Mihai Nechita-Burculeț (born 5 February 1949, Sarca , Romania ) is a Romanian painter.
116-602: He studied Plastic Arts at the Art Academy of Iași , History of Arts at the Nicolae Grigorescu Art Academy of Bucharest . His professors include: Dan Hatmanu, Dimitrie Gavrilean, and Victor Mihăilescu-Craiu. Since 1977 he is active as a drawing and art history teacher in Târgu Ocna , Bacău . Mihai Nechita's art may be defined as one harmonic combination of surrealism, humour and deep feelings. Since childhood,
232-585: A Roman milestone found near Osijek , Croatia by Matija Petar Katančić in the 18th century, mentions the existence of a Jassiorum municipium , or Municipium Dacorum-Iassiorum from other sources. Other explanations show that the name originated from the Iranian Alanic tribe of Jassi , having the same origin with the Yazyges tribes Jassic people . In medieval times the Prut river was known as Alanus fluvius and
348-606: A humid continental climate ( Dfa , near Dfb ) if the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm is used, or a humid temperate climate ( Cfa ) bordering on an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) if the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm is used. Iași experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) while winters are cold and windy with moderate snowfall and temperatures at night sometimes dropping below −15 °C (5 °F). Iași features historical monuments, 500-year-old churches and monasteries, contemporary architecture, many of them listed on
464-520: A common border with Moldavia. The first effect of this was the cession of the eastern half of Moldavia (renamed as Bessarabia ) to the Russian Empire in 1812. Phanariote rule was officially ended after the 1821 occupation of the country by Alexander Ypsilantis 's Filiki Eteria during the Greek War of Independence ; the subsequent Ottoman retaliation led to the rule of Ioan Sturdza . He was considered
580-542: A duty to defend his fatherland"; according to Polish chronicler Jan Długosz , if someone was found without carrying a weapon, he was sentenced to death . Stephen reformed the army by promoting men from the landed free peasantry răzeși (i.e. something akin to freeholding yeomen ) to infantry ( voinici ) and light cavalry ( hânsari ), reducing his dependence on the boyars , and introduced guns. The Small Host ( Oastea Mică ) consisted of around 10,000 to 12,000 men. The Large Host ( Oastea Mare ), which could reach up to 40,000,
696-716: A later date, the territories between the Dniester and the Bug rivers. Petru II profited from the end of the Hungarian-Polish union and moved the country closer to the Jagiellonian realm , becoming a vassal of Władysław II on September 26, 1387. This gesture was to have unexpected consequences: Petru supplied the Polish ruler with funds needed in the war against the Teutonic Knights , and
812-503: A major Christian pilgrimage site since the early modern period . In 1641, the relics of Saint Parascheva were brought to Iași. Each year, around 14 October, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather to commemorate Saint Parascheva, while the city itself established its Celebration Days at the same time. The October pilgrimage is one of the largest in Europe, drawing people all over Romania as well as from neighboring Orthodox countries. During
928-457: A major wave of industrialisation, in 1955–1989. During this period of time, it received numerous migrants from rural regions, and the urban area expanded. In the Communist era , Iași saw a growth of 235% in population and 69% in area. The local systematization plans of the old city started in 1960 and continued in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the larger national systematization program; however,
1044-742: A military expedition in 1342, under King Władysław I , against the Margraviate of Brandenburg . In 1353, Dragoș , mentioned as a Vlach Knyaz in Maramureș , was sent by Louis I to establish a line of defense against the Golden Horde forces of Mongols on the Siret River . This expedition resulted in a polity vassal to Hungary, in the Baia ( Târgul Moldovei or Moldvabánya ) region. Bogdan of Cuhea , another Vlach voivode from Maramureș who had fallen out with
1160-403: A military occupation under the command of Pavel Kiselyov , Russian domination gave Wallachia and Moldavia, which were not removed from nominal Ottoman control, the modernizing Organic Statute (the first document resembling a constitution , as well as the first to regard both principalities). After 1829, the country also became an important destination for immigration of Ashkenazi Jews from
1276-563: A military office) or to the Mare Vornic (approx. Governor of the Country; a civilian office second only to the Voievod , which was filled by the prince himself). Supplying the troops was by tradition-later-made-into-law the duty of the inhabitants of those lands on which the soldiers were present at a given time. The Moldavians' (as well as Wallachians') favourite military doctrine in (defensive) wars
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#17330852915311392-563: A new mainly Mid-Century modern style Civic Centre was built around the Old Market Square (The Central Hall). The mid-1990s to early-2000s brought the first non-industrial glass curtain walled buildings (Romtelecom, Hotel Europa), while in 2012, in close proximity to the Palace of Culture, the Palas shopping mall and office complex was inaugurated. Other significant buildings include: Iași
1508-532: A notable Iași landmark. The Odd Poplars Alley [ ro ] , in Bucium neighbourhood, is another spot where Mihai Eminescu sought inspiration (the poem "Down Where the Lonely Poplars Grow"). In 1973, the 15 white poplars still left (with the age ranges between 233 and 371 years) were declared natural monuments. Iași County has 387 centuries-old trees, of which 224 were declared monument trees and 160 got
1624-518: A population of 271,692, its metropolitan area had a population of 423,154, whereas more than 500,000 people live within its peri-urban area . Counting 500,668 residents (as of 2018), the Iași urban area is the second most populous in Romania after Bucharest . Home to the oldest Romanian university and to the first engineering school , Iași is one of the most important education and research centres of
1740-457: A stiff competition with the high boyars over appointments to the Court. As the manor system suffered the blows of economic crises, and in the absence of salarisation (which implied that persons in office could decide their own income), obtaining princely appointment became the major focus of a boyar's career. Such changes also implied the decline of free peasantry and the rise of serfdom , as well as
