Prislop Pass

Prislop Pass (Romanian: Pasul Prislop) is a mountain pass in northern Romania, connecting the historical regions of Maramureş and Bukovina over the Rodna Mountains, in the Eastern Carpathians.

The Prislop Pass is situated at an altitude of 1,416 meters, being the highest Romanian pass. It has a length of 50 km and a width ranging from 30-40 km, the north is steep gorge to the south continuing with a gentle slope. The road that crosses the pass (DN18), links Vişeu, Moisei, Borşa (province of Maramureş) with Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Suceava County (province of Moldavia).

In winter the pass is blocked by snow, because of the altitude, but in the summer the tourist has a wonderful view to the Obcinile Bucovinei, to the Rodna Mountains with Pietrosu (2303m) and Ineu (2279m) peaks, and to the springs of Golden Bistriţa. In the second Sunday of August here it takes place the folk festival "Hora de la Prislop" celebrating the descending of the sheep flocks from the mountains.

Photos from Wikipedia.

Voroneţ Monastery

Voroneţ Monastery is located near the town of Gura Humorului, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. It is one of the famous painted monasteries from southern Bukovina, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The monastery was built by ruling prince of Moldavia Ştefan cel Mare (St. Stephen III The Great) between May and September 1488. The monastery was built to fulfill a promise to Stephen's spiritual father and adviser, St. Daniel the Hermit, who had lived in a cell in the area, and to commemorate the victory over Turks at Battle of Vaslui (1475). Upon his death, St. Daniel was buried in the monastery church (with the exception of his right index finger, which was encased in silver and sent to Putna Monastery).

The monastery is located on a riverbank, at the end of the long and narrow village of the same name. The present church was built on the site of an older wooden church, the scanty remains of which have not been dated. The exterior, with its buttresses and door and window frames were related to Western European High Gothic. The influences spread from Transylvania and Poland with craftsmen who were invited especially to build churches. The church of Voroneţ that Stephen the Great built included the chancel, the naos with its tower, and the pronaos.

The Last Judgment on the west façade of the Church of St. George

In 1547, the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia Grigore Roşca, a salient scholar of his time, added the exonarthex to the west end of the church. The small windows, their rectangular frames of crossed rods and the receding pointed or shouldered arches of the interior door-frames are Gothic. The south and north doors of the exonarthex of 1547 have rectangular frames, which indicate a transition period from Gothic to Renaissance. But, above them, on each wall is a tall window with a flamboyant Gothic arch. On the north façade is still visible the original decoration of the church, the rows of ceramic enamelled discs in yellow, brown and green, decorated in relief. These include heraldic motifs, such as the rampant lion and the aurochs' head of the Moldavian coat of arms, and creatures inspired by Western European medieval literature, such as two-tailed mermaids. The tower is decorated with sixteen tall niches, in four of which are windows. A row of small niches encircles the tower above them. The fragmented roof probably follows the shape of the original roof, which doubtless was made with shingles. The whole west façade is without any openings, which indicates that the intention of Metropolitan Roşca was since the beginning to reserve it for frescoes.

South façade with scenes from the lives of Saints Nicholas and John the New

The frescoes were painted between 1534 and 1535, during the reign of one of Stephen's successors, Petru Rareş. They were commissioned at the request of Grigore Roşca. The names of the artists are unknown except for one master painter, Marcu. Because of the frescoes' vivid color, "Voroneţ Blue", a pigment created using lapis lazuli, has entered the artistic lexicon. During the half century that separates the paintings of the exonarthex from those of the naos, Moldavian art had evolved from sober and rigorous to more complex, decorative and lively. Floral decorations fill all available empty space, divide scenes and registers, and accentuate architectural elements such as niches and arches. The clothes of the figures turn from simple into sumptuous, and the bleak landscapes are now filled with vegetation. Details win ground where earlier spiritual intensity was most important.

Voroneţ Monastery is known as Sistine Chapel of the East due to its splendid exterior and interior frescoes.

