Axinte Frunză
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Axinte Frunză, first name also spelled as Axente, Axentie, Axenti or Auxentie (; 13 February 1859 – 9 June 1933), was a
Bessarabia Bessarabia () 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 Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
n-born Romanian socialist militant and classical scholar, also noted as a schoolteacher, translator, and fiction writer. Originally a subject of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, he studied at Kishinev Theological Seminary, where he showed promise as a reader and speaker of
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
; embracing
Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the identity and cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is Romanian ultranationalism. History Antecedents The predecessors of ...
and rebelling against
Tsarist autocracy Tsarist autocracy (), also called Tsarism, was an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. In it, the Tsar possessed in principle authority an ...
, he was ultimately expelled from the institution. Frunză probably graduated from another school or university before settling in the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
. He joined efforts with other radical emigrants in smuggling books across the Russian border, and, while in
Northern Dobruja Northern Dobruja ( or simply ; , ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube, Danube River and the Black Sea, bordered in the south by Southern Dobruja, which is a part of Bulgaria. ...
, set up his own agricultural co-operative. He identified as a
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
, but remained an unusually radical one in the Romanian context, favoring " scientific communism" and justifying peasant revolts, though in conjunction with nationalist ideals. Frunză was therefore close to the doyen of Romanian anarchism, Zamfir Arbore, as well as to scholar
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu (; 26 February 1838 – ) was a Romanian writer and philologist who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Life He was born Tadeu Hâjdeu in Cristineștii Hotinului (now Kerstentsi in Chernivtsi ...
, a proponent of
left-wing nationalism Left-wing nationalism or leftist nationalism (in certain contexts also called popular nationalism by those who do not adhere to the left-right plane, or in contrast to conservative nationalism) is a form of nationalism which is based upon n ...
. At the height of his conflict with the
National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...
establishment in the 1900s, he was also an active member of the Conservative Party. Frunză passed a state examination that entitled him to teach Latin in Romanian schools. He made his major career move in 1897, when he began working at Negruzzi Boarding School of
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
—afterwards integrating fully within Iași's left-leaning elite. He was well-liked by his students, among whom were several who later achieved fame as writers. In addition to his pedagogical skill and his familiarity with the classics, he was admired for his skill in translating
Russian literature Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia, its Russian diaspora, émigrés, and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. Major contributors to Russian literature, as well as English for instance, are authors of different e ...
, which was a second profession for several decades of his life. He similarly turned to writing his own works of fiction, steeped in
social realism Social realism is work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers, filmmakers and some musicians that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures ...
and well-reviewed by contemporary critics. As an affiliate of the '' Viața Romînească'' circle before and after World War I, Frunză antagonized public opinion through his Germanophilia, identifying the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
as Bessarabia's would-be saviors; though he lived during the
union of Bessarabia with Romania The union of Bessarabia with Romania was proclaimed on by Sfatul Țării, the legislative body of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. This state had the same borders of the region of Bessarabia, which was annexed by the Russian Empire following t ...
, he was jaded by the outcome. Always an eccentric man-about-town who enjoyed social drinking, he attracted suspicion for his political activities. He and his wife Zoe harbored militants of the Romanian Socialist and Communist Parties in their home, supporting their activities. He lost his home during an unrelated legal battle, and moved to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, where he eventually died of
angina Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of parti ...
. Many of his literary works were collected for print, but remained unpublished.


Biography


Early life and Romanian arrival

The future activist hailed from free peasants (''răzeși''), with family roots planted in the former principality of
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
.C. Săteanu, "D. dr. P. Cazacu despre ''Mișcarea Socialistă''. Câteva aprecieri asupra operei d-lui I. C. Atanasiu. Reminiscențe despre Axente Frunză", in ''
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 during the Kingd ...
'', 20 June 1933, p. 3
Alexis Nour, "Amintiri despre Axentie Frunză", in ''
Adevărul Literar și Artistic (; 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 during the Roma ...
'', Vol. XIII, Issue 707, June 1934, pp. 3–4
He was born at Scorțeni on 13 February 1859,Nicolae Scurtu, "Firide basarabene. Noi completări la biografia lui Axente Frunză", in ''Litere'', Vol. XVI, Issue 1, January 2015, pp. 92–93Karețchi & Eșanu, p. 121 though some records had 1860;"Insemnări. Un an dela moartea lui Axentie Frunză", in ''
Adevărul Literar și Artistic (; 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 during the Roma ...
