Radio România Internațional

Tag: 1859 union

  • January 24, 2019 UPDATE

    January 24, 2019 UPDATE

    Union of principalities — Romania on Thursday hosted religious and military ceremonies as well as cultural events to mark 160 years since the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1859. The union is considered the foundation of modern Romania. A service was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, which remembered the makers of the 1859 Union and wreathes of flowers were laid at the statue of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The Patriarchal Palace also hosted a science communication session during which President Klaus Iohannis underlined that in 1859 the Romanian Principalities embraced the European values and started a large-scale process for the state’s modernization and consolidation. The Romanian President also added that in 2019 Romania’s destiny could not be separated from the EU as a project for peace, prosperity, safety, fairness and cohesion for its citizens. He went on to say that for 160 years Romanians have been coming closer to the fundamental humanist values of Europe, by building a state of democracy, of human dignity and of the rule of law, of freedom and equality. In her message, the PM Viorica Dancila said that the celebration of the United Principalities Day both in Romania and Brussels, during Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU, is a confirmation of the fact that the Romanian people has always had the power and wisdom to choose the right path. Festivities were also held in Iasi, the largest city of eastern Romania, in other cities of Romania as well as in Moldova’s capital Chisinau.



    Family benefits — The European Commission on Thursday started the infringement procedure against Austria in relation to controversial legislation regarding the reduction of family benefits for foreign workers whose children do not live with them on the Austrian territory. Under the law, family benefits are reduced for foreign workers in accordance to the costs of living of the member state where their children live. Enforced as of January 1, the law provides for a reduction from 172 Euros to 85 Euros of the amount of monthly benefits granted by Austria for a Romanian child of the age of 3 and to 97 Euros for a Hungarian child of the same age. This measure, which is one of the promises made during the election campaign, might be applied to as many as 150 thousand children who live outside Austria, among whom many Romanian children. In this way the Austrian government could save at least 100 million Euros per year. Also on Thursday the Romanian Labor Ministry hailed the EC decision and reiterated that Romania supported the principle of equal pay for equal work.



    Flu — In Romania, the number of people killed by the flu reached 34, show recent data made public by the National Public Health Institute. The health minister Sorina Pintea said Thursday that the Institute would present the situation of the flu cases in Romania this Tuesday, and based on this information, a decision would be made as to whether to declare a flu epidemic or not. In order to limit the number of flu cases, the Education Ministry made the decision to suspend classes on Friday January 25, upon the recommendation of the Health Ministry. Thursday January 24 was an official holiday in Romania.



    Tennis – Young Romanian tennis player Filip Jianu (17 years old) on Thursday qualified to the singles semifinals of the Australian Open Junior Championships. He defeated the American Cannon Kingsley in 3 sets. In the last but one match Jianu will take on another American Emilio Nava, seeded 13th. Filip Jianu failed Thursday to qualify in the doubles final after he and the Spanish Nicolas Alvarez Varona were defeated by the pair Cannon Kingsley/Emilio Nava 6-3, 6-4. We recall that Simona Halep was eliminated in the eighth finals in Melbourne and will no longer hold the 1st place in the WTA ranking as of Monday. In the women’s finals the Czech Petra Kvitova will take on Japanese Naomi Osaka. (translation by L. Simion)

  • “Princess Elena” Home in Bucharest

    “Princess Elena” Home in Bucharest


    On January 24, 1859, following the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, Alexandru Ioan Cuza became the ruler of the new state. To modernize the country he implemented radical reforms with the help of other statesmen and of his wife Elena Cuza. The first lady of the United Principalities did not remain in the shadow of her husband. She got involved in the setting up of many charitable institutions in Romania, some of which still exist today. In Bucharest, near the Cotroceni Palace, the present headquarters of the Romanian Presidency, you will discover one of the institutions Elena Cuza set up. “Princess Elena Home” was not just a foster home for the poor girls in Romanias capital, but also one of the first education institutions for women.



    Stefania Dinu, the interim director of the Cotroceni National Museum, talked about the history of this place:


    “Doctor Carol Davila had set up a home for orphaned girls in his wifes villa, located on the Cotroceni Hill. Princess Elena Cuza took over his idea and helped the doctor develop the project. Thus the Princess Elena Home was set up on July 18, 1862, ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza signing the setting-up decree. Princess Elena donated 32,000 lei to get the institution up and running. She also called on the high society ladies to make money donations for the building of the institution. Even Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza gave 1,600 gold coins for the home, not to mention the poet Vasile Alecsandri who donated the entire proceeds from the sale of one of his poetry books.”



    The architect appointed to design the construction was Carol Benisch. He later made the blueprints for the chapel built in the homes courtyard, a chapel that can be seen today on the outskirts of the Cotroceni neighborhood. In time, Princess Elena Home developed, becoming a school for teachers. The institution continued to develop even after 1866 when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was removed from power and sent into exile with his family.



    However, the home was not abandoned, as Stefania Dinu told us:


    “The mission to carry on Elena Cuzas work was taken over by the next queen, Elisabeth, wife to King Carol 1st. Because she saw the home needed a chapel, the queen commissioned one. She also donated an amount of money for its construction and later through public subscription she had the chapel erected. This building, which we today call Elisabeth Chapel, has an interesting, even strange architecture. Its a double steeple rectangular building with the indoor painting made by famous Romanian painter Gheorghe Tattarescu. The chapels story is a sad one, because after 1947 it was turned into a warehouse. A blaze destroyed its paintings during the communist regime, but through some collective efforts it has been refurbished and turned into a university chapel, because the premises of the Princess Elena retirement home have become the property of the University of Bucharest. Its a students chapel but also open to the public at large.”



    Unfortunately the other buildings designed by Carel Benisch that are part of the compound, havent been restored like the chapel. They are in an advanced state of decay at present, although there are still classrooms and offices that belong to the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy with the University of Bucharest. Queen Elena, who gave her name to the compound, accompanied her husband in exile to Germany, but she returned to Romania where she died in 1909 at the age of 82.