''Postelnic'' (, plural: ''postelnici,'' from the
Slavic ''postel'', "bed"; cf.
Russian ''
postelnichy'') was a
historical rank traditionally held by
boyar
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars were ...
s in
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
, roughly corresponding to the position of ''
chamberlain''. It was also known as ''stratonic'' (plural: ''stratonici''), and the office was known as ''postelnicie'' or ''statornicie''.
Initially, ''postelnici'' had as their main attribute tending to the sleeping quarters of monarchs (at both the
Moldavian and
Wallachian courts). In time, the office became associated with organizing
audiences
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or ...
at both courts, and, during the 19th century, became the equivalent of a
foreign minister
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
.
Romanian noble titles
Romanian words and phrases
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