' as well: a messenger is shown wondering how the letter he brought could talk to the addressee; when she is supposed to encounter strange men, Marușca requests to be allowed to "shy away" in another room;Călinescu, p. 627 a secondary character, claiming precognition, prepares his own funeral. For the 1925 '' Venea o moară pe Siret...'', Sadoveanu received much critical acclaim. The boyar Alexandru Filotti falls in love with a miller's daughter, Anuța, whom he educates and introduces to high society. The beautiful young lady is also courted by Filotti's son Costi and by the peasant Vasile Brebu—in the end, overwhelmed by jealousy, Brebu kills the object of his affection. George Călinescu writes that the good reception was not fully deserved, claiming that the novel is "colorless", that it was merely based on the writer's early stories, and that it failed in its goal of depicting "crumbling boyardom". In '' Baltagul'' (1930), Sadoveanu merged psychological techniques and a pretext borrowed from crime fiction with several of his major themes. Written in just 30 days on the basis of previous drafts, the condensed novel shows Vitoria Lipan, the widow of a murdered shepherd, following in her husband's tracks to discover his killer and avenge his death. Accompanied by her son, and using for a guide the shepherd's dog, Vitoria discovers both the body and the murderer, but, before she can take revenge, her dog jumps on the man and bites into his neck. By means of this plot line, Sadoveanu also builds a fresco of transhumance and traces its ancestral paths, taking as a source of inspiration one of the best-known poems in local folklore, the ballad ''
Miorița "Miorița" (ad. ''mioriță'', lit. 'The Little Ewe Lamb'), also transliterated as "Mioritza", is an old Romanian pastoral ballad considered to be one of the most important pieces of Romanian folklore. It has numerous versions with quite differe ...
''. Vitoria's sheer determination is the central aspect of the volume. Călinescu, who ranks the book among Sadoveanu's best, praises its "remarkable artistry" and "unforgettable dialogues", but nonetheless writes that Lipan's "detective-like" search and a "stubbornness" are weak points in the narrative.Călinescu, p. 629 Crohmălniceanu declares ''Baltagul'' one of the "capital works" in world literature, proposing that, on its own, it manages to reconstruct "an entire shepherding civilization"; Cornis-Pope, who rates the book as "Sadoveanu's masterpiece", also notes that it "restated the theme of crime and punishment".


Main travel writings and memoirs

Before the 1940s, Sadoveanu also became known as a travel writer. His contributions notably include accounts of his hunting trips: ''Țara de dincolo de negură'' ("The Land beyond the Fog"), and one dedicated to the region of Dobruja (''Priveliști dobrogene'', "Dobrujan Sights"). Călinescu wrote that they both comprised "pages of great beauty". ''Țara de dincolo...'', primarily showing recluse men in real-life symbiosis with the wilderness, also attention for its sympathetic depiction of the Hutsuls, a
minority Minority may refer to: Politics * Minority government, formed when a political party does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament * Minority leader, in American politics, the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative b ...
Slavic-speaking population, as an ancient tribe threatened by cultural assimilation. Sadoveanu's other travelogues include the reportage ''Oameni și locuri'' ("People and Places") and an account of his trips into
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 ...
(''Drumuri basarabene'', "Bessarabian Roads"). He also collected and commented upon the memoirs of other avid hunters (''Istorisiri de vânătoare'', "Hunting Stories"). A noted writing in this series was ''Împărăția apelor'' ("The Realm of Waters"). It forms a detailed and contemplative memoir of his journeys as a fisherman, and, according to Crohmălniceanu, one of the most eloquent proofs of Sadoveanu's "permanent and intimate correspondence with nature." Călinescu saw the text as a "fantastic vision of the entire aquatic universe", merging a form of pessimism similar to
Arthur Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer ( , ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is best known for his 1818 work ''The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the prod ...
's with a "calm '' kief''" ( cannabis-induced torpor), and as such illustrating "the great joy of participating in the transformations of matter, of eating and allowing oneself to be eaten." Sadoveanu also contributed an account of his travels into the Netherlands, ''Olanda'' ("Holland"). It provides insight into his preoccupation with the meeting of civilization and wilderness: upset by what he called "the utchrampancy of cleanliness", the writer confesses his perplexity at coming face to face with a contained and structured natural world, and details his own temptation to go "against the current".Călinescu, p. 628 One of Sadoveanu's main conclusions is that Holland lacks in "true and lively wonders". Sadoveanu also sporadically wrote memoirs of his early life career, such as ''Însemnări ieșene'' ("Recordings from Iași"), which deals with the period during which he worked for '' Viața Românească'',Călinescu, p. 661 a book about the Second Balkan War (''44 de zile în Bulgaria'', "44 Days in Bulgaria"), and the account of years in primary school, ''Domnu Trandafir''. They were followed in 1944 by ''Anii de ucenicie'' ("The Apprenticeship Years"), where Sadoveanu details some of his earliest experiences. Despite his temptation for destroying all raw personal notes, Sadoveanu wrote and kept a large number of diaries, which were never published in his lifetime.