1856-670: A unique monument, considered to be an architectural masterpiece, was erected in 1635–1639 by Vasile Lupu, and adorned with gilded carvings on its outer walls and twin towers. Other examples of historic churches and monasteries (some of them surrounded by defence walls and towers) include: Socola (1562), Galata (1582), Saint Sava (1583), Hlincea (1587), Aroneanu [ ro ] (1594), Bârnova (1603), Barnovschi (1627), Golia (1650), Cetățuia (1668), Frumoasa (1726), Saint Spiridon (1747), Old Metropolitan Cathedral [ ro ] (1761), Bărboi (1843 with 18th-century bell tower), Bucium (1853). The city has become
1972-576: Is a historical region and former principality in Central and Eastern Europe , corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially independent and later autonomous state, it existed from the 14th century to 1859, when it united with Wallachia ( Țara Românească ) as the basis of the modern Romanian state; at various times, Moldavia included
2088-613: Is also known as the site of the largest Romanian pilgrimage which takes place every year, in October. Scholars have different theories on the origin of the name "Iași". Some argue that the name originates with the Sarmatian tribe Iazyges (of Iranian origin), one mentioned by Ovid as "ipse vides, onerata ferox ut ducat Iazyx / per medias Histri plaustra bubulcus aquas" and " Iazyges et Colchi Metereaque turba Getaque/ Danubii mediis vix prohibentur aquis" . A now lost inscription on
2204-494: Is bordered on the principalities of Halych, Volhynia and Kiev. Archaeological research also identified the location of 13th-century fortified settlements in this region. Alexandru V. Boldur identified Voscodavie, Voscodavti, Voloscovti, Volcovti, Volosovca and their other towns and villages between the middle course of the rivers Nistru/Dniester and Nipru/Dnieper. The Bolohoveni disappeared from chronicles after their defeat in 1257 by Daniel of Galicia 's troops. Their ethnic identity
2320-1046: Is connected to the Orthodox believe. He does not make only icons, but he also restoration work of cult objects and church paintings, for technique and for history of art reasons. Besides painting, among the painter's interests are also urban design and peisagistic projects of restoration of historic and art monuments. He realised and ran the construction and execution of the following projects: Personal Exhibitions: Group Exhibitions: The painter's works are in private collections in France, Germany, Holland, Canada, Israel, England and Romania. Ia%C8%99i Iași ( UK : / ˈ j æ ʃ j / YASH -(y) , US : / ˈ j ɑː ʃ ( i )/ YAHSH( -ee) , Romanian: [ˈjaʃʲ] ; also known by other alternative names ), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( UK : / ˈ j æ s i / YASS -ee , US : / ˈ j ɑː s i / YAH -see ),
2436-652: Is rendered under the composite form Moldo-Wallachia (in the same way Wallachia may appear as Hungro-Wallachia ). Ottoman Turkish references to Moldavia included Boğdan Iflak ( بغدان افلاق , meaning ' Bogdan 's Wallachia') and Boğdan (and occasionally Kara-Boğdan , قره بغدان , "Black Bogdania"). See also names in other languages . The names of the region in other languages include French : Moldavie , German : Moldau , Hungarian : Moldva , Russian : Молдавия ( Moldaviya ), Turkish : Boğdan Prensliği , Greek : Μολδαβία . The inhabitants of Moldavia were Christians. Archaeological works revealed
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#17330852915312552-579: Is the oldest surviving synagogue in Romania and among the oldest synagogues still active in Europe. A 10-year restoration project funded by UNESCO, the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the local authorities of Iași restored it to its former glory, opening in time for Hanukkah on 4 December 2018. During the war, while the full scale of the Holocaust remained generally unknown to the Allied Powers ,
2668-588: Is the third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County . Located in the historical region of Moldavia , it has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities from 1859 to 1862, and the capital of Romania from 1916 to 1918. Known as
2784-668: Is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina , and of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Iași . The city and the surrounding area house more than 10 monasteries and 100 historical churches. Among the oldest is Princely Saint Nicholas (1491), dating from the reign of Stephen the Great , and the Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest of its kind in Romania. The Trei Ierarhi Monastery ,
2900-603: Is uncertain; although Romanian scholars, basing on their ethnonym identify them as Romanians (who were called Vlachs in the Middle Ages ), archeological evidence and the Hypatian Chronicle (which is the only primary source that documents their history) suggest that they were a Slavic people . In the early 13th century, the Brodniks , a possible Slavic – Vlach vassal state of Halych , were present, alongside
3016-638: The seimeni . However, Moldavia and the similarly affected Wallachia remained both important sources of income for the Ottoman Empire and relatively prosperous agricultural economies (especially as suppliers of grain and cattle – the latter was especially relevant in Moldavia, which remained an under-populated country of pastures ). In time, much of the resources were tied to the Ottoman economy , either through monopolies on trade that were only lifted in 1829, after
3132-651: The Bahlui River valley, a tributary of the Jijia River (tributary of the Prut River ). The surrounding country is one of uplands and woods, featuring monasteries and parks. Iași itself stands amid vineyards and gardens, partly on hills, partly in the in-between valley. The central part of the city is located on the 25 m (82 ft ) fluvial terrace of the Bahlui River (the so-called Palat Terrace). From this nucleus,
3248-919: The Bolgrad , Cahul , and Ismail counties. Russian domination ended abruptly after the Crimean War , when the Treaty of Paris also passed the two Romanian principalities under the tutelage of Great European Powers (together with Russia and the Ottoman overlord, power-sharing included the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Austrian Empire , the French Empire , the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia , and Prussia ). Due to Austrian and Ottoman opposition and British reserves,