Sources: Wikipedia, Orthodox Wiki, Romanian Monasteries.
More images at Orthodox Photos.

Romanians in Ukraine

Chernivtsi Oblast (Romanian: Regiunea Cernăuţi) of Ukraine comprises a significant Romanian community. Today's Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine was part of Romania until June 1940, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union, and on 2 August 1940 it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. Prior to that, the territory had never been part of any Ukrainian entity, although ethnic Ukrainians have lived in parts of the area in increasing numbers since the 19th century. Rather, the region constituted the northern part of the historical region of Bukovina, the northern part of Hotin County of the region of Bessarabia, and the north-western corner of Dorohoi County of the region of Moldavia proper. The Romanian population of Chernivtsi Oblast was persecuted by Soviet authorities on ethnic grounds, especially in the years following the annexation until 1956. In neighboring Bessarabia the same persecution did not have a predominantly ethnic orientation, being based mostly on social, educational, and political grounds.


The historical region of Bukovine. The Northern part belongs now to Ukraine
The bulk or 88% of ethnic Romanian population is concentrated in four of the eleven districts (raions) of the Chernivtsi Oblast situated closer to the border with Romania and Moldova. In the Hertsaivskyi Raion (Romanian: Herţa), Romanians comprise about 95% of population. In Novoselytskyi Raion (Romanian: Nouǎ Suliţi), Moldovans represent about 60% of the population. In Hlybotskyi Raion (Romanian: Adâncata), Romanians and Moldovans sum up to 50%. Storozhynetskyi Raion (Romanian: Storjineţ) has a compact Romanian community in the south, especially around the village of Crasna. Romanians comprise 37% of that district's total population.

There are also other villages with a Romanian majority and important historical heritage, such as for example Boian (home of Ion Neculce) and Cernăuca (home of the Hurmuzachi brothers). Other than the 4 raions have smaller Romanian populations, usually never exceeding several hundred people. Exceptions are the Khotynskyi Raion (Romanian: Hotin) with 5,000 Romanians and Moldovans (7% of the raion's population) and Sokyrianskyi Raion (Romanian: Secureni) with 1,500 Romanians and Moldovans (3% of the total raion population).


Historical Moldavia
The history of Romanians in what is now southwestern Ukraine, roughly between the Dniester River and the Bug River, who traditionally have not belonged to any Romanian statal entity (nor to Transnistria), but have been an integral part of the history of modern Ukraine, and are considered natives to the area. Vlachs and Brodniks are mentioned in the area in the 12th and 13th century. As characterized by contemporary sources, the area between the Bug and Dniester had never been populated by a single ethnicity, or totally controlled by Kievan or other rulers. Since 14th century, the area were intermittently ruled by Lithuanian dukes, Polish kings, Crimean khans, and Moldavian princes (such as Ion Vodă Armeanul). In 1681 Gheorghe Duca's title was "Despot of Moldavia and Ukraine", as he was simultaneously Prince of Moldavia and Hatman of Ukraine. Other Moldavian princes who held control of the territory in 17th and 18th centuries were Ştefan Movilă, Dimitrie Cantacuzino and Mihai Racoviţă.

The end of the 18th century marked Imperial Russia's colonization of the region. The process of Russification and colonization of this territory started to be carried out by representatives of other ethnic groups of the Russian Empire. In Ukraine, the Soviet government continued this policy of assimilation of the native Romanian population. Elite elements of the Romanian population were then deported to Siberia, much like their Bukovinian and Bessarabian counterparts. Russian and Ukrainian settlers were recruited to fill the vacant areas caused by the deportation of Romanians. Romanians who continued to identify themselves as Romanians and not Moldovans were severely punished by the Communist regime.

Historically, the Orthodox Church in today's Transdneister and Ukraine was subordinated at first to the Mitropolity of Proilava (modern Brăila, Romania). Later, it belonged to the Bishopric of Huşi. After the Russian annexation of 1792, the Bishopric of Ochakiv reverted to Ekaterinoslav (modern Dnipropetrovsk). From 1837, it belonged to the Eparchys of Kherson with seat in Odessa, and of Taurida with seat in Simferopol.