Other early writings

Also during that time, he retold and prefaced the journeys of Thomas Witlam Atkinson, an English architect and stonemason who spent years in Tartary (a book he titled ''Cuibul invaziilor'', "The Nest of Invasions"). This was evidence of his growing interest in exotic subjects, which he later adapted to a series of novels, where the setting is " Scythia", seen as an ancestral area of culture connecting Central Asia with the European region of Dacia (partly coinciding with present-day Romania).Călinescu, pp. 628-629 The home of mysterious Asiatic peoples, Sadoveanu's Scythia is notably the background to his novels ''Uvar'' and ''Nopțile de Sânziene''. The former shows its eponymous character, a Yakut, exposed to the scrutiny of a Russian officer. In the latter, titled after the ancestral celebration of '' Sânziene'' during the month of June, shows a French intellectual meeting a nomadic tribe of Moldavian Rom people, who, the reader learns, are actually the descendants of Pechenegs. Călinescu notes that, in such writings, "the intrigue is a pretext", again serving to depict the vast wilderness confronted with the keen eye of foreign observers. He sees ''Nopțile de Sânziene'' as "the novel of millenarian immobility", and its theme as one of mythological proportions. The narrative pretexts, including the ''Sânziene'' celebration and the Rom people's social atavism, connect ''Nopțile...'' with another one of Sadoveanu's writings, ''24 iunie'' ("June 24"). According to Tudor Vianu, the 1933 fantasy novel ''Creanga de aur'' ("The Golden Bow") takes partial inspiration from Byzantine literature, and is evidence of a form of Humanism found in
Eastern philosophy Eastern philosophy or Asian philosophy includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philosophy; which are dominant in East Asia, ...
.Vianu, Vol. III, p. 227
Marcel Cornis-Pope Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian s ...
places it among Sadoveanu's "mythic-poetic narratives that explored the ontology and symbolics of history." The writer himself acknowledged that the esoteric nature of the book was inspired by his own affiliation to the Freemasonry, whose symbolism it partly reflected. Its protagonist, Kesarion Brebu, is included by Vianu among the images of sages and
soothsayer Soothsayer may refer to: * One practicing divination, including: ** Fortune-telling ** Haruspex ** Oracle ** Prophet ** Precognition Music * Soothsayers (band), a London-based Afrobeat and reggae group * ''The Soothsayer'', an album by Wayne ...
s in Mihail Sadoveanu's fiction, and, as "the last ''
Deceneus Deceneus or Decaeneus (Greek: Δεκαίνεος, ''Dekaineos'') was a priest of Dacia during the reign of Burebista (82/61–45/44 BC). He is mentioned in the near-contemporary Greek ''Geographica'' of Strabo and in the 6th-century Latin ''Getica' ...
''", is a treasurer of ancient secret sciences mastered by the
Dacians The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consid ...
and the Ancient Egyptians. The novel is often interpreted as Sadoveanu's perspective on the Dacian contribution to
Romanian culture The culture of Romania is an umbrella term used to encapsulate the ideas, customs and social behaviours of the people of Romania that developed due to the country's distinct geopolitical history and evolution. It is theorized and speculated that ...
. Sadoveanu's series of minor novels and stories of the interwar years also comprises a set of usually urban-themed writings, which, Călinescu argues, resemble the works of Honoré de Balzac, but develop into "regressive" texts with "a lyrical intrigue". They include ''Duduia Margareta'' ("Miss Margareta"), where a conflict occurs between a young woman and her
governess A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...
, and ''Locul unde nu s-a întâmplat nimic'' ("The Place Where Nothing Happened"), where, in what is a retake on his own ''Apa morților'', Sadoveanu depicts the cultured but bored boyar Lai Cantacuzin and his growing affection for a modest young woman, Daria Mazu. In ''Cazul Eugeniței Costea'' ("The Case of Eugenița Costea"), a civil servant kills himself to avoid prosecution, and his end is replicated by that of his daughter, brought to despair by her stepfather's character and by her mother's irrational jealousy. ''Demonul tinereții'' ("The Demon of Youth"), believed by Călinescu to be "the most charming" in this series, has for its protagonist Natanail, a university dropout who has developed a morbid fear of women since losing the love of his life, and who lives in seclusion as a monk. In the rural-themed ''Paștele blajinilor'' (" Thomas Sunday") of 1935, a defeated brigand seeks a dignified end to his wasted life. Written in 1938, the short story ''Ochi de urs'' ("Bear's Eye") introduces its hero Culi Ursake, the toughened hunter, into a bizarre scenery that seems to mock a human's understanding. During the period, Mihail Sadoveanu also wrote children's literature. His most significant pieces in this field are ''Dumbrava minunată'' ("The Enchanted Grove", 1926), ''Măria-sa Puiul Pădurii'' ("His Highness the Forest Boy", 1931), and a collection of stories adapted from Persian literature (''Divanul persian'', "The Persian Divan", 1940). ''Măria-sa Puiul Pădurii'' is itself an adaptation of the '' Geneviève de Brabant'' story, considered "somewhat highbrow" by George Călinescu, while the
frame story A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
''Divanul persian'' consciously recalls the work of 19th century Wallachian writer
Anton Pann Anton Pann (; born Antonie Pantoleon-Petroveanu , and also mentioned as ''Anton Pantoleon'' or ''Petrovici''; 1790s—2 November 1854) was an Ottoman-born Wallachian composer, musicologist, and Romanian-language poet, also noted for his act ...
. In 1909, Sadoveanu also published adapted version of two ancient writings: the '' Alexander Romance'' (as ''Alexandria'') and '' Aesop's Fables'' (as ''Esopia''). His 1921 book ''Cocostârcul albastru'' ("The Blue Crane") is a series of short stories with lyrical themes. Among his early writings are two
biographical novel The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person's life. Like other forms of biographical fiction, details are often trimmed or reimagined to meet the artistic needs of the fiction ...
s which retell historical events from the source, ''Viața lui Ștefan cel Mare'' ("The Life of Stephen the Great") and ''Lacrimile ieromonahului Veniamin'' ("The Tears of Veniamin the Hieromonk"), both of which, Călinescu objected, lacked in originality. The former, published in 1934, was more noted among critics, for both intimate tone and hagiographic character (recounting Stephen's life on the model of saints' biographies).