'', Vol. XIII, Issue 707, June 1934, p. 10
the village was back then part of Russia's
Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its administrative centre in Kishinev (Chișinău). It consisted of an area of and a population of 1,935,412 inhabitants. The Bessarabia Governorate bordered t ...
, as organized since 1812. According to statements by himself and by others who knew him, his more junior relatives included
Mikhail Frunze Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze (; ; 2 February 1885 – 31 October 1925) was a Soviet revolutionary, politician, army officer and military theory, military theorist. Born to a Bessarabian father and a Russian mother in Russian Turkestan, Frunze at ...
, future leader of the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
. In addition to showing a natural talent for the study of classical languages, young Frunză was a radical opponent of Tsarism. While a student at the Orthodox Seminary in Kishinev (Chișinău), he enraged the authorities by tearing down and trampling upon a portrait of Alexander II. In 1878–1879, alongside Filip Codreanu and C. Ursu, he formed a left-radical or plainly ''
Narodnik The Narodniks were members of a movement of the Russian Empire intelligentsia in the 1860s and 1870s, some of whom became involved in revolutionary agitation against tsarism. Their ideology, known as Narodism, Narodnism or ,; , similar to the ...
'' circle,Artur Leșcu, "Pătrunderea ideilor norodniciste în Basarabia și lupta împotriva lor", in ''Buletinul Științific al Universității de Stat Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu din Cahul. Seria Științe Umanistice'', Vol. 2 (16), 2022, p. 101 also joined by Petru Frățiman and Is. Fuchs.A. L. Aizenshtadt, "Мои предки на службе Православной церкви", in ''Гомельщина: вехи истории. Материалы регионального научно-​исторического семинара'', p. 20. Gomel: BelGUT, 2019. It was kept under watch by the imperial police, and ultimately dissolved itself during a wave of arrests. It is not precisely known what happened next: his friend
Petru Cazacu Petru Cazacu (; 6 October 1873 – August 1956) was a politician from Bessarabia (Moldova). Biography He served as the prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic in 1918. Works * P. Cazacu, Moldova dintre Prut și Nistru. 1812–19 ...
suggests that he fled retribution by immediately crossing into the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
, and this variant is also taken up by historians such as Artur Leșcu; an
Okhrana The Department for the Protection of Public Safety and Order (), usually called the Guard Department () and commonly abbreviated in modern English sources as the Okhrana ( rus , Охрана, p=ɐˈxranə, a=Ru-охрана.ogg, t= The Guard) w ...
informant claimed that during October 1879 Frunză, Ursu and Codreanu were at the "socialist congress" in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
, alongside fellow Bessarabians like Zamfir Arbore and Victor Crăsescu. Various biographies report that he only emigrated after receiving his graduation diploma at a lyceum in Nikolayev (Mykolaiv) or
Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
, or at
Kiev University The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...
.Constantin René Ghiulea, "Axinte Frunză", in ''Opinia'', 13 June 1933, p. 1G. A. M., "A murit Axinte Frunză", in ''
Cuvântul ''Cuvântul'' (, meaning "The Word") was a daily newspaper, published by philosopher Nae Ionescu in Bucharest, Romania, from 1926 to 1934, and again in 1938. It was primarily noted for progressively adopting a far-right and fascist agenda, an ...
'', 12 June 1933, p. 3
Upon settling in Romania, Frunză earned his living through manual labor, first as a farmhand in
Northern Dobruja Northern Dobruja ( or simply ; , ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube, Danube River and the Black Sea, bordered in the south by Southern Dobruja, which is a part of Bulgaria. ...
, where he reportedly set up the first local agricultural co-operative. He continued to test the patience of Russian officials by organizing a network of book-smugglers, transporting socialist or simply Romanian-language texts into Bessarabia. His two helpers were fellow exiles Codreanu and Crăsescu, while his inspiration was Nikolai Sudzilovsky (known locally as "Doctor Russel"). A lifelong friend of the
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
doyen Constantin Dobrogeanu Gherea, Frunză was among the first Romanians to fully embrace this ideology, going as far as to preach in favor of " scientific communism" (while also continuing to call for "national liberty"). He nonetheless built a very close connection to
anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state w ...