According to the 2004 census, in Chernivtsi Oblast live 181,800 Romanian speaking population (19.78% of the region's population) out of which 114,600 (12.5%) declared to be of Romanian ethnical minority and 67,200 Moldavians; in Transcarpathia live 32,152 Romanian ethnics—mainly living in Teaciv rayon with 21,300 (12.4% of the rayon population) and Rahiv with 10,300 (11.6% of the rayon population), and in Odessa 724 declared to be Romanian, 123,751 Moldavian (includes historically Ukrainian and eastern Bessarabian territories). In line with common practice, Ukrainian, the language of the historical ethnic/linguistic majority, is constitutionally the sole state language, and the state system of higher education has been switched to Ukrainian. By the terms of a bilateral agreement, Ukraine guaranteed the rights of Romanians in Ukraine: there are schools teaching Romanian as a primary language, along with newspapers, TV, and radio broadcasting in Romanian.

The Romanian pure-blood horse

The huţul is the only Romanian pure-blood horse. It seems that the ancestor of the huţul is the tarpan, a species of wild horse that lived around the Black Sea.


The huţul is wiry and can work from morning till night. The part between the hoof and the wrist is very short and the horse can easily climb mountains, no matter how bad the way is. In addition, the hoof is small and very hard, so this horse doesn't need horseshoes.


Today in Romania pure-blood huţuls are grown at Lucina Stud in Suceava County, to a huge expanse of pasture woodland located near the border with Ukraine. Worldwide there are about 4,500 huţul horses and 3500 of them are marked with "Lucina" brand. Lucina Stud was established by the Austrians in 1856. So meticulous were the imperial officials in preparing the plans that even today the herd facilities are in place, with an enviable precision. Water comes through free fall and does not freeze no matter how great is the frost, and barns are so well placed to be protected from blizzards that from 150 years are rebuild the same places. In addition to the main driveway are the pines which legend says that were planted by Empress Maria Theresa and a monument dedicated to Colonel Martin von Herman, who founded the international recognition of huţul race.

Vatra Dornei

Vatra Dornei, also known as the Pearl of Bukovina, is a town located in Northern Moldavia, at the confluence of the Dorna River and Golden Bistriţa River. Vatra Dornei is placed along one of the roads that link Moldavia and Transylvania, in one of the most beautiful depressions of the Eastern Carpathians, Ţara Dornelor, elevation 802-808 m, in the ambiance created by the forests covering the mountains around: Giumalău, Bistriţa, Călimani, Rodna, Suhard and Obcina Mestecăniş.



The present town of Vatra Dornei developed around the former hamlet of Dorna pe Giumalău, known by the Romans as Durnacum, then mentioned in a document of 1600. The site soon grew in importance among the neighboring villages, becoming truly significant once the authorities officially confirmed the curing properties of its mineral waters, at the end of the 18th century (chemist Hacquette de Nürnberg in 1790, doctor Ignatziu Plusch in 1805 and 1810).


The town is well known as an all-season health resort of national importance having the climate of an intramontane depression: no strong winds, cool summers (July average temperature 15.2°C) and cold winters (January average under -6°C). The annual average temperature is of 5.2°C and the precipitation averages 800 mm annually (more abundant in the May-August period).


The spa’s healing properties that have made it famous across the world include the tonic-stimulative climate, the strongly negative ionized air, free of dust and allergens and rich in resinous aerosols, the springs of carbonated, ferruginous, slightly bicarbonated, sodic, calcic, magnesian, hypotonic mineral waters and the peat mud (brought here from Poiana Stampei). Tourists come in Vatra Dornei to treat their cardiovascular affections and rheumatism, to rest, practice winter sports or just to have a good time. The spectacular landscape also allows for numerous leisure activities – walking, horse-riding, river-rafting, mountaineering.