Socialist realism years

Despite the post-1944 change in approach, Sadoveanu's characteristic narrative style remained largely unmodified. In contrast, his choice of themes changed, a transition which reflected political imperatives. At the end of the process, literary historian Ana Selejan argues, Sadoveanu became the most influential prose author among Romanian Socialist realists, equaled only by the younger Petru Dumitriu. Historian Bogdan Ivașcu writes that Sadoveanu's affiliation with " proletarian culture" and "its masquerade", like that of Tudor Arghezi and George Călinescu, although it may have been intended to rally "prestige and depth" to Socialist realism, only succeeded in bring their late works to the level of " propaganda and agitation materials." In contrast to these retrospective assessments, communist literary critics and cultural promoters of the 1950s regularly described Sadoveanu as the model to follow, both before and after Georgy Malenkov's views on culture were adopted as the norm. In his ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'', the writer built on the opposition between light and darkness, identifying the former with Soviet policies and the latter with capitalism. Sadoveanu thus spoke of "the dragon of my own doubts" being vanquished by "the Sun of the East". Historian Adrian Cioroianu notes that this literary
antithesis Antithesis (Greek for "setting opposite", from "against" and "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together f ...
came to be widely used by various Romanian authors who rallied with
Stalinism Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...
during the late 1940s, citing among these
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 ...
and the former avant-garde writer Sașa Pană. He also notes that such imagery, accompanied by portrayals of Soviet joy and abundance, replicated an ancient "structure of myth", adapting it to a new ideology on the basis of "what could be imagined, not of what could be believed."
Ioan Stanomir Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the cle ...
writes that Sadoveanu and his fellow ARLUS members use a discourse recalling the theme of a religious conversion, analogous to that of
Paul the Apostle Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
(''see Road to Damascus''),Stanomir, p. 25 and critic
Cornel Ungureanu Cornel may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Cornel (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Cornel Wilde (1915–1989), American actor and director born Kornél Lajos Weisz * Eric Cornel (born 1996), Canadian hockey player Plant ...
stresses that Sadoveanu's texts of the period frequently quote the Bible. Following his return from the Soviet Union, Sadoveanu published travelogues and reportage piece, including the 1945 ''Moscova'' (" Moscow", co-authored with
Traian Săvulescu Traian Săvulescu (2 February 1889, Râmnicu Sărat – 29 March 1963, Bucharest) was a Romanian biologist and botanist, founder of the Romanian School of Phytopathology, member and president of the Romanian Academy. Early life and education The ...
and economist
Mitiță Constantinescu Mitiţă Constantinescu (October 20, 1890—1946) was a Romanian economist and liberal politician. He was an advocate of industrialization and a degree of ''dirigisme''. Biography Born in Bucharest, he graduated from the Gheorghe Lazăr High ...
) and the 1946 ''Caleidoscop'' ("Kaleidoscope"). In one of these accounts, he details his encounter with Lysenkoist agronomist Nikolay Tsistsin, and claims to have tasted bread made from a brand of wheat which yielded 4,000
kilogram The kilogram (also kilogramme) is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially ...
s of grain per hectare. In a later memoir, Sadoveanu depicted his existence and the destiny of his country as improved by the
communist system Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
, and gave accounts of his renewed journeys in the countryside, where he claimed to have witnessed a "spiritual splendor" supported by "the practice of the new times". He would follow up with hundreds of articles on various subjects, published by the communist press, including two 1953 pieces in which he lamented Stalin's death (one of them referred to the Soviet leader as "the great genius of progressive mankind"). Upon its publication, the
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 ...
''
Mitrea Cocor ''Mitrea Cocor'' is a 1953 Romanian war drama film directed by Victor Iliu and Marieta Sadova.Liehm & Liehm p.142 It is based on the 1949 socialist realist novel of the same name by Mihail Sadoveanu. A poor young Romanian goes off to fight durin ...
'', which depicts the hardships and eventual triumph of its eponymous peasant protagonist, was officially described as the first Socialist realist writing in local literature, and as a turning point in literary history. Often compared to Dan Deșliu's ideologized poem ''Lazăr de la Rusca'', it is remembered as a controversial epic dictated by ideological requirements, and argued to have been written with assistance from several other authors. Seen by historiographer Lucian Boia as an "embarrassing literary fabrication",Boia, ''Un nou Eminescu'', p. 72 it was rated by literary critics
Dan C. Mihăilescu Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
and
Luminița Marcu Luminiţa may refer to: *Luminița (name) *Port of Luminița in Romania *Luminița River in Romania * Luminiţa, a village in Corbu, Constanța, Corbu Commune, Constanţa County, Romania * Luminiţa, a village in Topolog, Tulcea, Topolog Commune, Tu ...
both as one of "the most harmful books in Romanian literature",Alexandra Olivotto, "Cele mai nocive cărți din cultura românească", in '' Cotidianul'', 19 October 2005 and by historian
Ioan Lăcustă Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the clergy ...
as "a propaganda writing, a failure from a literary point of view".
Ioan Lăcustă Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the clergy ...
, "1952. Filmul românesc la raport în Consiliul de Miniștri", in '' Magazin Istoric'', January 1998
A praise of collectivization policies that some critics believe was a testimony that Sadoveanu was submitting himself and imposing his public to
brainwashing Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwash ...
, ''Mitrea Cocor'' was preceded by ''Păuna-Mică'', a novel which also idealizes collective farming. With his final published work, the 1951-1952 novel ''Nicoară Potcoavă'', Sadoveanu retells the narrative of his ''Șoimii'', modifying the plot and adding new characters. Noted among the latter is Olimbiada, a female soothsayer and healer through whose words Sadoveanu again dispenses his own perspective on human existence. The focus of the narrative is also changed: from the avenger of his brother's death in ''Șoimii'', the pretender becomes a purveyor of folk identity, aiming to reestablish the Moldavia of Stephen the Great's times. Praised early on by Dumitriu, who believed it was proof of "artistic excellence", ''Nicoară Potcoavă'' is itself seen as a source for communist-inspired political messages. According to Cornel Ungureanu, this explains why it highlights the brotherhood between Cossacks and Moldavians, supposedly replicating the official view on Soviet-Romanian relations. Cornis-Pope, who considers the novel one of Sadoveanu's "mere variations" on old subjects, suggests that it transforms its protagonist "from medieval fighter into political philosopher who announces the rise of a 'new world'."Cornis-Pope, p. 501 Victor Frunză also notes that, although Sadoveanu returned to old subjects, he "no longer rises to the level he had reached before the war." The final part of Sadoveanu's creation also comprises a series of pieces where the narrative approach was, according to Crohmălniceanu, "corrected" to show his favorite recluse type won over by the new society.Crohmălniceanu, p. 212 In essence, Ungureanu argues, the new style that of "reportage and plain information, adapted to orders coming from above". Such works include the 1951 ''Nada Florilor'' ("The Flowers' Lure") and ''Clonț-de-fier'' ("Iron Bucktooth"), alongside an unfinished piece, ''Cântecul mioarei'' ("Song of the Ewe"). In ''Nada...'', the peasant boy Culai follows his hero, tinsmith Alecuțu, into factory life. ''Clonț-de-fier'', an ideologized retake on ''Demonul tinereții'', is about a monk returning from seclusion into the world of workers, where the landscape is reshaped by large-scale construction works. According to Ungureanu, it also shows Sadoveanu's universe stripped of "all its deep meanings." While their author came to personify the new cultural guidelines, Sadoveanu's previous books, from '' Frații Jderi'' to '' Baltagul'', were subject to communist censorship. Various statements contradicting the ideological guidelines were cut out of new editions: the books in general could no longer include mentions of
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 ...
(a region first incorporated into the Soviet Union by a 1940 occupation) or Romanian Orthodox beliefs. Teodor Vârgolici
"Caracatița cenzurii comuniste"
in ''
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 ...
'', 27 December 2006
In one such instance, censors of ''Baltagul'' removed a character's claim that "the Russian" was by nature "the drunkest of them all, ..a worthy beggar and singer at the fairs."


Politics


Nationalism and Humanism

Sadoveanu's engagement in politics was marked by abrupt changes in convictions, seeing him move from right- to left-wing stances several times in his life. In close connection with his traditionalist views on literature, but in contrast to his career under a
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
and National Liberal cabinets, Sadoveanu initially rallied with nationalist groups of various hues, associating with both Nicolae Iorga and, in 1906, with the left-wing Poporanists at '' Viața Românească''. An early cause of his was his attempt to reconcile Iorga with the Poporanists, but his efforts were largely fruitless. In the 1910s, the anti-Iorga traditionalist
Ilarie Chendi Ilarie Chendi (November 14, 1871 – June 23, 1913) was a Romanian literary critic. Born in Darlac, Kis-Küküllő County, now Dârlos, Sibiu County, in Transylvania, his father Vasile was a Romanian Orthodox priest, while his mother Eliza ( ...
recognized in Sadoveanu one of the Poporanists who promoted "the spiritual healing of our people through culture." Around that time, he formulated a ruralist and nationalist perspective on life, rejecting what he deemed "the hybrid urban world" for "the world of our national realities". In Călinescu's analysis, this signifies that, like his predecessor, the conservative Eminescu, Sadoveanu believed the cities were victims of the "superimposed category" of foreigners, in particular those administering leasehold estates. Following the 1907 Peasants' Revolt, Sadoveanu sent a report to his Minister of Education Spiru Haret, informing him on the state of rural education, and, beyond this, of the problems faced by villagers in Moldavia. It read: "The leaseholders and landowners, no matter what their nationality, make a mockery of the Romanians' labors. Every ''surtucar'' hat is, urbanized characterin the village, mayors, notaries, paper-pushers, shamelessly ndmercilessly milk this milk cow. They are joined by the priest—who ..is in disagreement with the teacher." With '' Neamul Șoimăreștilor'', the burdens of
feudal society Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
and
mercantilism Mercantilism is an economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports for an economy. It promotes imperialism, colonialism, tariffs and subsidies on traded goods to achieve that goal. The policy aims to reduce a ...
, most of all the restriction of economic rights, were becoming a background theme in his fiction, which later depicted
Stephen the Great Stephen III of Moldavia, most commonly known as Stephen the Great ( ro, Ștefan cel Mare; ; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 ...
as the original champion of social justice ('' Frații Jderi''). During most of his World War I activity, Sadoveanu also followed the Poporanists' Russophobia and dislike of the Entente side, describing the Russian Empire's national policies in Bessarabia as far more barbaric than Austria-Hungary's rule over Transylvania. In 1916, he abruptly switched to the Entente camp: his enthusiasm as propaganda officer was touched by controversy once Romania experienced massive defeats; Sadoveanu himself abandoned the Entente cause by 1918, when he was decommissioned, and resumed his flirtation with Constantin Stere's Germanophile lobby. Călinescu sees Sadoveanu, alongside Stere, as one of ''Viața Românească''s chief ideologues, noting that he was nonetheless "rendered notorious by his inconsistency and opportunism." He writes that Sadoveanu and Stere both showed a resentment for ethnic minorities, particularly members of the Jewish community, whom they saw as agents of exploitation, but that, as
Humanists Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanis ...
, they had a form of "humane sympathy" for Jews and foreigners taken individually. The Poporanist aspect of Sadoveanu's literature was also highlighted by Garabet Ibrăileanu in the late 1920s, when he referred to his contributions as evidence that Romanian culture was successfully returning to its specific originality. In essence, Crohmălniceanu writes, Sadoveanu was tied to ''Viața Românească'' by his advocacy of national specificity, his preference for the large-scale narrative, and his vision of pristine, "natural", human beings. According to
Z. 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 ...
, Sadoveanu's affiliation to the Freemasonry shaped not only his political " demophilia", but also his "'' Weltanschauung'', and, through a reflex, his iterarywork." By consequence, Ornea argues, Sadoveanu became a supporter of democracy, a stance which led him into open conflict with extreme nationalists. Alongside its Humanism, Sadoveanu's nationalism was noted for being secular, and thus in contrast with the Romanian Orthodox imagery favored by nationalists on the
far right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
. Sadoveanu rejected the notion that ancestral Romanians were religious individuals, stating that their belief was in fact "limited to rituals and customs." He was also a vocal supporter of
international cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Definitions Multilateralism, in the form of membership in international institutions, serves to bind powerful nations, discourage u ...
, particularly among countries in Eastern and Central Europe. Writing for the magazine '' Familia'' in 1935, 17 years after Transylvania's union with Romania and 15 years after the Treaty of Trianon, Sadoveanu joined the Hungarian author
Gyula Illyés Gyula Illyés born ''Gyula Illés'' (2 November 1902 – 15 April 1983) was a Hungarian poet and novelist. He was one of the so-called ''népi'' ("from the people") writers, named so because they aimed to show – propelled by strong so ...
in pleading for good relations between the two neighbors. As noted by Crohmălniceanu, although Sadoveanu's interwar novels may depict both clashes between polities and benign misunderstandings, they ultimately discourage ethnic stereotypes, suggesting that "the gifts and qualities of various kinships" are mutually compatible. According to
Marcel Cornis-Pope Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian s ...
, this cooperative vision is the background theme to ''Divanul persian'', a book "demonstrating the value of intercultural dialogue at a time of sharp political polarization." The same text was described by Vianu as evidence of Sadoveanu's "understanding, gentleness and tolerance". In 1926, the year of his entry into Alexandru Averescu's People's Party, Sadoveanu motivated his choice in a letter to Octavian Goga, indicating his belief that the
intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...
needed to partake in politics: "It would seem that what is foremost needed is the contribution of intellectuals, in an epoch when the overall intellectual level is decreasing." His sincerity was doubted by his contemporaries: both his friend
Gheorghe Jurgea-Negrilești Gheorghe is a Romanian given name and surname. It is a variant of George, also a name in Romanian but with soft Gs. It may refer to: Given name * Gheorghe Adamescu * Gheorghe Albu * Gheorghe Alexandrescu * Gheorghe Andriev * Gheorghe Apostol * ...
and the communist Petre Pandrea recount how, in 1926–1927, Sadoveanu and Păstorel Teodoreanu requested public funds from
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 ...
Goga, with Sadoveanu motivating that he wanted to set up a cultural magazine and later spending the money on his personal wardrobe. In contrast, Adrian Cioroianu notes that the People's Party episode, and especially the "mutual wariness" between Sadoveanu and the National Liberals, underlined the writer's sympathy for the "intellectual Left". Himself a
Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
, Ovid Crohmălniceanu suggested that, as early as the 1930s, Sadoveanu's attitudes were rather similar to the official line of communist groups.