3364-515: The Habsburg Empire its northwestern part, which became known as Bukovina . For Moldavia, it meant both an important territorial loss and a major blow to the cattle trade, as the region stood on the trade route to Central Europe. The Treaty of Jassy in 1792 forced the Ottoman Empire to cede Yedisan to the Russian Empire, which made Russian presence much more notable, given that the Empire acquired
3480-542: The Iași pogrom stood as one of the known examples of Axis brutality toward the Jews. The pogrom lasted from 29 June to 6 July 1941, and over 13,266 people, or one third of the Jewish population, were massacred in the pogrom itself or in its aftermath, and many were deported. Particularly brutal was the massacre of Jews who were forced on sealed trains in the brutal summer heat. Over half of
3596-465: The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and areas of Russia ( see History of the Jews in Romania and Sudiți ). The first Moldavian rule established under the Statute, that of Mihail Sturdza , was nonetheless ambivalent: eager to reduce abuse of office, Sturdza introduced reforms (the abolition of slavery, secularization , economic rebuilding), but he was widely seen as enforcing his own power over that of
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3712-609: The National Register of Historic Monuments . Notable architecture includes the Trei Ierarhi Monastery , part of the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site , or the neo-Gothic Palace of Culture , built on the old ruins of the mediaeval Princely Court of Moldavia. During World War II and the Communist era many historical buildings in the old city centre (around Union Square area) were destroyed or demolished, and replaced by International style buildings and also
3828-592: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth into Moldavian territory (see Moldavian Magnate Wars ), and rivalries between pretenders to the Moldavian throne encouraged by the three competing powers. The Wallachian prince Michael the Brave , after previously taking over Transylvania , also deposed Prince Ieremia Movilă, in 1600, and managed to become the first Prince to rule over Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania;
3944-465: The Romanian Academy 's approval and are proposed for such a classification. Most of them are oak or linden trees. The oldest tree in the county is the 675-year-old hybrid linden ( Tilia ) tree located in the courtyard of Bârnova Monastery , in the vicinity of Iași. When the linden was about 57 years old and about 14 cm (5.5 in) in diameter, Iași was mentioned as an urban settlement, during
4060-842: The Russo-Turkish War of 1710-1711 . Prince Dimitrie Cantemir sided with Peter in open rebellion against the Ottomans, but he was defeated at Stănilești . Sultan Ahmed III officially discarded recognition of local choices for princes, imposing instead a system relying solely on Ottoman approval: the Phanariote epoch , inaugurated by the reign of Nicholas Mavrocordatos . Phanariote rule was marked by political corruption , intrigue, and high taxation, as well as by sporadic incursions of Habsburg and Russian armies deep into Moldavian territory. Nonetheless, they also attempted legislative and administrative modernization inspired by The Enlightenment (such as
4176-669: The Tatars (in 1513, 1574, 1577, 1593), by the Ottomans in 1538, the Cossacks and Tartars (1650), or the Poles (1620, 1686). In 1734, it was hit by the plague . The city was also affected by famine (1575, 1724, 1739–1740), or large local fires (1725, 1735, 1753, 1766, 1785), propagated by many buildings that were built on wooden structures. It was through the Treaty of Jassy that the sixth Russo-Turkish War
4292-475: The Tatars ; this gave them great mobility and also flexibility, in case they found it more suitable to dismount their horses and fight in hand-to-hand combat, as it happened in 1422, when 400 horse archers were sent to aid Jagiellon Poland , Moldavia's overlord against the Teutonic Knights . When making eye-contact with the enemy, the horse archers would withdraw to a nearby forest and camouflage themselves with leaves and branches; according to Jan Długosz, when
4408-403: The Treaty of Adrianople (which did not affect all domains directly), or through the raise in direct taxes - the one demanded by the Ottomans from the princes, as well as the ones demanded by the princes from the country's population. Taxes were directly proportional with Ottoman requests, but also with the growing importance of Ottoman appointment and sanctioning of princes in front of election by
4524-490: The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1862, when the union of the two principalities was recognised under the name of Romania , the national capital was established in Bucharest. For the loss caused to the city in 1861 by the removal of the seat of government to Bucharest the constituent assembly voted 148,150 lei to be paid in ten annual instalments, but no payment was ever made. During World War I , Iași
4640-470: The boyars and the boyar Council – Sfatul boieresc [ ro ] (drawing in a competition among pretenders, which also implied the intervention of creditors as suppliers of bribes). The fiscal system soon included taxes such as the văcărit (a tax on head of cattle), first introduced by Iancu Sasul in the 1580s. The economic opportunities offered brought about a significant influx of Greek and Levantine financiers and officials, who entered
4756-561: The boyars or of the monasteries. Historian Nicolae Iorga associated the Roma people's arrival with the 1241 Mongol invasion of Europe and considered their slavery as a vestige of that era; he believed that the Romanians took the Roma as slaves from the Mongols and preserved their status to control their labor. Other historians consider that the Roma were enslaved while captured during the battles with
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4872-452: The stagnation of the Ottoman Empire ; at one point, during the 1650s and 1660s, princes began relying on counterfeit coinage (usually copies of Swedish riksdalers , as was that issued by Eustratie Dabija ). The economic decline was accompanied by a failure to maintain state structures: the feudal -based Moldavian military forces were no longer convoked, and the few troops maintained by the rulers remained professional mercenaries such as