such as Arbore, being described by Cazacu as an "individualist and misanthropist" in his overall approach to life. By May 1890, Frunză had enlisted at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
Faculty of Letters, and was also a member of the Bessarabian Mutual Aid Society. In these twin capacities, he signed his name to a defense of Arbore against allegations published by a "Mr Manicea of Tulcea". He supported himself by working at a
kefir Kefir ( ; alternative spellings: kephir or kefier; ; ; ) is a Fermented milk products, fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic SCOBY, symbiotic culture. It is prep ...
factory in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, where he read out
Latin literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literatur ...
while overseeing the
curdling Curdling is the breaking of an emulsion or colloid into large parts of different composition through the physio-chemical processes of flocculation, creaming (chemistry), creaming, and coalescence (chemistry), coalescence. Curdling is purposeful ...
process, "covered in droplets of milk from head to toe"—and ruining a coat presented to him as a gift by a physician friend, Lazăr Dicescu. In September 1890, after having received his certificate of graduation, Frunză became the inaugural headmaster and teacher of Latin at
Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by #Names, alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 65,624 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. It is one ...
's gymnasium. He taught there to 1894; while in Tulcea, he also met fellow schoolteacher Zoe Polihron (born 1870 in Slatina), who became his wife. Axinte also became active as a businessman, forming a company that bottled and sold kefir out of Northern Dobruja. His scholarly talent was rewarded with a noticeable delay, and only after he was allowed to present himself for a state examination, which he passed with top honors.
Păstorel Teodoreanu Păstorel Teodoreanu, or just Păstorel (born Alexandru Osvald (Al. O.) Teodoreanu; July 30, 1894 – March 17, 1964), was a Romanian humorist, poet and gastronome, the brother of novelist Ionel Teodoreanu and brother in law of writer Ștefana Ve ...
, "Un contimporan al lui Horațiu: Axinte Frunză", in '' Viața Romînească'', Vol. XXV, Issues 6–9, June–September 1933, pp. 261–262
The examining commission, presided upon by historian
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu (; 26 February 1838 – ) was a Romanian writer and philologist who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Life He was born Tadeu Hâjdeu in Cristineștii Hotinului (now Kerstentsi in Chernivtsi ...
, was reportedly stunned by his ability to not just converse in Latin, but also to alternate between the rhetorical styles of
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
,
Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
, and
Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...
. Axinte and Zoe moved out to
Râmnicu Sărat Râmnicu Sărat (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Sărat'', , or ''Rebnick''; ) is a municipiu, city in Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It was first attested in a document of 1439, and raised to the rank of ''municipiu'' in ...
or
Buzău Buzău (; formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu'') is a city in the historical region of Muntenia, Romania, and the county seat of Buzău County. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carp ...
, where Axinte had a teaching position until 1897, when he moved to the Negruzzi Boarding School of Iași. He only took his own graduate diploma in philology during 1896. In 1898, Axinte Frunză involved himself in a national controversy, after supporting the socialist Peter Alexandrov, who had been jailed for his activities. He signed his name to a publicized letter of protest, alongside Arbore, Hasdeu, Dobrogeanu Gherea,
Constantin Stere Constantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea (Romanian language, Romanian; , ''Konstantin Yegorovich Stere'' or Константин Георгиевич Стере, ''Konstantin Georgiyevich Stere''; also known under his pen name ''Șărcăleanu''; ...
and Vasile Kogălniceanu, obtaining Alexandrov's acquittal. Leon Kalustian, "Simple note. Axinte Frunză", in '' Flacăra'', Vol. XXX, Issue 28, July 1981, p. 18Karețchi & Eșanu, p. 122 At Iași, Axinte and Zoe joined a thriving socialist group of intellectuals; additionally, Frunză earned admiration from academics, with Hasdeu, Alexandru Philippide and Izabela Sadoveanu all describing him as one of Romania's leading Latinists.


Iași period

Journalist Constantin René Ghiulea refers to Frunză's "superior art" of teaching and his "wonderful humor", which gave his listeners insight into a skeptical worldview. As a Negruzzi alumnus, Eugen C. Crăciun recalled that Frunză was both affable and distant, that he never laughed and only rarely smiled, and that he liked to keep his private life entirely out of the classroom. According to this source, he encouraged children to pursue their literary talents, and was pleasantly impressed to hear Emanuel Ciomac, the future academic, read out his rendition of
Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...
