Culture of Romania

From Freepedia

The culture of Romania is part of the culture of Europe. However, Romanian culture has its own strong identity, with some Balkan (from Greece, Turkey) and Slavic (from Russia, Bulgaria) influences. Transylvania, in northwestern Romania, also has strong Hungarian and German influences.

Romania's rich cultural traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the Roman occupation. The traditional folk arts include dance, wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, and rich and varied folk music. These traditions still flourish in many parts of the country. Despite German, and especially French, influences, many great Romanian artists, such as the painter Nicolae Grigorescu, the poet Mihai Eminescu, the composer George Enescu, or the sculptor Constantin Brancusi (originally "Brâncuşi"), drew their inspiration from Romanian folk traditions.

The country's many Orthodox monasteries, as well as the Transylvanian Roman Catholic and Evangelical Churches, some of which date back to the 13th century, are repositories of artistic treasures. The famous painted monasteries of Bukovina, such as those of Moldoviţa, Putna, Suceviţa, and Voroneţ, make an important contribution to the European architecture.

Poetry and theater play an important role in contemporary Romanian life. Classic Romanian plays, such as those of Ion Luca Caragiale, as well as works by modern or avant-garde Romanian and international playwrights, find sophisticated and enthusiastic audiences in the many theaters of the country's capital, Bucharest, and of the smaller cities.

Here's a sketch of what should be here:

• folk music and traditions (see Căluşari for the Romanian men's folk dance) (Grigore Leşe)
• classical and contemporary music (George Enescu, Gheorghe Zamfir, Constantin Silvestri, Iannis Xenakis)
• literature (Mihai Eminescu, Mihai Sadoveanu, Ion Creanga, Ion Luca Caragiale, Eugène Ionesco, Mircea Eliade and Tristan Tzara)
• painting (Nicolae Tonitza, Nicolae Grigorescu, Camil Ressu)
• sculpture (Constantin Brancusi)
• cinematography (Sergiu Nicolaescu)
• architecture (starting with Dacian fortresses, Middle-Ages Monasteries, Medieval castles like Castelul Huniazilor or Dracula's Bran Castle, early modern buildings, Palatul Parlamentului)
• sport (Oina, Nadia Comaneci, Simona Amânar, Gheorghe Hagi, tennis, results from the Olympics)
• a little bit about science (Traian Vuia, Henri Coanda, Hermann Oberth, Aurel Persu, Nicolae Paulescu)

See also

• Romanian language
• Romanian literature
• Music of Romania
• Famous Romanian people
• Romanian cuisine