4988-551: The 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca allowed Russia to intervene in favour of Ottoman subjects of the Eastern Orthodox faith - leading to campaigns of petitioning by the Moldavian boyars against princely policies. In 1712, Hotin was taken over by the Ottomans and became part of a defensive system that Moldavian princes were required to maintain, as well as an area for Islamic colonization (the Laz community). In 1775, Moldavia lost to
5104-576: The 34.5 m a.s.l. (113.19 ft) in the Bahlui River floodplain, at the Holboca bridge, and 354.77 m a.s.l. (1,163.94 ft), at the edge of the Repedea Hill . It is a common belief that Iași is built on seven hills ( Romanian : coline ): Breazu, Bucium, Cetățuia, Copou, Galata, Repedea and Șorogari, thus triggering comparisons with Rome . Under the Köppen climate classification , Iaşi falls within either
5220-535: The Cultural Capital of Romania, Iași is a symbol of Romanian history. Historian Nicolae Iorga stated that "there should be no Romanian who does not know of it". Still referred to as "The Moldavian Capital", Iași is the main economic and business centre of Romania's Moldavian region. In December 2018, Iași was officially declared the Historical Capital of Romania. At the 2021 census , the city-proper had
5336-677: The Hungarian king, crossed the Carpathians in 1359, took control of Moldavia, and succeeded in wrenching Moldavia from Hungarian control. His realm extended north to the Cheremosh River , while the southern part of Moldavia was still occupied by the Tatar Mongols. After first residing in Baia, Bogdan moved Moldavia's seat to Siret (it was to remain there until Petru II Mușat moved it to Suceava ; it
5452-505: The Jazyges; also he shows that the word jasz is a Slavic loan word. The Hungarian name of the city ( Jászvásár ) literally means "Jassic Market"; the antiquated Romanian name, Târgul Ieșilor (and the once-favoured Iașii ), and the German Jassenmarkt , may indicate the same meaning. [REDACTED] Moldavia 1408–1859 [REDACTED] United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia 1859–1862 [REDACTED] Romania 1862–present Archaeological investigations attest to
5568-415: The One-Eyed , Ottoman overlordship was confirmed in the shape that would rapidly evolve into control over Moldavia's affairs. Peter IV Rareș , who reigned in the 1530s and 1540s, clashed with the Habsburg monarchy over his ambitions in Transylvania (losing possessions in the region to George Martinuzzi ), was defeated in Pokuttya by Poland, and failed in his attempt to extricate Moldavia from Ottoman rule –
5684-489: The Polish merchants of Lvov . However, as buildings older than 1408 still exist, e.g. the Armenian Church believed to be originally built in 1395, it is certain that the city existed before its first surviving written mention. Around 1564, Prince Alexandru Lăpușneanu moved the Moldavian capital from Suceava to Iași. Between 1561 and 1563, a school and a Lutheran church were founded by the Greek adventurer prince, Ioan Iacob Heraclid . In 1640, Vasile Lupu established
5800-427: The Tatars. The practice of enslaving prisoners may also have been taken from the Mongols. The ethnic identity of the "Tatar slaves" is unknown, they could have been captured Tatars of the Golden Horde , Cumans , or the slaves of Tatars and Cumans. While it is possible that some Romani people were slaves or auxiliary troops of the Mongols or Tatars, most of them came from south of the Danube , demonstrating that slavery
5916-430: The Vlachs, in much of the region's territory (towards 1216, the Brodniks are mentioned as in service of Suzdal ). Somewhere in the 11th century, a Viking named Rodfos was killed by Vlachs presumably in the area of what would become Moldavia. In 1164, the future Byzantine emperor Andronikos I Komnenos , was taken prisoner by Vlach shepherds in the same region. The Franciscan Friar William of Rubruck , who visited
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#17330852915316032-417: The church and state. By the 1850s, the movement gained support from almost the whole of Romanian society. In December 1855, following a proposal by Prince Grigore Alexandru Ghica , a bill drafted by Mihail Kogălniceanu and Petre Mavrogheni was adopted by the Divan; the law emancipated all slaves to the status of taxpayers (citizens). Support for the abolitionists was reflected in Romanian literature of
6148-429: The city and marks one of the first Romanian coordinated public parks. The oldest monument in Romania stands in the middle of the park, the Obelisk of Lions [ ro ] (1834), a 13.5 m (44.29 ft ) tall obelisk , dedicated to the Regulamentul Organic , the first law on political, administrative and juridical organisation in Romanian Principalities. Founded in 1856, the Botanical Garden of Iași ,
6264-415: The city as Forum Philistinorum . From this population derived the plural of the town name, "Iașii". Another historian wrote that the Iasians lived among the Cumans and that they left the Caucasus after the first Mongolian campaign in the West, settling temporarily near the Prut. He asserts that the ethnic name of Jasz which is given to the Iasians by the Hungarians has been erroneously identified with
6380-416: The city evolved after the medieval times toward south and north on the Bahlui River floodplain and on the adjacent hills. The southern part of the city lies on the Iași Ridge ( Romanian : Coasta Iașilor ) (the northernmost hill of the Bârlad Plateau). Considering the present day extension of the administrative boundaries, the city territory has an altitudinal extension of 320 m (1,050 ft), between
6496-412: The country lost Bender to the Ottomans, who included it in their Silistra Eyalet . A period of profound crisis followed. Moldavia stopped issuing its own coinage c. 1520 , under Prince Ștefăniță , when it was confronted with rapid depletion of funds and rising demands from the Porte . Such problems became endemic when the country, brought into the Great Turkish War , suffered the impact of
6612-501: The country, accommodating over 60,000 students in five public universities. The social and cultural life revolves around the Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre (the oldest in Romania), the Moldova State Philharmonic , the Opera House , the Iași Athenaeum , the Botanical Garden (the oldest and largest in Romania), the Central University Library (the oldest in Romania), the cultural centres and festivals, an array of museums, memorial houses, religious and historical monuments. The city