. His other pupils included poet Demostene Botez, who rated his lessons in Latin as one of his most beautiful experiences of childhood. Other students, both in the same class, were humorist
Păstorel Teodoreanu Păstorel Teodoreanu, or just Păstorel (born Alexandru Osvald (Al. O.) Teodoreanu; July 30, 1894 – March 17, 1964), was a Romanian humorist, poet and gastronome, the brother of novelist Ionel Teodoreanu and brother in law of writer Ștefana Ve ...
and violinist Ionel Ghica. The latter once tricked his teacher into believing that he had no memorizing skills for learning mandatory lines from the ''
Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...
''; this worked until Frunză angrily witnessed Ghica performing
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
by ear.Aurel Leon, "Revelionul 'fratelui' Axinte Frunză", in '' Monitorul'', 4 January 1996, p. 6A Păstorel saw Frunză as a
Classical Athenian Attic Greek is the Greek dialect of the ancient region of Attica, including the ''polis'' of Athens. Often called Classical Greek, it was the prestige dialect of the Greek world for centuries and remains the standard form of the language that ...
"dressed up as a modern professor", indifferent to most student pranks, and overall lost among his contemporaries. One hoax was perpetrated by one of the
National College 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 ...
, who entered the classroom where Frunză was lecturing and pretended to be a British visitor; Frunză believed him, asking his class to behave, warning them that they were being assessed by a foreigner. He was unpersuaded that he had been duped even after the principal, Mihai Tomida, decided to punish the offending student.Sevastos, p. 272 Frunză was for a while a teacher of Latin at the Humpel Institute for Girls, where he was remembered as lenient and congenial—allowing his pupils to sing, or regaling them with anecdotes about
Catullus Gaius Valerius Catullus (; ), known as Catullus (), was a Latin neoteric poet of the late Roman Republic. His surviving works remain widely read due to their popularity as teaching tools and because of their personal or sexual themes. Life ...
and Lycoris the mime. Though he had achieved a high standing through his Latin-focused education, he privately preferred
Ancient Greek literature Ancient Greek literature is literature written in the Ancient Greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the Byzantine Empire. The earliest surviving works of ancient Greek literature, dating back to the early Archaic period, ar ...
to its Roman equivalent, as he felt the latter was written by "ruffians". His teaching methods gave rise to controversy after his death. A Negruzzi alumnus, the future linguist
Iorgu Iordan Iorgu Iordan (; also known as ''Jorgu Jordan'' or ''Iorgu Jordan''; – September 20, 1986) was a Romanian linguist, philologist, diplomat, journalist, and left-wing agrarian, later communist, politician. The author of works on a large variety o ...
, was dissatisfied with his methods, noting that he had failed to learn proper Latin while at Negruzzi. By contrast, journalist Mihail Sevastos recalls that he was properly taught by Frunză during his final school years. As he reports, he and his class had originally studied under Frunză's friend
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 Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, University of Iași before beginning an ove ...
, who had never tried to teach them Latin beyond vocabulary skills. Frunză, who cultivated egalitarian values and allowed his class to call him ''frate'' ("brother"), was nevertheless the first to teach them
Latin syntax Latin syntax is the part of Latin grammar that covers such matters as word order, the use of cases, tenses and moods, and the construction of simple and compound sentences, also known as ''periods''. The study of Latin syntax in a systematic way ...
. Frunză himself acknowledged that, once he became aware of the Bessarabian exiles' irrelevancy on the political scene, and of Romania's political culture (which he regarded as decadent and money-driven), he lost interest in even making Romanians aware of their irredenta. A nationalist reviewer,
Onisifor Ghibu Onisifor Ghibu (May 31, 1883 – October 3, 1972) was a Romanian teacher of pedagogy, member of the Romanian Academy, and politician. Biography Early life Born into a peasant family in Szelistye (now Săliște, Romania), near Nagyszeben (now Si ...
, argued that this attitude, which he sees as defeatist and self-indulgent, effectively delayed the advances of pan-Romanianism before World War I. By January 1902, Frunză had been absorbed by the politics of his new country, obtaining membership in the Conservative Party. By July, he was speaking out against the National Liberal Party's program of reforms, as advanced by
Education Minister An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...
Spiru Haret Spiru C. Haret (; 15 February 1851 – 17 December 1912) was a Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician. He made a fundamental contribution to the ''n''-body problem in celestial mechanics by proving that using a third degree approx ...
