Articles (893)

How Alexandru Ioan Cuza died, in exile, cared for by his wife, Elena. The terrible illness that defeated him

In 2025, it will be 152 years since the death of one of the most important political figures of the Romanian nineteenth century: Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The architect of the Little Union of 1859, the first ruler of the United Principalities and of the modern Romanian state, Cuza was the man who laid the foundations of the reforms without which Romania...

Who Was Maria Bălan, Nicknamed Romania’s Mata Hari: The Story of the Most Feared Spy on the Eastern Front During World War I

In the midst of the enormous historical storm that shook Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, among heroes, strategists, traitors, and anonymous figures, the name Maria Bălan remains one of the most fascinating and, at the same time, tragic. Considered by military historians as the most skilled, elusive, and effective Romanian spy during Wo...

How much December costs in Bucharest: prices for Christmas trees, decorations, gifts, and energy in 2025

Each year, the month of December reshapes the city’s consumption model from the ground up. During this period, Bucharest operates according to a distinct logic: traffic intensifies, retail shifts toward seasonal goods, and households adjust their budgets to cover expenses unique to this month. Economic data show that, regardless of income level, re...

Saint Sava National College, from the Royal Academy founded by Constantin Cantacuzino to the prestigious high school of today

During his travels in the West, the great scholar and humanist Constantin Cantacuzino was deeply inspired by European educational systems and wished that his native country would also have a prestigious school similar to those he had attended. In support of this ideal, Cantacuzino found an ally in Lord Constantin Brâncoveanu, a protector of culture...

Bucur Maternity Hospital, a brief history. Few Romanians know it was built from the donation of industrialist Dumitru Mociorniță

Few residents of Bucharest know today that Bucur Maternity Hospital, one of the essential medical institutions in the southern part of the Capital, has its origins in an exceptional act of generosity. The building that houses the maternity hospital was built with funds donated by the industrialist Dumitru Mociorniță, a name that, although no longer...

Humanitas, the publishing house of the human sciences, set out by publishing books banned during the communist period

Humanitas, one of the most influential publishing institutions in contemporary Romania, has its origins in the effervescent period that followed the fall of the communist regime. The publishing house was founded on February 1, 1990, in Bucharest, at the initiative of Andrei Pleșu, who was, at that time, the minister of culture. The beginnings of a...

The history of the great Ion Popescu Gopo, the father of Romanian animated films

The name of Ion Popescu Gopo is today inseparably linked to the prestigious film festival that bears his name and takes place annually in Romania. The choice of this symbol was not accidental. The association of the great artist with the most important film festival in the country also made possible the transformation of the emblematic Gopo-little-...

George Topîrceanu, the poetry, the fight on the front and the love story with Otilia Cazimir

In 2025, 88 years have passed since the death of the illustrious poet George Topîrceanu, the better half of Otilia Cazimir, a good friend of the writer Mihail Sadoveanu and a brave Romanian sergeant who fought on the front of the First World War in 1916. Known especially for his fine irony and his poetic sensitivity, George Topîrceanu was not just...

Where to Find the Most Beautifully Decorated Christmas Cafés and Restaurants in Bucharest (2025)

In recent years, Bucharest has quietly stepped into a league it once only watched from a distance: the circle of cities where cafés and restaurants treat Christmas not as an afterthought, but as a season in its own right. The change is visible. Instead of improvised decorations, you find carefully built winter scenes — warm, inviting spaces shaped...

The Great Constantin Tănase, the Poor Boy Who Put Bucharest on the Map of Romanian Theater. He Put Cardboard in His Shoes and Ran Across the City for a Pretzel

Constantin Tănase was born on July 5, 1880, in Vaslui, in a modest home, the son of Ion and Elena Tănase. His father worked as a lab assistant at Ortenski Pharmacy, the only one in town, while his mother took care of the household and the education of their son. From an early age, his life was marked by scarcity: food was often insufficient, and th...