Opposition to fascism and support for King Carol

During the 1930s, following his stint as head of ''
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 ...
'', a leftist newspaper owned by Jewish entrepreneurs, Sadoveanu was targeted by right-wing voices, who claimed that he had chosen to abandon his nationalist credentials. Thus, Sadoveanu became the target of a press campaign in the
antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
and
fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
press, and in particular in Nichifor Crainic's ''
Sfarmă-Piatră (; literally "Stone-Crusher" or "Rock-Breaker", named after one of the ''Uriași'' characters in Romanian folklore) was an antisemitic daily, monthly and later weekly newspaper, published in Romania during the late 1930s and early 1940s. One in ...
'' and the journals connected with 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 ...
. The former publication deplored his supposed "betrayal" of the nationalist cause. In it,
Ovidiu Papadima Ovidiu Papadima (June 23, 1909, Sinoe, Constanța County – May 26, 1996, Bucharest) was a Romanian literary critic, folklorist, and essayist. He studied at the Alexandru Papiu Ilarian High School in Târgu Mureș, graduating at the top of his ...
portrayed Sadoveanu as the victim of Jewish manipulation, and equated his affiliation to the Freemasonry with
devil worship Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as religious Satanism, spiritual Satanism, or traditional Satanism, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan, the Devil, or Lucifer to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural en ...
, and mocked his obesity, while Crainic himself compared the writer to his own character, the treacherous Ieremia Golia. '' Porunca Vremii'' often referred to him as ''Jidoveanu'' (from ''jidov'', a dismissive term for "Jew"), depicted him as an agent of " Judaeo-communism" motivated by "perversity", and called on the public to harass the writer and beat him with stones. It also protested when the public authorities in Fălticeni refused to withdraw Sadoveanu the title of honorary citizen, and again when the University of Iași made him a doctor ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
'', and, through the voice of novelist
N. Crevedia Nicolae Crevedia (born Niculae Ion Cârstea; December 7, 1902 – November 5, 1978) was a Romanian journalist, poet and novelist, father of the writer-politician Eugen Barbu. Of Muntenian peasant roots, which shaped his commitment to agrarian and ...
, even suggested that the writer should use his hunting rifle to commit suicide. In 1937, ''Porunca Vremii'' congratulated ultra-nationalists who had organized public burnings of Sadoveanu's works in Southern Dobruja and in
Hunedoara Hunedoara (; german: Eisenmarkt; hu, Vajdahunyad ) is a municipiu, city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș ...
, as well as non-identified people who sent the writer packages containing shredded copies of his own volumes. In April 1937, the anti-Sadoveanu campaign was met with the indignation of various public figures, who issued an "Appeal of the Intellectuals", signed by Liviu Rebreanu,
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
, Petru Groza,
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 ...
, George Topîrceanu, Zaharia Stancu,
Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chi ...
, Alexandru Al. Philippide,
Constantin Balmuș Constantin is an Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian and Romanian male given name. It can also be a surname. For a list of notable people called Constantin, see Constantine (name). See also * Constantine (name) * Konstantin The first name Konstant ...
and others. Denouncing the campaign as a "moral assassination", it referred to Sadoveanu as the author of "the most Romanian
orks Ork or ORK may refer to: * Ork (folklore), a mountain demon of Tyrol folklore * ''Ork'' (video game), a 1991 game for the Amiga and Atari ST systems * Ork (''Warhammer 40,000''), a fictional species in the ''Warhammer 40,000'' universe * ''Ork!'' ...
in our literature." Sadoveanu himself defended his fellow writer Tudor Arghezi, who stood accused by the far right press of having written "
pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
". Reviewing the consequences of these scandals, Ovid Crohmălniceanu suggests that all of what Mihail Sadoveanu wrote from 1938 to 1943 is in some way connected to the cause of
anti-fascism Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
. According to Cornis-Pope, Sadoveanu's dislike for the far right can be discovered in ''Creanga de aur'', which doubles as "a political
parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, w ...
opposing an archaic peasant civilization to the growing threat of fascism." However, George Călinescu claims, the writer himself had not actually revised his nationalist outlook, that he continued to believe that minorities and foreigners were a risky presence in Greater Romania, and that his Humanism was "a light tincture". In one of his columns, Sadoveanu replied to those organizing the acts of vandalism, indicating that, had they actually read the novels they were destroying, they would have found "a burning faith in this nation, for so long mistreated by cunning men". Elsewhere, stating that he was not going to take his detractors into consideration, Sadoveanu defined himself as an adversary of both Nazi Germany and any form of advocacy for a "Nazism, National-Socialist regime in our country".Ornea, ''Anii treizeci'', p. 462 Sadoveanu's subsequent endorsement of Authoritarianism, authoritarian King Carol II and his corporatist force, 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 ...
, saw his participation in the monarch's personality cult. In 1940, he offered controversial praise to the ruler through the official journal, ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'', which caused Carol's political adversary, psychologist Nicolae Mărgineanu (psychologist), Nicolae Mărgineanu, to deem Sadoveanu and his fellow contributors "scoundrels". His renewed mandate 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 ...
was a favor from Carol, also granted to George Enescu, philosopher Lucian Blaga, scientists Emil Racoviță and Iuliu Hațieganu, and several other public figures. During the
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...
dictatorship, Sadoveanu kept a low profile and was apolitical. However, Cioroianu writes, he supported the Operation Barbarossa, invasion of the Soviet Union and Romania's cooperation with the Axis Powers on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front, seeing in this a chance to recover
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 ...
and the northern part of
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
(lost to the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, 1940 Soviet occupation). In spring 1944, months before the King Michael Coup toppled the regime, he was approached by the clandestine
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 ...
and its sympathizers in academia to sign an open letter condemning Romania's alliance to Nazi Germany. According to the communist activist Belu Zilber, who took part in this action, Sadoveanu, like his fellow intellectuals Dimitrie Gusti,
Simion Stoilow Simion Stoilow or Stoilov ( – 4 April 1961) was a Romanian mathematician, creator of the Romanian school of complex analysis, and author of over 100 publications. Biography He was born in Bucharest, and grew up in Craiova. His father, Colonel ...
and Horia Hulubei, refused to sign the document. Lavinia Betea, " 'Recunoștința' Partidului față de cei care l-au subvenționat", in '' Magazin Istoric'', August 1997 Also according to Zilber, Sadoveanu motivated his refusal by stating that the letter needed to be addressed not to Antonescu, but to King Michael I. However, and aside from its main topic, ''Păuna-Mică'' was noted as one of the few prose works of the 1940s to mention the Holocaust in Romania, wartime deportation of Romanian Jews by Antonescu's regime; ''Caleidoscop'' also speaks about the 1941 Iași pogrom as "our shame", and commends those who opposed it.