. As a result, the government newspaper '' Voința Națională'', allegedly spurred on by Haret, described Frunză as the Conservatives' electoral agent, claiming that he had forfeited his teacher's calling. As reported in the Conservative press, his political affiliation resulted in his being removed from the examination board at Negruzzi, though he was mysteriously reinstated in September. In November 1903, Frunză and his friend Hogaș appeared as Conservative inductees, welcoming the party's leadership for a rally at Iași. He himself spoke on the occasion, denouncing Haret's educational policies. During the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, which offered a moment of liberalization, Frunză reconnected with the Romanian Bessarabian elites. According to Frunză's own recollections, he joined Arbore, Hasdeu and Ioan C. Bibicescu in authoring an anti-Russian manifesto that was found alongside revolvers smuggled into Bessarabia (Frunză claims that Arbore negotiated with the Romanian authorities and, upon earning their favors, buried the looming scandal). Through his friendship with Arbore, he entered a polemic between the latter and the editor of a new liberal magazine in Kishinev, called ''Besarabskaya Zhizn''. The latter's editor, Fyodor Zakharov, was publicly challenged by Arbore to a duel; tragedy was averted only when Frunză, who had been called in as a witness, sent a conciliatory letter to Zakharov. The document was sent in through Zakharov's aide, Alexis Nour, who was impressed by Frunză's erudition; they remained close friends. During the first days of 1906, Frunză was still with the Conservative Club of Iași, and sending his regards to party leader
Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (22 September 1833 – 22 March 1913), was a Romanian politician and lawyer, one of the leading Conservative Party policymakers. Among his political posts were minister of public instruction in Romania, presid ...
. In summer of that year, he was among the political and cultural figures approached by a visiting Bessarabian activist, Ion Pelivan. Around 1907, the scholar had withdrawn from political affairs, and was dedicating his free time to hiking, especially around the
Ceahlău Massif The Ceahlău Massif () is one of the most famous mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistrița Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamț County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca (1904 m e ...
and the other
Bistrița Mountains The Bistrița Mountains (; ) are mountain ranges in northern central Romania. Geologically these ranges are considered part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians group of the Eastern Carpathians. Within Romania, however, it is traditional to divide ...
. He confessed to Nour that he sometimes hid himself in his own house, instructing his servant to report that he was off to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. In his classes, the Bessarabian exile also made students aware of his own agenda for social change, for instance by describing Romania's agrarian issue as only fixable through a large-scale peasant revolt. As Russian authorities had promised more recognition to Bessarabian Romanians, he asked Arbore for assistance on a project to write textbooks in Romanian, send Romanian books to Bessarabian schoolteachers, and educate the teaching staff on the need to unify the dialects of Romanian. Shortly before World War I, Frunză joined the writing staff at Stere's left-of-center magazine, '' Viața Romînească''—though, as historian Andrei Cușco notes, his views on society were too radical for that group's mainline
Poporanism Poporanism is a Romanian version of nationalism and populism. The word is derived from ''popor'', meaning "people" in Romanian language, Romanian. Founded by Constantin Stere in the early 1890s, Poporanism is distinguished by its opposition to Ma ...
, making him a marginal. He was a contributor until his final year,
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) 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 most important Romani ...
, "Miscellanea. †Axentie Frunză", in '' Viața Romînească'', Vol. XXV, Issue 5, May 1933, pp. 199–200
with colleagues generally referring to him as ''fratele Axente'' ("brother Axente"), thus replicating his habit of addressing each one of them as ''frate''.


World War I and 1920s activism

For the first two years of World War I, Romania preserved neutrality, with public opinion split between Germanophiles, who favored going to war against Russia over Bessarabia, and partisans of war with
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, who prioritized Romanian irredentism in
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
. In May 1915, the newspaper ''Basarabia'', put out by Bessarabian exiles in
Craiova Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, List of Romanian cities, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It i ...