6728-433: The court of the Great Khan in the 1250s, listed "the Blac", or Vlachs, among the peoples who paid tribute to the Mongols, but the Vlachs' territory is uncertain. Friar William described "Blakia" as " Assan's territory" south of the Lower Danube, showing that he identified it with the northern regions of the Second Bulgarian Empire . Later in the 14th century, King Charles I of Hungary attempted to expand his realm and
6844-427: The crown and the traditional system of succession were ended by scores of illegitimate reigns; one of the usurpers, Ioan Iacob Heraclid , was a Protestant Greek who encouraged the Renaissance and attempted to introduce Lutheranism to Moldavia. In 1595, the rise of the Movilești boyars to the throne with Ieremia Movilă coincided with the start of frequent anti-Ottoman and anti- Habsburg military expeditions of
6960-409: The day of the unification of Moldavia and Wallachia by means of a personal union . In 1862, after diplomatic missions that helped remove opposition to the action, the United Principalities (the basis of modern Romania) was formally created, and instituted Cuza as Domnitor – thus officially ending the existence of the Principality of Moldavia. All other pending legal matters were clarified after
7076-430: The decision by Constantine Mavrocordatos to salarize public offices, to the outrage of boyars, and the abolition of serfdom in 1749, as well as Scarlat Callimachi 's Code ), and signified a decrease in Ottoman demands after the threat of Russian annexation became real and the prospects of a better life led to waves of peasant emigration to neighboring lands. The effects of Ottoman control were also made less notable after
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#17330852915317192-488: The end of the Communist regime and the transition to a free market economy, the private sector has grown steadily, while much of the old industry gradually decayed. Located in the North-East of Romania, at the contact between the Jijia Plain and the Bârlad Plateau , Iași used to be the crossroads place of the historic trade routes that passed through Moldavia coming from the Kingdom of Poland , Habsburg monarchy , Tsardom of Russia , and Constantinople . The city lies on
7308-420: The enemy entered the wood, they were "showered with arrows" and defeated. The heavy cavalry consisted of the nobility, namely, the boyars, and their guards, the viteji (lit. "brave ones", small nobility) and the curteni (court cavalry). These were all nominally part of the Small Host. In times of war, boyars were compelled by the feudal system of allegiance to supply the prince with troops in accordance with
7424-401: The entire year, pilgrimages to Iași can also involve visits to a large number of religious sites, both within and around the city. Iași has a diverse array of public spaces, from city squares to public parks. Begun in 1833, at the time when Iași was the capital of Moldavia , by Prince Mihail Sturdza and under the plans of Gheorghe Asachi and Mihail Singurov, Copou Park was integrated into
7540-420: The episode ended in Polish conquests of lands down to Bucharest , soon ended by the outbreak of the Polish–Swedish War and the reestablishment of Ottoman rule. Polish incursions were dealt a blow by the Ottomans during the 1620 Battle of Cecora , which also saw an end to the reign of Gaspar Graziani . A period of relative peace followed during the more prosperous and prestigious rule of Vasile Lupu . He took
7656-438: The exiled revolutionaries to return to Moldavia c. 1853, which led to the creation of the National Party ( Partida Națională ), a trans-boundary group of radical union supporters which campaigned for a single state under a foreign dynasty. In 1856, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris , the Russian Empire returned to Moldavia a significant territory in southern Bessarabia (including a part of Budjak ), organised later as
7772-418: The extent of their manorial domain . Other troops consisted of professional foot soldiers ( lefegii ) which fulfilled the heavy infantry role, and the plăieși , free peasants whose role was that of border guards: they guarded the mountain passes and were prepared to ambush the enemy and to fight delaying actions. In the absence of the prince, command was assigned to the Mare Spătar (Grand Sword-Bearer,
7888-635: The first botanical garden in Romania, has an area of over 100 hectares, and more than 10,000 species of plants. Iași Exhibition Park was opened in 1923 and built under the co-ordination of the architect N. Ghica Budești . The Ciric Park , located in the north-eastern part of Iași, consists of parkland and four lakes. Eminescu's Linden Tree ( Romanian : Teiul lui Eminescu ) is a 500-year-old silver linden ( Tilia tomentosa Moench ) situated in Copou Park . Mihai Eminescu reportedly wrote some of his best works underneath this linden tree, rendering it one of Romania's most important natural monuments and
8004-418: The first of a new system, since the Ottomans and Russia had agreed in 1826 to allow for the election by locals of rulers over the two Danubian Principalities , and convened on their mandating for seven-year terms. In practice, a new foundation to reigns in Moldavia was created by the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829) , beginning a period of Russian domination over the two countries which ended only in 1856. Begun as
8120-399: The first ruler of the Ghica family , George Ghica . In the early 1680s, Moldavian troops under George Ducas intervened in right-bank Ukraine and assisted Mehmed IV in the Battle of Vienna , only to suffer the effects of the Great Turkish War . During the late 17th century, Moldavia became the target of the Russian Empire 's southwards expansion, inaugurated by Peter the Great with
8236-423: The first school in which the Romanian replaced Greek, and set up a printing press in the Byzantine Trei Ierarhi Monastery ( Monastery of the Three Hierarchs ; built 1635–39). Between 15 September – 27 October 1642, the city hosted the Synod of Iași (also referred to as the Synod of Jassy). In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia was published in Iași. The city was often burned down and looted by
8352-514: The founding figure of the principality. The names Moldavia and Moldova are derived from the name of the Moldova River ; however, the etymology is not known and there are several variants: On a series of coins of Peter I and Stephen I minted by Saxon masters and with German legends, the reverses feature the name of Moldavia in the form Molderlang / Molderlant (recte: Molderland ). In several early references, Moldavia