Partnership with the communists

Following his ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'' lecture, Sadoveanu became noted for his positive portrayals of communization and Collectivization in Romania, collectivization. In particular, Sadoveanu offered praise to one of the major pillars of
Stalinism Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...
, the 1936 Soviet Constitution. In 1945, claiming to have been "flashed upon" by "Stalin's argumentation", he urged the public to read the document for its "sincerity"; elsewhere, he equated reading the constitution with "a mystical revelation". Adrian Cioroianu describes this as "an office assignment" from the ARLUS, at a time when the group was circulating free translated copies of the Soviet constitution. The enthusiasm of his writings also manifested itself in his public behavior: according to his ARLUS colleague Iorgu Iordan, Sadoveanu was emotional during the 1945 Soviet trip, shedding tears of joy upon visiting a day care center in the countryside. Running in the 1946 Romanian general election, 1946 election, Sadoveanu blamed the old political class in general for the problems faced by Romanian peasants, including the major drought of that year. By then, his political partners were making use of his literary fame, and his electoral pamphlet read: "There is no doubt that the thousands of people who have read his works will rush out on [election day] to vote for him." After 1948, when the Communist Romania, Romanian communist regime was installed, Sadoveanu directed his praise toward the new authorities. In 1952, as Romania adopted its 1952 Constitution of Romania, second republican constitution and the authorities intensified repression against Anti-communism, anti-communists, Sadoveanu made some of his most controversial statements. Declaring the Kingdom of Romania, defunct kingdom to have been a "long interval of organized injustice and crooked development in all areas", he presented the new order as an era of social justice, human dignity, available culture and universal public education. Criticism of Sadoveanu's moral choices also focuses on the fact that, while he led a luxurious existence, many of his generation colleagues and fellow intellectuals were being persecuted or jailed in notoriously harsh circumstances. Having tolerated the purge within the Romanian Academy, Cioroianu notes, Sadoveanu accepted being colleagues with newly promoted "secondary characters ..whom the new regime needed", such as poet Dumitru Theodor Neculuță and historian Mihail Roller. In his official capacity, Sadoveanu even signed several Capital punishment in Romania, death sentences declared by communist tribunals, and, in the wake of the Tămădău Affair of summer 1947, presided over the Chamber sessions which outlawed the opposition National Peasants' Party: according to researcher Victor Frunză, he was a willing participant in this, having been upset by the exposure of his personal wealth in the National Peasantist press. Later, Sadoveanu made a reference to his former colleague, the National Peasantist activist Ion Mihalache, arguing that his old Agrarianism, Agrarianist approach to politics had made him a "ridiculous character".
Ioan Stanomir Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the cle ...
describes this fragment as one of "intellectual abjection", indicating that Mihalache, already a political prisoner of the regime, was to die in captivity. However, as leader of 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 ...
, the aging writer is credited by some with having protected poet Nicolae Labiș, a disillusioned communist who had been excluded from the Union of Communist Youth, Union of Worker Youth in spring 1954, and whose work Sadoveanu treasured. He is also reported to have helped George Călinescu publish the novel ''Scrinul negru'', mediating between him and communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. Mihail Sadoveanu provided a definition of his own political transition in conversation with fellow writer Ion Biberi (1946). At the time, he claimed: "I have never engaged in politics, in the sense that one assigns to this word." He elaborated: "I am a left-wing person, following the line of a Poporanist zeal in the spirit of ''Viața Românească'', but one adapted to the new circumstances." Cioroianu sees in such statements evidence that, trying to discard his past, Sadoveanu was including himself among the socialist intellectuals "willing to let themselves be won over by the indescribable charm and the full swing of the communist utopia", but that he may in reality have been "motivated by fear". Paraphrasing communist vocabulary, Stanomir describes the writer as one of the "Bourgeoisie, bourgeois" personalities who became "fellow travelers" of the communists, and argues that Sadoveanu's claim to have always leaned towards a "People’s Republic, people's democracy" inaugurated "a pattern of chameleonism". In the view of historian Vladimir Tismăneanu, Sadoveanu, like Parhon, George Călinescu,
Traian Săvulescu Traian Săvulescu (2 February 1889, Râmnicu Sărat – 29 March 1963, Bucharest) was a Romanian biologist and botanist, founder of the Romanian School of Phytopathology, member and president of the Romanian Academy. Early life and education The ...
and others, was one of the "non-communist intellectuals" attracted into cooperation with 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 ...
and the communist regime (Tismăneanu also argues that these figures' good relationship with Gheorghiu-Dej was a factor in the process, as was Gheorghiu-Dej's ability to make himself look "harmless"). Others have submitted that Sadoveanu's faction in the Freemasonry, which included far left advocates Mihai Ralea and Alexandru Claudian, and officially supported evolutionary socialism, was a natural partner of the communists, to the point of sanctioning its own Suppression of Freemasonry, state-organized suppression. According to Adrian Cioroianu, Sadoveanu was not necessarily an "apostle of communization", and his role in the process is subject to much debate.Cioroianu, ''Lumina vine de la Răsărit'', pp. 22-23 Describing the writer's "conversion to philosovietism" as "purely contextual", Cioroianu also points out that the very notion of "light arising in the East" is read by some as Sadoveanu's encoded message to other Freemasons, warning them of a Soviet threat to the organization. The historian notes that, for all their possible lack in sincerity, Sadoveanu's statements provided a template for other intellectuals to follow—this, he argues, was the case of
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 ...
. Other statements made by Sadoveanu also displayed a possibly studied ambiguity, as is the case with a 1952 lecture he gave in front of young writers attending the Party-controlled School of Literature, where he implicitly denied that one could be created a writer unless by "God or Mother Nature".