, announced the formation of a "Bessarabian League", which counted Frunză, Stere, Cazacu, Arbore and Nour as its leading activists—alongside Nicolae L. Lupu and Radu Rosetti. In 1916, ''Viața Romînească'' hosted his commentary about the need to incorporate Bessarabia within a future Greater Romania, also discussing the preservation of Romanians in Ukraine. The article, also republished as a brochure, is read by Cușco as evidencing a mixture of Germanophilia and, following Arbore, "a vision that was profoundly anti-statist (with hints of anarchism), populist, and virulently anti-Russian." As summarized by the same author, Frunză attacked the governing classes in both Russia and Romania by resorting to "ethnic primordialism", thus reviving some of the core thesis of his ''Narodnik'' youth—and celebrating rural Romanians as the healthy "barbarians" or "savages" from whom social change would eventually come. Cușco proposes that such samples of "organic nationalism [combined with] a social critique" stand out as an "extremely original" contribution among all period documents favoring an alliance between Romania and the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
. In its more conventionally nationalistic passages, Frunză's brochure discusses Russian imperialism as an existential threat for Romania as a whole, crediting ''The Will of Peter the Great'' as a real document of intent. As the author argued therein, Russia stood poised to annex Greater Moldavia and Northern Dobruja regardless of the war's outcome, but, as an "unreformed empire", was thankfully weakened from within. As Ghibu notes, Frunză, Stere and Arbore were all Germanophiles, who expected that Bessarabia would be liberated by the Central Powers, and who recommended a collaboration between the Romanians and the Ukrainians to hasten this outcome. Ghibu cites Frunză with a metaphorical description of Paul von Hindenburg, who was masterminding offensives in the Eastern Front (World War I), Eastern Theater, as the Romanians' "God" and savior. Another Frunză piece, put out shortly after, talked about the two-party system under which Romania was at the time, and critiqued its stance on press freedom. He earned attention from his colleagues by exposing the hypocrisy of both Conservatives and National Liberals, comparing their advocacy of freedom while in opposition to their actual record in government.Karețchi & Eșanu, p. 123 The text also mocked Westernization and its by-product, "Romanian democracy", comparing the Romanian society to a case he had witnessed in Buzău—in which one poor student, who had received a new uniform as a gift, had proceeded to terrorize his erstwhile peers. In addition to Latin, Frunză could speak several of the Slavic languages, and his work included translations from
Russian literature Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia, its Russian diaspora, émigrés, and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. Major contributors to Russian literature, as well as English for instance, are authors of different e ...
. Usually co-authored with Zoe, they include what is rated by critics as Romania's best version of Ivan Goncharov's ''Oblomov''. Seen by critic
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) 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 most important Romani ...
as definitive evidence of Frunză's "perfect linguistic skill", it was initially serialized in ''Viața Romînească'', in a variant which differed significantly from the volume version, printed later. According to Botez, the alterations made by his editor "took away the stylistic flavor", which was Frunză's forte. Frunză also provided acclaimed renditions of stories by Anton Chekhov (whom, according to Sevastos, he resembled both physically and "in his spiritual makeup"), Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Korolenko, and Semyon Yushkevich. Axinte alone wrote a number of novellas, which operate in the realm of
social realism Social realism is work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers, filmmakers and some musicians that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures ...
—and which reviewers such as Călinescu describe as "monotonous", but also as high accomplishments in the use of Romanian as a literary language; he also penned sketch stories and travel literature, including his impressions of Mount Athos,Vlad Mischievca, "Ștefan cel Mare și Sfântul Munte Athos", in ''Limba Română (magazine), Limba Română'', Vol. XIV, Issues 4–6, 2004, p. 66 which he had visited in 1909. According to Sevastos, these texts reveal him as a keen observer of the "most delicate nuances", "rich in fine, original observations", and still carrying traces of his "Moldavian peasant" background. The Frunzăs continued to live in Iași during The Romanian Debacle, during which the city remained a provisional capital of Romania, as the southern regions, including Bucharest, had been occupied by the Central Powers. As argued by Ghibu, both Axinte Frunză, like his associate Nour, refused to visit Bessarabia immediately after the February Revolution had again liberalized Russia. Ghibu notes that Frunză never even left Iași, "not even when persistently called over to Chișinău" by the few groups of organized nationalists in the short-lived Moldavian Democratic Republic. The schoolteacher instead welcomed the October Revolution, informing his students about its historical importance. By March 1918, ahead of a Treaty of Bucharest (1918), temporary truce, he was working on a Romanian grammar for native speakers of Russian, which appeared at Carol Göbl company of Bucharest later that year. As he complained in a letter to historian Ion S. Floru, the edition was egregiously delayed by the National Liberal Alexandru C. Constantinescu of Ministry of Internal Affairs (Romania), Internal Affairs, who was citing paper shortages as the underlying reason; approval was only obtained after an "intervention" by an influential Bessarabian activist, Pan Halippa. The Armistice of 11 November 1918, Armistice of November 1918 eventually restored Romania and extended her borders, leading to the creation of Bessarabia, into which Union of Bessarabia with Romania, the Moldavian republic was also welcomed. According to Nour, Frunză visited (or planned to visit) the newly acquired region—but was overall jaded, since he believed that Romanian rule had made social injustice more permanent, and since Bessarabian revolutionaries were regarded by him as inauthentic.