8468-512: The influence of the Catholic Church eastwards after the fall of Cuman rule, and ordered a campaign under the command of Phynta de Mende (1324). In 1342 and 1345, the Hungarians were victorious in a battle against Tatar-Mongols ; the conflict was resolved by the death of Jani Beg , in 1357. The Polish chronicler Jan Długosz mentioned Moldavians (under the name Wallachians ) as having joined
8584-530: The late 16th century. The oldest tomb inscription in the local cemetery probably dates to 1610. By the mid-19th century, owing to widespread Russian Jewish and Galician Jewish immigration into Moldavia, the city was at least one-third Jewish, growing to 50% Jewish by 1899 according to the Great Geographic Dictionary of Romania cited by JewishGen . The Podu Roș Synagogue was built in Iași, circa 1810, by Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta , but
8700-550: The mid-19th century. The issue of the Roma slavery became a theme in the literary works of various liberal and Romantic intellectuals, many of whom were active in the abolitionist camp. The Romanian abolitionist movement was also influenced by the much larger movement against Black slavery in the United States through press reports and through a translation of Harriet Beecher Stowe 's Uncle Tom's Cabin . Translated by Theodor Codrescu and first published in Iași in 1853, under
8816-410: The most important mentor professor next to whom Mihai Nechita discovered the secrets of colours and composition and the deep love for painting. The technique he uses is the one of classic oil on canvas . The compositional harmony and colour harmony follow the rules of classic composition. His paintings are very detailed both in concept and technical part. He makes the frames himself, those being part of
8932-677: The name Coliba lui Moșu Toma sau Viața negrilor în sudul Statelor Unite din America (which translates back as "Uncle Toma's Cabin or the Life of Blacks in the Southern United States of America"), it was the first American novel to be published in Romanian. The foreword included a study on slavery by Mihail Kogălniceanu. Under the reign of Stephen the Great , all farmers and villagers had to bear arms. Stephen justified this by saying that "every man has
9048-576: The newly founded Moldavian Metropolitan seat ; Patriarch Antony IV even cast an anathema over Moldavia after Roman I expelled Constantinople's candidate, sending him back to Byzantium. The crisis was finally settled in favor of the Moldavian princes under Alexander I . Nevertheless, religious policy remained complex: while conversions to faiths other than Orthodox were discouraged (and forbidden for princes), Moldavia included sizable Latin Catholic communities (Germans and Magyars ), as well as Armenians of
9164-492: The newly instituted consultative Assembly. A supporter of the union of his country with Wallachia and of Romanian Romantic nationalism , he obtained the establishment of a customs union between the two countries (1847) and showed support for radical projects favored by low boyars; nevertheless, he clamped down with noted violence the Moldavian revolutionary attempt in the last days of March 1848. Grigore Alexandru Ghica allowed
9280-518: The non-Chalcedonian Armenian Apostolic Church ; after 1460, the country welcomed Hussite refugees (founders of Ciuburciu and, probably, Huși ). The principality of Moldavia covered the entire geographic region of Moldavia. In various periods, various other territories were politically connected with the Moldavian principality. This is the case of the province of Pokuttya , the fiefdoms of Cetatea de Baltă and Ciceu (both in Transylvania ) or, at
9396-414: The objects he used in different compositions. A preferred theme is the one of human attitude but also the fake treated with light irony, shortly the theatre of our world. The portraits present imaginary people and some very close characters of his life: his mother, his wife, the daughter, the son and strange self portraits like the " Self portrait at 80 years ". An important face of the work of Mihai Nechita
9512-481: The occupants perished in these trains, which were aimlessly driven throughout the countryside with no particular destination. In May 1944, the Iași area became the scene of ferocious fighting between Romanian- German forces and the advancing Soviet Red Army and the city was partially destroyed. The German Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland won a defensive victory at the Battle of Târgu Frumos , near Iași, which
9628-405: The painter Mihai Nechita-Burculeț has shown a high interest in landscapes and the surroundings of his natal village, whose colours and shapes can be noticed even in his later paintings. The most important period of time from the artistic development point of view were the years spent next to the painter Victor Mihăilescu-Craiu , one of the greatest Romanian peisagists. Craiu represented the first and
9744-554: The painting. There have also been times when he used to prepare the colours and other special products following the old customs. The work of Mihai Nechita-Burculeț is based on the Byzantine and Romanian traditional elements and tends to universality. Most of his paintings are surrealists created in a realist technique. His painting shows his own image of the surrounding world. Many of his paintings show connections with his natal village through landscapes, colours, houses, but also through
9860-542: The presence of human communities on the present territory of the city and around it as far back as the prehistoric age. Later settlements included those of the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture , a late Neolithic archaeological culture . There is archaeological evidence of human settlements in the area of Iași dating from the 6th to 7th centuries (Curtea Domnească) and 7th to 10th centuries; these settlements contained rectangular houses with semicircular ovens. Also, many of
9976-473: The property of Romanian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox monasteries, and țigani boierești ("Gypsies belonging to the boyars"), who were enslaved by the category of landowners. The abolition of slavery was carried out following a campaign by young revolutionaries who embraced the liberal ideas of the Enlightenment . In 1844, Moldavian Prince Mihail Sturdza proposed a law on the freeing of slaves owned by