Legacy


Influence

Sadoveanu's prose, in particular his treatment of natural settings, was a direct influence in the works of writers such as
Dimitrie D. Pătrășcanu Dimitrie D. Pătrășcanu (October 8, 1872–November 4, 1937) was a Romanian prose writer and dramatist. Born in Tomești, Iași County, his parents were Dimitrie Pătrășcanu, a farmer, and his wife Maria (''née'' Vicol). He attended pri ...
,
Nicolae N. Beldiceanu Nicolae N. Beldiceanu (May 15, 1881–June 9, 1923) was a Romanian short story writer. Born in Rădășeni, Suceava County, his parents were Nicolae Beldiceanu and his wife Aglaia (''née'' Lateș). He studied at the National College in Iași ...
, Eugeniu Botez, Jean Bart, and Al. Lascarov-Moldovanu; his storytelling techniques were also sometimes borrowed by comedic novelist Damian Stănoiu, and, in later years, by historical novelist Dumitru Vacariu. Ioan Holban
"Oamenii, ca pietrele din Bistrița"
in '' Luceafărul'', Nr. 10/2011
According to Călinescu, Sadoveanu's early hunting stories published by ''Viața Românească'', together with those of ''
Junimist ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost persona ...
''
Nicolae Gane Nicolae Gane (February 1, 1838 – April 16, 1916) was a Moldavian, later Romanian prose writer, poet and politician. Born in Fălticeni, his family were '' boyars'' of small and medium importance; his parents were ''postelnic'' Matei Gane and his ...
, helped establish the genre within the framework of Romanian literature, and paved the way for its predilect use in the works of
Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești (January 1, 1868 – December 14, 1946) was a Romanian short story writer and politician. The scion of a minor aristocratic family from Târgoviște, he studied law and, as a young man, drew close to the ''Junim ...
. Călinescu also notes that ''Scrisorile unui răzeș'' ("Letters of a Peasant"), an early work by novelist Cezar Petrescu, are deeply marked by Sadoveanu's influence, and that the same writer's use of the Romanian dialects, Moldavian dialect is a "pastiche" from Sadoveanu.
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 ...
too, while expressing admiration for Sadoveanu, defined all his disciples and imitators as "mushroom-writers from Sadoveanu's woods" and "butlers who steal [their lord's lingerie] in order to wear his blazon". The issue was much later discussed by writer-critic Ioan Holban, who likewise described most historical novelists inspired by Sadoveanu as "insignificant" to Romanian letters. Under the early stages of the communist regime, before the rise of Nicolae Ceaușescu engendered a series of Rehabilitation (Soviet), rehabilitations and accommodated nationalism, the Education in Romania, Romanian curriculum was dependent on ideological guidelines. At the time, Sadoveanu was one of the writers from the interwar whose work was still made available to Romanian schoolchildren. In the 1953 Romanian language and literature manual, he represented his generation alongside the communist authors Alexandru Toma and Alexandru Sahia, and was introduced mainly through his ''
Mitrea Cocor ''Mitrea Cocor'' is a 1953 Romanian war drama film directed by Victor Iliu and Marieta Sadova.Liehm & Liehm p.142 It is based on the 1949 socialist realist novel of the same name by Mihail Sadoveanu. A poor young Romanian goes off to fight durin ...
''. At the time, studies of his work were published by prominent communist critics, among them
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 ...
, Paul Georgescu, Traian Șelmaru, Mihai Novicov, Eugen Campus and Dumitru Isac, while a 1953 reissue of ''Baltagul'' was published in 30,000 copies (a number rarely met by the Romanian publishing industry in that context). In later years,
Profira Sadoveanu Profira Sadoveanu (pen name, Valer Donea; May 21, 1906 – September 12, 2003) was a Romanian prose writer and poet. Biography Born in Fălticeni, her parents were novelist Mihail Sadoveanu and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Bâlu). She ...
became a noted promoter of her father's literature and public image, publishing children's versions of his biography, notably featuring illustrations by Mac Constantinescu (1955 edition). Although Sadoveanu continued to be hailed as a major writer during the Ceaușescu years, and the seventy years of his debut were marked with state ceremony, the reaction against Soviet influence affected presentations of his work: his official bibliography no longer included any mention of ''Păuna-Mică''. Among the memoirs dealing with Sadoveanu's late years were those of
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 ...
, published in 1977. The official revival of nationalist discourse in the 1960s allowed controversial critic Edgar Papu to formulate his version of Protochronism, which postulated that phenomenons within Romanian culture preceded developments in world culture. In this context, Papu spoke of Sadoveanu as "one of the great precursory voices", comparing him to Rabindranath Tagore. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, 1989 Revolution toppled communism, Sadoveanu remained an influence on some young authors, who recovered the themes of his work in a Postmodern literature, Postmodern or Parody, parodic manner. Among them is Dan Lungu, who, according to critic Andrei Terian, alluded to the ''Hanu Ancuței''
frame story A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
when constructing his 2004 novel ''Paradisul găinilor''. In 2001, a poll carried among literati by ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania. The magazine was started in 2000. The weekly publishes articles on Romania's cultural and arts scene as well as politica ...
'' magazine listed six of his works as some of the best 150 Romanian novels. Mihail Sadoveanu's various works were widely circulated abroad. This phenomenon began as early as 1905, when German language, German-language translations were first published,Vianu, Vol. III, p. 229 and continued during the 1930s, when ''Venea o moară pe Siret...'' was translated very soon after its original Romanian edition. In 1931, female author and
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
militant Sarina Cassvan included French-language versions of his texts into an anthology designed to promote modern Romanian culture internationally. Also then, some of Sadoveanu's texts were rendered in Chinese language, Chinese by Lu Xun. Tudor Vianu attributes the warm international reception Sadoveanu generally received to his abilities in rendering the Romanians' "own way of sensing and seeing nature and humanity", while literary historian Adrian Marino points out that, Sadoveanu and Liviu Rebreanu were exceptional in their generation for taking an active interest in how their texts were translated, edited and published abroad. Later, publicizing Sadoveanu's work to
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
and world audiences became a priority for the communist regime. Thus, ''Mitrea Cocor'' was, together with similar works by Zaharia Stancu and Eusebiu Camilar, among the first wave of Romanian books to have been translated into Czech language, Czech and published in History of Czechoslovakia (1948–1989), Communist Czechoslovakia. Alongside similar works by Petru Dumitriu, ''Mitrea Cocor'' was also among the few English-language editions sanctioned by the Romanian regime, being translated and published, with a preface by Jack Lindsay (writer), Jack Lindsay, in 1953. Nine years later, the collected short stories were a tool for cultural exchange between Romania and the United States. Sadoveanu's good standing in the Soviet Union after World War II also made him one of the few Romanian writers whose works were still being published in the Moldavian SSR (which, as part of
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 ...
, had previously been a region of Greater Romania). Sadoveanu's diaries and notes were collected and edited during the early 2000s, being published in 2006 by Editura Junimea and the MLR. The main coordinators of this project were literary historian Constantin Ciopraga and Constantin Mitru, who was Sadoveanu's brother-in-law and personal secretary. The popularity of his writings remained high into the early 21st century: in 2004, when the country marked a hundred years since Sadoveanu's debut, ''Șoimii'' was published in its 15th edition. According to Simuț, the occasion itself was nevertheless marked with "the impression of general indifference", making Sadoveanu seem "a submerged continent, remembered by us only with piousness and confusion".