Final years and death

Frunză continued to reside in Iași, where he and his wife focused mostly on socialist agitation. Their home at 36 Sărăriei Street was kept under constant watch by Siguranța agents, which had designated the newly formed Socialist Party of Romania, Socialist Party and its Studies Circle, with which Zoe was associated, as suspicious organizations. The nearsighted Axinte reportedly spent much of his time outside of the home, on drinking escapades with friends and neighbors such as the physician and fellow writer I. I. Mironescu, as well as teachers Mihai Ștefănescu-Galați and Valentin Bude. He was ridiculed for these adventures, especially after one New Year's Eve when, unable to find his way out of Ștefănescu-Galați's yard, he went around in circles for hours on end, until he was finally rescued by his hosts. Frunză influenced Mironescu's progressive take on society during extensive conversations. In desperation at her husband's absence, Mironescu's wife once created a mock-tavern in her own home on Albineț Street, allowing them to see each other while she was still around. The room featured a bust of Frunză, done in plaster by Mironescu himself. Zoe still participated in the defense of radical causes, and, as a figure in the "Socialist Red Cross", offered assistance to workers arrested during the 1920 Romanian general strike, general strike of 1920. She and Axinte also offered more direct protection to trade unionists sought after by the Siguranța, whom they sheltered in their home. Zoe joined the Romanian Communist Party (PCR or PCdR) on its creation in 1920, was elected on its regional committee for Western Moldavia in 1922, and remained affiliated with it even after the group as a whole was outlawed in 1924. The Sărăriei house continued to be used as a temporary and secretive base by the local communists, reportedly including Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu. According to Sevastos, Axinte personally agreed to shelter a communist fugitive in the attic, and obtained additional support for him from a local lawyer, Albert Schreiber. Axinte Frunză was forced into retirement from teaching in April 1926, but was called back during July and allowed to continue until 1932. In mid-1929, he was working on a translation of stories by Chekhov, for which he had signed a contract with ''Ramuri'' of
Craiova Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, List of Romanian cities, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It i ...
. He was still engaged with this project in early 1931, while also completing a version of Maxim Gorky's ''Autobiographies of Maxim Gorky, My Childhood'', which he had purified of Gorky's own additions (while also restoring chapters not found in other translations); he complained to his editor, Ion Simionescu, about how "aggressive capitalism" had undermined his effort. He was no longer directly involved in politics. Botez recalls seeing him and Mironescu as bystanders at political rallies held by either the National Liberals or their National Peasants' Party, National Peasantist rivals. They poked fun at both camps, suggesting that they were equally right to accuse each other of corruption. Frunză began reconnecting with the Bessarabian literary milieu, which was by then shaped by localists such as Nicolai Costenco, who were virulently critical of Greater Romanian centralism. In January 1932, he was announced as a would-be collaborator for Costenco's new literary magazine, ''Viața Basarabiei''. Nour reports that Frunză was by then skeptical about Leninism and the Soviet Union, arguing that he ought to have been there to evaluate the claims made in Soviet propaganda. He remained optimistic about the prospects of Collectivization in the Soviet Union, Soviet collectivization, ridiculing agribusiness, and insisting that a collectivization program was needed at home. According to a plea made in court by Ionel Teodoreanu, the Frunzăs were evicted from their house in Iași after an ownership dispute, which had left Axinte distraught. They finally relocated to Bucharest later in 1932—once there, Zoe joined the PCR-led Anti-War Committee, as well as a series of antifascist organizations. As recalled by Călinescu, Axinte appeared to be dissatisfied with the move, and appeared often at ''Viața Romînească''s offices to reconnect with other "Iași deportees". These included former pupils such as Păstorel and Alexandru A. Philippide—Frunză, who appeared generally young and spirited, had some trouble remembering them. Also briefly reunited with his former teacher, Crăciun observed that he regretted having left behind Iași and its joie de vivre, since Bucharest was not a place to "have a glass of wine". The author died in Bucharest on 9 June 1933, from what newspapers initially described as a "congestion of the brain". Mironescu later corrected the record, indicating that his friend had died after his first and only bout of
angina Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of parti ...
.Dan, "In jurul morții lui Axinte Frunză", in ''Opinia'', 14 June 1933, p. 2 According to Cazacu, he was not known to be ill, but had been greatly affected by Arbore's own death.