Vatra Dornei is also known a winter sports resort with its many slopes and ski lifts. Black Hill (1.300 m) and Runc Hill have tracks and slopes for winter sports and a chair lift of 3200m. Points of Interest: the natural park in the resort, famed for its many squirrels and for the brass band concerts given here in summer; the chalet on Runc Hill; the Hunting and Natural Sciences Museum; the Bukovina Ethnographic Museum, etc. If you have the chance to visit Vatra Dornei, it is certainly worth the trip!

Suceava Fortress

Suceava is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, Northeastern Romania. It is situated on a commercial high-way that linked the Baltic with the Black Sea. The town of Suceava gained its importance from the presence of the main royal palace which Petru I Muşat (1375-1391) built here at the end of the 14th century. Close to the royal court and the citadel stood the Mirăuţi Church, the first Metropolitan Church of Moldavia, which once housed the relics of Saint John the New, one of Moldavia's patron saints.


Suceava fortress was built by Petru I Muşat who moved here his residence from Siret and it had a rectangular shape, with a 36-meter long southern side and 40-meter long eastern side and defensive square towers at each end and in the middle of each side as well. It was first mentioned in 1388, but it was later transformed into a residence castle by Alexander the Good (1400-1432) and Stephen the Great (1457-1504) when Suceava became the capital of Moldavia. At the initial walls (10 m high and 2 m width) there were added new ones and a deeper water ditch was dig to surround the castle. The inside rooms belonged to soldiers, the prince and his family; there was also a chapel and a warehouse for food and ammunition. After 1476 Stephen doubled the exterior walls by adding new layers which were fixed to the existing walls, so that they varied in thickness from 2m to 4m. The walls were also made circular so that they stood more chance of surviving bombardment. This is the explanation why Suceava fortress couldn't be conquered despite the fact it was under siege several times by Turks and Polish armies - in 1467, 1485, 1497 and 1509. Only treason was the key for making possible its occupation by enemies (September 18th, 1538).


Under Alexandru Lăpuşneanu's second reign (1564-1568), the Turks ordered the fortress to be set on fire and the royal residence was moved to Iaşi. The last flourishing period of the fortress took place during Vasile Lupu's reign (1634-1653); the prince restored a good deal of it. In 1657, the Turks ordered ruling prince Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino (1673-1674 and 1684-1685) to destroy it. Nowadays, this fortress is a part of Suceava city so one can reach it easily.


From the point of view of the economic life it is worth mentioning that for the first half of the 15th century, the archaeological excavations revealed at Suceava metal processing (iron and bronze, proven by the iron and bronze slag bits, as well as metal dies). They uncovered numerous craft tools, such as: hammers, anvils, tongs, chisels, household artifacts (knives, locks, keys, etc.) or arms and harness parts. At the same time, they found many agricultural tools, such as shares, plough iron parts, sickles, hacks, etc. Besides these crafts it is worth mentioning those for ceramics processing, especially the enameled one, as well as the ceramic plates and disks used for interior and exterior decoration, for secular and religious buildings. The first excavations were carried out by the end of the 20th century by C.A. Romstorfer.

The Royal Inn in Suceava

A historical monument and the oldest preserved medieval civil building in the city of Suceava, the inn was built at the end of the XVI-th century, as a hosting house for foreign guests and great merchants. It was erected over an older building, within an area for merchant shops, especially pottery shops, during the 15-16th centuries. Along the centuries, it used to be the meeting point where rulers stopped on their way back from hunting in Suceava forests, reason for it was named "Hanul Domnesc" (The Royal Inn). After the occupation of northern Moldova by the Habsburg Empire in 1775, the Royal Inn changes its destination, becoming a hunting house for the imperial family members. The building became a gendarmerie headquarters, then a private property until 1962.


In 1962 it was completely restored, from the cellar to the roof. In the former kitchen of the inn, the oven was reconstructed in the style of traditional Moldovan ovens. On the first floor have been preserved the oak beams of the ceilings of the two corridors. The architectural elements of the period regained with the restoration of walls, the construction of Royal Inn into the cultural tradition of the old medieval inns of Suceava.