Tributes

Sadoveanu is an occasional presence in the literary works of his fellow generation members. His ''Țara de dincolo de negură'' was partly written as a tribute to George Topîrceanu's piece of the same name, with both authors sketching an affectionate portrait of one another. Topîrceanu also parodied his friend's style in a five-paragraph sketch, part of a series of such fragments, recorded their encounters in various other autobiographical writings, and dedicated him the first version of his poem ''Balada popii din Rudeni'' ("Ballad of the Priest from Rudeni"). Under the name ''Nicolae Pădureanu'', Sadoveanu is a character in the novel and disguised autobiography ''În preajma revoluției'' ("On the Eve of the Revolution"), authored by his colleague Constantin Stere. Sadoveanu is honored in two writings by Nicolae Labiș, collectively titled ''Sadoveniene'' ("Sadovenians"). The first, titled ''Mihail Sadoveanu'', is a prose poem which alludes to Sadoveanu's prose, and the other, a free verse piece, is titled ''Cozma Răcoare''. In his scientific study of Sadoveanu's work,
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
himself turns to pure literature, portraying Sadoveanu as a child blessed by the Moirai or ''ursitoare'' with ironic gifts, such as an obstinacy for nature writing in the absence of actual observation ("You shall write; you shall write and could never stop yourself writing .. The readers will grow tired, but you will remain tireless; you shall not known rest, just as you shall not know nature [...]"). George Călinescu was one to object to this portrayal, noting that it was merely a "literary device which hardly covers the emptiness of [Lovinescu's] idea." Also during the interwar, philosopher Mihai Ralea made Mihail Sadoveanu the subject of a sociological study investigating his literary contributions in the context of social evolutions. A portrait of Sadoveanu was drawn by graphic artist Ary Murnu, within a larger work which depicts the
Kübler Coffeehouse Kubler or Kübler may refer to: People with the surname ''Kubler'' * Françoise Kubler (born 1958), French operatic soprano * George Kubler (1912–1996), American art historian * Ida Ivanka Kubler (born 1978), visual artist * Jason Kubler (born ...
society. Sadoveanu was also the subject of a 1929 painting by Ștefan Dumitrescu, part of a series on '' Viața Românească'' figures. In its original edition, ''Mitrea Cocor'' was supposed to feature a series of drawings made by Corneliu Baba, one of the best-known Romanian visual artists for his generation. Baba, who had been officially criticized for "Formalism (art), formalism", was pressured by the authorities into accepting the commission or risk a precarious existence. Alina Purcaru
"Corneliu Baba: autoportretul din dosarul de cadre PCR"
in '' Cotidianul'', 28 September 2007
The result of his work was rejected with a similar label, and the sketches were for long not made available to the public. Baba also painted Sadoveanu's portrait, which, in 1958, art critic
Krikor Zambaccian Krikor is a Western Armenian given name, equivalent to Eastern Armenian given name Grigor and the English equivalent Gregory and its variants in different languages. A diminutive of the name is Koko. Notable people with the name include: Religi ...
as "the synthesis of Baba's art", depicting "a man of letters aware of his mission ndthe leading presence of an active consciousness". Constantin Mitru inherited the painting and passed it on to the
Museum of Romanian Literature A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...
(MLR). A marble bust of Sadoveanu, the work of Ion Irimescu, was set up in Fălticeni in 1977. In Bucharest, a memorial plaque was placed on Pitar Moș Street, on a house where he lived for a period. During the 1990s, another bust of Sadoveanu, the work of several sculptors, was unveiled in Chișinău, Moldova, Republic of Moldova (the former Moldavian SSR), part of the ''Aleea Clasicilor'' sculptural ensemble. Sadoveanu's writings also made an impact on film culture, and in particular on Cinema of Romania, Romanian cinema of the communist period. However, the first film based on his works was a German production of 1929: based on ''Venea o moară...'' and titled ''Storm of Love (film), Sturmflut der Liebe'' ("Storm Tide of Love"), it notably starred Marcella Albani, Alexandru Giugaru and Ion Brezeanu. The series of Romanian-made films began with the 1952 ''Mitrea Cocor'', co-directed by Marietta Sadova (who also starred in the film) and Victor Iliu.Vasile, pp. 244-247 The film itself was closely supervised for conformity with ideological guidelines, and had to be partly redone because its original version did not meet them. Mircea Drăgan directed a 1965 version of ''Neamul Șoimăreștilor'' (with a screenplay co-written by Constantin Mitru) and a 1973 adaptation of ''Frații Jderi'' (with contributions by Mitru and by
Profira Sadoveanu Profira Sadoveanu (pen name, Valer Donea; May 21, 1906 – September 12, 2003) was a Romanian prose writer and poet. Biography Born in Fălticeni, her parents were novelist Mihail Sadoveanu and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Bâlu). She ...
). In 1969, Romanian studios produced a film version of ''Baltagul'', directed by Mircea Mureșan and with Sidonia Manolache as Vitoria Lipan. Ten years later, Constantin Vaeni released ''Vacanță tragică'' ("Tragic Holiday"), based on ''Nada Florilor'', followed by a 1980 adaptation of ''Dumbrava minunată'' and Stere Gulea's 1983 ''Ochi de urs'' (tr. "The Bear Eye's Curse"). In 1989, just before the Romanian Revolution, Dan Pița produced his film ''The Last Ball in November'', based on ''Locul unde nu s-a întâmplat nimic''. During the early decades of communist rule, Sadoveanu, Alexandru Toma and later Tudor Arghezi were often paid homage with state celebrations, likened by literary critic Florin Mihăilescu to the personality cult reserved for Stalin and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. For a while after the writer's death, the Romanian Writers' Union, Writers' Union club, commonly known as "The Writers' House", bore Sadoveanu's name. ''Casa cu turn'' in Iași, which Sadoveanu had donated to the state in 1950, went through a period of neglect and was finally set up as a museum in 1980. Similar sites were set up in his Fălticeni house, and in his final residence at Voividenia, while the Bradu-Strâmb chalet was controversially granted to the Securitate, and later to the Romanian Police. Each year, Iași commemorates the writer through a cultural festival known as the "Mihail Sadoveanu Days"."Iași. Un secol de Sadoveanu"
, in '' Evenimentul'', 6 November 2004
In 2004, the 100th anniversary of his debut was marked by a series of exhibits and symposiums, organized by the MLR. Similar events are regularly held in various cities, and include the "In Sadoveanu's Footsteps" colloquy of writers, held during March 2006 in the city of Piatra Neamț. Since 2003, in tribute to Sadoveanu's love for the game, an annual chess tournament is held in Iași.''Festivalul Internațional de Șah Mihail Sadoveanu, ediția I''
, at th
Romanian Central Commission for Correspondence Chess site
retrieved 5 April 2008
The Mihail Sadoveanu High School, Bucharest, Sadoveanu High School and a bookstore in Bucharest are named after him, and streets named after him exist in, among other places, Iași, Fălticeni, Timișoara, Oradea, Brașov, Galați, Suceava, Călărași, Târgu Jiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Petroșani, and Mangalia. Pașcani hosts a cultural center, a high school and a library named after him. Sadoveanu's memory is also regularly honored in the Republic of Moldova, where, in 2005, the 125th anniversary of his birth was celebrated in an official context. A street in Chișinău and a high school in the town of Cupcini are also named after him. File:Stamp 1980 Mihail Sadoveanu.jpg, Romanian stamp commemorating Sadoveanu (1980) File:Aleea Clasicilor Sadoveanu.jpg, Sadoveanu's bust on ''Aleea Clasicilor'', Chișinău, Moldova File:MSadoveanuTimbruRM.png, Sadoveanu's portrait on a Moldovan postal stationery item