10092-458: The rapid fall in the importance of low boyars (a traditional institution, the latter soon became marginal, and, in more successful instances, added to the population of towns); however, they also implied a rapid transition towards a monetary economy , based on exchanges in foreign currency. Serfdom was doubled by the much less numerous slave population ( robi ), composed of migrant Roma and captured Nogais . The conflict between princes and boyars
10208-518: The regions of Bessarabia (with the Budjak ), all of Bukovina and Hertsa . The region of Pokuttya was also part of it for a period of time. The western half of Moldavia is now part of Romania, the eastern side belongs to the Republic of Moldova , and the northern and southeastern parts are territories of Ukraine. The original and short-lived reference to the region was Bogdania , after Bogdan I ,
10324-603: The reign of Prince Alexander the Good (1408). As of 2021 census , with 271,692 inhabitants, Iași is the country's third most populous city. With a population of 500,668 residents (2018), the Iași urban area is the second largest in Romania. Principality of Moldavia Moldavia ( Romanian : Moldova , pronounced [molˈdova] or Țara Moldovei lit. ' The country of Moldova ' ; in Romanian Cyrillic : Молдова or Цара Мѡлдовєй )
10440-502: The remains of a Christian necropolis at Mihălășeni , Botoșani county , from the 5th century. The place of worship, and the tombs had Christian characteristics. The place of worship had a rectangular form with sides of eight and seven meters. Similar necropolises and places of worship were found at Nicolina, in Iași The Bolohoveni are mentioned by the Hypatian Chronicle in the 13th century. The chronicle shows that this land
10556-564: The replacement of Cuza with Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in April 1866, and the creation of an independent Kingdom of Romania in 1881. Slavery ( Romanian : robie ) was part of the social order from before the founding of the Principality of Moldavia, until it was abolished in stages during the 1840s and 1850s. Most of the slaves were of Roma (Gypsy) ethnicity. There were also slaves of Tatar ethnicity, probably prisoners captured from
10672-425: The second largest ethnic group in Iași. There were over 127 synagogues . After World War II , in 1947, there were about 38,000 Jews living in Iași. Because of massive emigration to Israel, in 1975 there were about 3,000 Jews living in Iași and four synagogues were active. Currently, Iași has a dwindling Jewish population of ca. 300 to 600 members and two working synagogues, one of which, the 1671 Great Synagogue ,
10788-524: The state reached its most glorious period. Stephen blocked Hungarian interventions in the Battle of Baia , invaded Wallachia in 1471, and dealt with Ottoman reprisals in a major victory (the 1475 Battle of Vaslui ); after feeling threatened by Polish ambitions, he also attacked Galicia and resisted a Polish invasion in the Battle of the Cosmin Forest (1497). However, he had to surrender Chilia (now Kiliia) and Cetatea Albă (now Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi),
10904-584: The synagogue became mostly Misnagdic not long thereafter. In 1855, Iași was the home of the first-ever Yiddish -language newspaper, Korot Haitim , and, in 1876, the site of what was arguably the first-ever professional Yiddish theatre performance, established by Avraham Goldfaden . The words of HaTikvah , the national anthem of Israel, were written in Iași by Naftali Herz Imber . Jewish musicians in Iași played an important role as preservers of Yiddish folklore, as performers and composers. The first Zionist Hebrew-language newspaper in Romania, Emek Israel ,
11020-480: The throne as a boyar appointee in 1637 and began battling his rival Gheorghe Ștefan , as well as the Wallachian prince Matei Basarab . However, his invasion of Wallachia, with the backing of Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky , ended in disaster at the Battle of Finta in 1653. A few years later, Moldavia was occupied for two short intervals by the anti-Ottoman Wallachian prince Constantin Șerban , who clashed with
11136-563: The throne for supporting Fyodor Koriatovych in his conflict with Vytautas the Great of Lithuania . Under Stephen I . Although Alexander I was brought to the throne in 1400 by the Hungarians (with assistance from Mircea I of Wallachia ), he shifted his allegiances towards Poland (notably engaging Moldavian forces on the Polish side in the Battle of Grunwald and the Siege of Marienburg ), and placed his own choice of rulers in Wallachia. His reign
11252-412: The two main fortresses in the Budjak , to the Ottomans in 1484, and in 1498 he had to accept Ottoman suzerainty, when he was forced to agree to continue paying tribute to Sultan Bayezid II . Following the taking of Hotin (Khotyn) and Pokuttya , Stephen's rule also brought a brief extension of Moldavian rule into Transylvania : Cetatea de Baltă and Ciceu became his fiefs in 1489. Under Bogdan III
11368-498: The two thrones could not be occupied by the same person, allowing Partida Națională to introduce the candidacy of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in both countries. On January 17 (January 5, 1859, Old Style ), in Iași , he was elected prince of Moldavia by the respective electoral body. After street pressure over the much more conservative body in Bucharest , Cuza was elected in Wallachia as well (February 5/January 24), this being considered as
11484-526: The union program as demanded by radical campaigners was debated intensely. In September 1857, given that Caimacam Nicolae Vogoride had perpetrated fraud in elections in Moldavia, the Powers allowed the two states to convene ad hoc divans , which were to decide a new constitutional framework; the result showed overwhelming support for the union, as the creation of a liberal and neutral state. After further meetings among leaders of tutor states, an agreement
11600-411: The urban planning was sometimes arbitrary and followed by dysfunctions. By 1989, Iași had become highly industrialised, with 108,000 employees (representing 47% of the total workforce) active in 46 large state-owned enterprises , in various industries: machine building and heavy equipment, chemical, textile, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, electronics, food, energy, building materials, furniture. After
11716-519: The vessels (9th–11th centuries) found in Iași had a cross, potentially indicating that the inhabitants were Christians. In 1396, Iași is mentioned by the German crusader Johann Schiltberger (a participant in the Battle of Nicopolis ). The name of the city is first found in an official document in 1408. This is a grant of certain commercial privileges by the Moldavian Prince Alexander to