Legacy

Axinte Frunză's funeral was held at Sfânta Vineri Cemetery on 11 June 1933."Informațiuni", in ''Curentul'', 14 June 1933, p. 5 It was attended by "the wife and a few of his friends", including Mironescu, but also by Halippa, the Minister for Bessarabia, who delivered the funeral oration. In an obituary written for ''Viața Romînească'', Păstorel suggested that, especially at a time when "there is not one among us mortals who does not fear catastrophe", the passing of an old man would naturally go unnoticed. He had already been committed to literary memory by his friend Hogaș, appearing as "Mr Arsene" in one of Hogaș's travel accounts, and by ''Viața Romînească''s Mihail Sadoveanu. He features as "Eudoxiu Bărbat" in Sadoveanu's novel ''Oameni din lună'' ("Moon-men")—an eccentric, noble and quiet figure, driven to despair by his devious tenants. Zoe continued to participate in PCR front organizations, though her activity was greatly reduced by illness from 1937. She survived World War II and witnessed the inauguration of a Socialist Republic of Romania, Romanian communist regime, dying on 28 August 1949. A while after, a manuscript comprising her late husband's novellas was assigned for review and printing at Editura pentru literatură, but was probably mishandled, and was viewed as lost by 1969.Botez, p. 13 His recollections of Mount Athos appeared in 2001 as a standalone edition, put out by Bucharest's Anastasia publishing house, and carrying an introduction by Virgil Cândea. In a 2015 overview, literary biographer Nicolae Scurtu noted that Frunză's biography "remains insufficiently known even to specialists", that "sometimes erroneous" details had been published in reference works, and that his body of writings remained poorly catalogued.


Notes


References

* Demostene Botez, "I. I. Mironescu (evocare)", in ''Iașul Literar'', Issue 7/1969, pp. 8–15. *Eugen C. Crăciun, "Școlari și dascăli de altădată", in ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'', Vol. XII, Issue 5, May 1945, pp. 329–342. *Andrei Cușco, "De la adversari la aliați: imagini reciproce și practici discursive în relațiile ruso–române din ajunul și din timpul Primului Război Mondial", in Flavius Solomon, Andrei Cușco, Mihai‐Ștefan Ceaușu (eds.), ''România și statele vecine la începutul Primului Război Mondial: viziuni, percepții, interpretări'', pp. 265–293. Iași: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 2016. *
Onisifor Ghibu Onisifor Ghibu (May 31, 1883 – October 3, 1972) was a Romanian teacher of pedagogy, member of the Romanian Academy, and politician. Biography Early life Born into a peasant family in Szelistye (now Săliște, Romania), near Nagyszeben (now Si ...
, "De la Basarabia rusească la Basarabia românească", in Florin Rotaru (ed.), ''Basarabia română. Antologie'', pp. 213–526. Bucharest: Editura Semne, 1996. *Aurel Karețchi, Leon Eșanu, "Evocări. Zoe și Axinte Frunză", in ''Anale de Istorie'', Vol. XXII, Issue 3, 1976, pp. 121–127. * Mihail Sevastos, ''Amintiri de la Viața românească''. Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură, 1966. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frunza, Axinte 1859 births 1933 deaths 19th-century Romanian politicians 20th-century Romanian politicians Ethnic Romanian politicians of the Bessarabia Governorate Narodniks Moldovan communists Romanian communists Moldovan anarchists Romanian anarchists Romanian nationalists Conservative Party (Romania, 1880–1918) politicians 19th-century Romanian male writers 20th-century Romanian male writers Moldovan male writers 19th-century Romanian novelists 20th-century Romanian novelists Moldovan novelists 19th-century Romanian short story writers 20th-century Romanian short story writers Moldovan short story writers Romanian travel writers Romanian male short story writers Romanian Marxist journalists Moldovan male journalists 19th-century Romanian translators 20th-century Romanian translators Moldovan translators Russian–Romanian translators Communist writers Anarchist writers Romanian schoolteachers Heads of schools in Romania Romanian Latinists Grammarians from Romania 19th-century Romanian farmers 19th-century Romanian businesspeople Businesspeople in the dairy industry Romanian food industry businesspeople Romanian cooperative organizers People from Telenești District People from Orgeyevsky Uyezd Eastern Orthodox Christians from Moldova Members of the Russian Orthodox Church Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Romania Smugglers University of Bucharest alumni Romanian people of World War I Deaths from angina pectoris Burials at Sfânta Vineri Cemetery