The inn houses Bucovina's Ethnographic Museum or the Ethnography and Popular Art Museum. The permanent exhibition at the ground floor reconstruct the atmosphere of an old inn and includes pub room, private salon, recreation room, cuisine, and basement. In the museum are shown over 6 ethnographic micro zones of the county (Suceava, Humor, Câmpulung-Moldovenesc, Vatra Dornei, Rădăuţi and Fălticeni), exceptional pieces of popular high artistic refinement. The museum has heritage and folk art objects (13,000 items); it highlights a series of very old folk costumes, collections of masks, painted eggs or pieces carved in wood, ceramics, textiles, ornaments for holiday, musical instruments, traditional furniture, some exposed even in the reconstruction of interior peasant houses.

Romanian Bukovina Shepherd Dog

The Romanian Bukovina Shepherd Dog (Romanian: Ciobănesc de Bucovina, French: Chien de berger roumanin de Bucovine) is a native breed that was developed in the Carpathian region, specifically, in the North-East of Romania, in Bukovina province. It is also known as Bukovina Wolfdog, Bukovinac, dulău (meaning sheepdog) or capău. It was for centuries the best partner and companion for the Romanian shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains. Their original use was to guard and protect the herds against predators (wild animals or thieves). The Bukovina Sheepdog is calm, yet it has bountiful energy and loves to play a lot. It should be exercised often, taken outdoors because it likes to have a lot of space to move around. It was bred to be herd guardians, keeping watch over sheep and cattle against thieves or preying animals. Today, it is being used as a guard go and family companion.


FCI-Standard (Excerpt)
Romanian Shepherd Dog of Bukovina

ORIGIN: Romania
UTILIZATION: shepherd dog for sheep and cattle herds, excellent guard dog.
CLASIFICATION F.C.I.: Grou II: Pinscher-Schnauzer, Molossoize, Swiss Cattle Dog and other breeds. Section 2.2 – Molossoize, mountain type.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Shepherd Dog of Bucovina was selected from a natural breed of the Carpathian Mountains, in Bucovina, exactly in the North-East of Romania. This breed has been the subject of a special attention as far as selection and improvement is concerned, which led to the present type. In this region, dogs of this breed are used successfully as dogs to guard sheep flocks, cattle herds, and for properties. This dog is mostly known as "DULAU" or "CAPAU". The first standard was drafted in 1982 and revised in 2001 by the Romanian Cynological Association. The present standard, dated on 29.03.2002, was drafted and revised according to the F.C.I. model established in Jerusalem.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: large dog, towering, audacious and proud. Sexual dimorphism well emphasized.
BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Calm, stable, very faithful and devoted to the owner, loves children. Wary of strangers. Excellent herd dog, very brave and efficiently fighter with possible animal prey (bear, wolf, lynx). He owns a very strong barking. When strangers, man or animal, approache its territory, he strongly barks, of a low tonality, which can be heard over very long distance. At nighttime, he patrols around the property or herds.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: equable and swing, powerful and effortless; seen from the front and back, legs move in straight line. Medium amplitude trot is preferred. Crossed or high moves should be penalized.
SKIN: thick, tight, dark-grey colored
HAIR: short on the head and anterior side of the limbs. On the body, the hair is abundant, harsh texture, from 6 to 9 cm long. Undercoat is shorter and denser, lighter colored. On the neck, hair is longer and crest shaped; on the posterior side of the legs, hair forms moderate size fringes. Tail is brushy, with a longer and thicker hair, well furnished.
COLOR:
• Classic colour : Well-defined spots of wolf-grey or black colour appear against a white background colour. On the limbs, spackles in black or other colours should be allowed.
• Uniform colours (without markings) white or black are allowed, but should not be followed.
SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height: male: 68-78 cm, ideal hight 71-75 cm; female: 64-72 cm, ideal hight 66-68 cm
Weight: in proportion to the size.