11832-504: The wars with the Nogai and Crimean Tatars . The institution of slavery was first attested in a 1470 Moldavian document, through which Prince Stephen the Great frees Oană, a Tatar slave who had fled to Jagiellon Poland . The exact origins of slavery are not known, as it was a common practice in medieval Europe . As in the Byzantine Empire , the Roma were held as slaves of the state, of
11948-405: Was a scorched earth policy combined with harassment of the advancing enemy using hit-and-run tactics and disruption of communication and supply lines, followed by a large scale ambush: a weakened enemy would be lured in a place where it would find itself in a position hard or impossible to defend. A general attack would follow, often with devastating results. The shattered remains of what was once
12064-485: Was a widespread practice. The Tatar slaves, smaller in numbers, were eventually merged into the Roma population. Traditionally, Roma slaves were divided into three categories. The smallest was owned by the hospodars , and went by the Romanian-language name of țigani domnești ("Gypsies belonging to the lord"). The two other categories comprised țigani mănăstirești ("Gypsies belonging to the monasteries"), who were
12180-581: Was brought to a close in 1792. A Greek revolutionary manoeuvre and occupation under Alexander Ypsilanti (Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης) and the Filiki Eteria (Φιλική Εταιρία) (1821, at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence ) led to the storming of the city by the Turks in 1822. In 1844 a severe fire affected much of the city. Between 1564 and 1859, the city was the capital of Moldavia; then, between 1859 and 1862, both Iași and Bucharest were de facto capitals of
12296-532: Was finally moved to Iași under Alexandru Lăpușneanu - in 1565). The area around Suceava, roughly correspondent to future Bukovina , would later constitute one of the two administrative divisions of the new realm, under the name Țara de Sus (the "Upper Land"), whereas the rest, on both sides of the Prut river, formed Țara de Jos (the "Lower Land"). Disfavored by the brief union of Angevin Poland and Hungary (the latter
12412-614: Was granted control over Pokuttya until the debt was repaid; as this is not recorded to have been carried out, the region became disputed by the two states, until it was lost by Moldavia in the Battle of Obertyn (1531). Prince Petru also expanded his rule southwards to the Danube Delta . His brother Roman I conquered the Hungarian-ruled Cetatea Albă in 1392, giving Moldavia an outlet to the Black Sea , before being toppled from
12528-528: Was one of the most successful in Moldavia's history, but also saw the first confrontation with the Ottoman Turks at Cetatea Albă in 1420, and later even a conflict with the Poles. A deep crisis was to follow Alexandru's long reign, with his successors battling each other in a succession of wars that divided the country until the murder of Bogdan II and the ascension of Petru III Aron in 1451. Nevertheless, Moldavia
12644-530: Was published in Iași in 1882. Zionist sports clubs, student associations and discussion groups were established in the city, most of which later merged into the Organizația Sionistă . The Hachshara Farms in Iași were a type of training farms to prepare young people for resettlement in the Palestine region. According to the 1930 census, with a population of 34,662 (some 34% of the city's population), Jews were
12760-584: Was reached (the Paris Convention ), whereby a limited union was to be enforced – separate governments and thrones, with only two bodies in common (a Court of Cassation and a Central Commission residing in Focșani ); it also stipulated that an end to all privilege was to be passed into law, and awarded back to Moldavia the areas around Bolhrad , Cahul , and Izmail . However, the Convention failed to note whether
12876-580: Was recruited from all the free peasantry older than 14 and strong enough to carry a sword or use a bow . This seldom happened, for such a levée en masse was devastating for both economy and population growth. In the Battle of Vaslui , Stephen had to summon the Large Host and also recruited mercenary troops. In the Middle Ages and early Renaissance , the Moldavians relied on light cavalry ( călărași ) which used hit-and-run tactics similar to those of
12992-682: Was still the country's overlord), Bogdan's successor Lațcu accepted conversion to Latin Catholicism around 1370. Despite the founding of the Latin diocese of Siret , this move did not have any lasting consequences. Despite remaining officially Eastern Orthodox and culturally connected with the Byzantine Empire after 1382, princes of the House of Bogdan-Mușat entered a conflict with the Constantinople Patriarchate about control of appointments to
13108-476: Was subject to further Hungarian interventions after that moment, as Matthias Corvinus deposed Aron and backed Alexăndrel to the throne in Suceava . Petru Aron's rule also signified the beginning of Moldavia's Ottoman Empire allegiance, as the ruler agreed to pay tribute to Sultan Mehmed II . Under Stephen the Great , who took the throne and subsequently came to an agreement with Casimir IV of Poland in 1457,
13224-629: Was the capital of a much reduced Romania for two years, following the Central Powers ' occupation of Bucharest on 6 December 1916. The capital was returned to Bucharest after the defeat of Imperial Germany and its allies in November 1918. In November–December 1918 Iași hosted the Jassy Conference . Iași also figures prominently in Jewish history, with the first documented presence of Sephardi Jews from
13340-463: Was the object of several NATO studies during the Cold War . By 20 August, Iași had been taken by Soviet forces. Iași suffered heavy damage due to Soviet (June–July 1941, June 1944) and American (June 1944) airstrikes, respectively. The bombing of Soviet aviation and artillery on 20 August 1944, resulted in more than 5,000 civilian deaths and the destruction of two-thirds of the city. Iași experienced
13456-422: Was to become exceptionally violent – the latter group, who frequently appealed to the Ottoman court in order to have princes comply with its demands, was persecuted by rulers such as Alexandru Lăpușneanu and John III . Ioan Vodă's revolt against the Ottomans ended in his execution (1574). The country descended into political chaos, with frequent Ottoman and Tatar incursions and pillages. The claims of Mușatins to
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