Selected works


Fiction

*1902 - ''Frații Potcoavă'' *1904 - ''Șoimii'' *1905 - ''Floare ofilită'' *1906 - ''Însemnările lui Neculai Manea'' *1907 - ''La noi, la Viișoara'' *1907 - ''Vremuri de bejenie'' *1908 - ''Balta liniștii'' *1908 - ''Haia Sanis'' *1911 - ''Apa morților'' *1915 - '' Neamul Șoimăreștilor'' *1925 - '' Venea o moară pe Siret...'' *1928 - ''Hanu Ancuței'' *1929 - '' Zodia Cancerului'' *1930 - '' Baltagul'' *1932 - ''Nunta Domniței Ruxandra'' *1932 - ''Uvar'' *1933 - ''Creanga de aur'' *1934 - ''Nopțile de Sânziene'' *1935-1942 - '' Frații Jderi'' *1949 - ''
Mitrea Cocor ''Mitrea Cocor'' is a 1953 Romanian war drama film directed by Victor Iliu and Marieta Sadova.Liehm & Liehm p.142 It is based on the 1949 socialist realist novel of the same name by Mihail Sadoveanu. A poor young Romanian goes off to fight durin ...
'' *1951-1952 - ''Nicoară Potcoavă''


Non-fiction

*1907 - ''Domnu Trandafir'' *1908 - ''Oameni și locuri'' *1914 - ''Priveliști dobrogene'' *1916 - ''44 de zile în Bulgaria'' *1921 - ''Drumuri basarabene'' *1926 - ''Țara de dincolo de negură'' *1928 - ''Împărăția apelor'' *1928 - ''Olanda'' *1936 - ''Însemnări ieșene'' *1937 - ''Istorisiri de vânătoare'' *1944 - ''Anii de ucenicie''


Notes


References

* Lucian Boia, ''"Germanofilii". Elita intelectuală românească în anii Primului Război Mondial'', Humanitas publishing house, Humanitas, Bucharest, 2010. *Lucian Boia (ed.), ''Miturile comunismului românesc'', Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 1998. : **Lucian Boia, "Un nou Eminescu: A. Toma", p. 71-81 ** Adrian Cioroianu, "Lumina vine de la Răsărit. 'Noua imagine' a Uniunii Sovietice în România postbelică, 1944-1947", p. 21-68 *
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini pînă în prezent'', Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1986 *
Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian li ...
, ''Avangarda românească și complexul periferiei: primul val'', Cartea Românească, Bucharest, 2007. *
Ilarie Chendi Ilarie Chendi (November 14, 1871 – June 23, 1913) was a Romanian literary critic. Born in Darlac, Kis-Küküllő County, now Dârlos, Sibiu County, in Transylvania, his father Vasile was a Romanian Orthodox priest, while his mother Eliza ( ...

"Vieața literară în 1911 (o privire generală)"
in '' Luceafărul'', Nr. 3/1912, p. 61-65 (digitized by the Babeș-Bolyai University]
Transsylvanica Online Library
*Adrian Cioroianu, ', Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005. *
Marcel Cornis-Pope Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian s ...
, "Shifting Perspectives and Voices in the Romanian Novel"; "The Search for a Modern, Problematizing Historical Consciousness: Romanian Historical Fiction and Family Cycles", in Marcel Cornis-Pope, John Neubauer (eds.), ''History of the Literary Cultures of East-Central Europe'', John Benjamins, Amsterdam & Philadelphia, 2004, p. 441-456, 499–505. *
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 ...
, ''Literatura română între cele două războaie mondiale'', Vol. I, Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1972. *Victor Frunză, ''Istoria stalinismului în România'', Humanitas, Bucharest, 1990. *Florin Mihăilescu, ''De la proletcultism la postmodernism'', Editura Pontica, Constanța, 2002. *
Z. 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 ...
, **''Anii treizeci. Extrema dreaptă românească'', Editura Fundației Culturale Române, Bucharest, 1995. **''Junimea și junimismul'', Vol. II, Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1998. *Petre Răileanu, "Construcție și semnificație în ficțiunea istorică", preface to Mihail Sadoveanu, ''Nicoară Potcoavă'', Editura Militară, 1990, p. 5-17. *
Tom Sandqvist Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
, ''Dada East. The Romanians of Cabaret Voltaire'', MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts & London, 2006. * Ana Selejan, ''Literatura în totalitarism. Vol. II: Bătălii pe frontul literar'', Cartea Românească, Bucharest, 2008. *
Ioan Stanomir Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the cle ...
, "Facerea lumii", in
Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian li ...
, Ion Manolescu, Angelo Mitchievici, Ioan Stanomir, ''Explorări în comunismul românesc'', Polirom, Iași, 2004, p. 13-45. * George Topîrceanu, ''Scrieri'', Vols. I-II (preface, chronological table and notes by Al. Săndulescu), Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1983. *Cristian Vasile, ''Literatura și artele în România comunistă. 1948-1953'', Humanitas, Bucharest, 2010. * Tudor Vianu, ''Scriitori români'', Vols. I-II, Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1970. *
Krikor Zambaccian Krikor is a Western Armenian given name, equivalent to Eastern Armenian given name Grigor and the English equivalent Gregory and its variants in different languages. A diminutive of the name is Koko. Notable people with the name include: Religi ...
, ''Corneliu Baba'', Editura de stat pentru literatură și artă, Bucharest, 1958.


External links

* * *
''Roumanian Stories. Translated by Lucy Byng''
(includes three of Sadoveanu's works), at the University of Washington'
DXARTS/CARTAH Electronic Text Archive''His Majesty's Mare''''The Vesper Bell''
translations in the Romanian Cultural Institute's
Plural Magazine
' (various issues)
"''Peace Partisans Meeting'' aka ''Peace Meeting''" (Rome, 1949)
Pathé News, British-Pathé newsreel showing Sadoveanu and other delegates , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sadoveanu, Mihail 1880 births 1961 deaths Romanian biographers Romanian male biographers Romanian children's writers Romanian crime fiction writers Romanian essayists Romanian fantasy writers Romanian historical novelists Romanian magazine editors Romanian magazine founders Romanian memoirists Romanian newspaper editors 20th-century Romanian novelists Romanian male novelists Romanian poets Romanian male poets Romanian textbook writers Romanian translators Romanian travel writers 19th-century Romanian short story writers 19th-century Romanian novelists 20th-century short story writers Romanian male short story writers Romanian theatre managers and producers Social realism Socialist realism writers Poporanists Adevărul editors Adevărul writers Titular members of the Romanian Academy People's Party (interwar Romania) politicians 20th-century Romanian politicians Presidents of the Senate of Romania Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Members of the Great National Assembly Heads of state of Romania Romanian activists Romanian Freemasons Masonic grand masters Romanian nationalists Romanian pacifists Romanian propagandists Romanian humanists Censorship in Romania Recipients of the Lenin Peace Prize People from Pașcani 20th-century Romanian civil servants Romanian Land Forces officers Romanian military personnel of the Second Balkan War Romanian people of World War I Romanian people of World War II Burials at Bellu Cemetery 20th-century Romanian writers 20th-century essayists 20th-century memoirists 20th-century translators Collaborators with the Soviet Union