''Amicii URSS'' (
Romanian for "
heFriends of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
"; , occasionally known as ''Prietenii URSS'' (), which carries the same meaning) was a cultural association in
interwar
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, uniting
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
and
anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
intellectual
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...
s who advocated a ''
détente
''Détente'' ( , ; for, fr, , relaxation, paren=left, ) is the relaxation of strained relations, especially political ones, through verbal communication. The diplomacy term originates from around 1912, when France and Germany tried unsucces ...
'' between their country and
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's Soviet Union (at a time when
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
, which included
Bessarabia
Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
and all of
Bukovina
Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
, was engaged in a diplomatic conflict with the Soviets). Created in the spring of 1934 by
Petre Constantinescu-Iași, an activist of the previously outlawed
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ; PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave an ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that would replace the social system ...
(PCR or PCdR), the society took its inspiration from the
French ''
Amis de l'URSS'' and from the
worldwide network (led by
Henri Barbusse
Henri Barbusse (; 17 May 1873 – 30 August 1935) was a French novelist, short story writer, journalist, poet and political activist. He began his literary career in the 1890s as a Symbolist poet and continued as a neo-Naturalist novelist; i ...
and
Clara Zetkin). Actively encouraged and financed by the
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internatio ...
(under the provisions of the ''
Popular Front'' doctrine), ''Amicii URSS'' was viewed with suspicion by authorities — never officially registered, it was eventually banned on the orders of
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Gheorghe Tătărescu on November 25, 1934. It ceased its activity after that point, but constituted a precedent for the ''
Romanian Society for Friendship with the Soviet Union'' (ARLUS).
The grouping included several early or future PCR activists. Aside from Constantinescu-Iași and the co-founders
Ion Niculi and
Iorgu Iordan
Iorgu Iordan (; also known as ''Jorgu Jordan'' or ''Iorgu Jordan''; – September 20, 1986) was a Romanian linguist, philologist, diplomat, journalist, and left-wing agrarian, later communist, politician. The author of works on a large variety o ...
, these were:
Scarlat Callimachi,
N. D. Cocea
N. D. Cocea (common rendition of Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, , also known as Niculae, Niculici or Nicu Cocea; November 29, 1880 – February 1, 1949) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, critic and left-wing political activist, known as a major but c ...
,
Alexandru Sahia,
Stephan Roll,
Mihai Beniuc,
Petre Pandrea,
Teodor Bugnariu, and
Mihai Popilian. Its other members were
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
sympathizers, or people with no clear political views; among others, these were:
Mac Constantinescu,
Demostene Botez,
Haig Acterian,
Ioan Hudiță
Ioan Hudiță (August 1, 1896 – March 21, 1982) was a Romanian historian and politician.
Born in Bogdănești, Baia County, he attended gymnasium at Fălticeni (1907–1911) and high school in Iași (1911–1914). He then entered Iași Unive ...
,
Zaharia Stancu,
Marcel Janco
Marcel Janco (, ; common rendition of the Romanian language, Romanian name Marcel Hermann Iancu ; 24 May 1895 – 21 April 1984) was a Romanian and Israeli visual artist, architect and art theorist. He was the co-inventor of Dadaism and a leading ...
,
Șerban Cioculescu,
F. Brunea-Fox,
Sergiu Dan
Sergiu Dan (; born Isidor Rotman or Rottman; December 29, 1903 – March 13, 1976) was a Romanian novelist, journalist, Holocaust survivor and political prisoner of the communist regime. Dan, the friend and collaborator of Romulus Dianu, was n ...
,
Radu Cernătescu,
Octav Doicescu,
Constantin MotaÈ™, and
Sandu Eliad.
Creation and goals
Although a PCR section was represented at international meetings of Friends of the Soviet Union as early as 1930,
[Mihailov] the initiative to create a Romanian branch was delayed until four years after — a period during which an appeal launched by the delegation won approval in several locations throughout the country.
The first meeting took place in
Chișinău
Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...
, in the private residence of Constantinescu-Iași (1932). Local circles of supporters were also set up in cities such as
Iași
Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
,
Cluj
Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
, and the capital
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
.
The latter was also the home of another nucleus, the home of sculptor
Mac Constantinescu (in the area near the present-day
Sala Palatului), where correspondence and affiliations were being received.
After its creation, ''Amicii URSS'' issued a statement of purpose, publicized on July 28 as an appeal and known as ''Către toți muncitorii, țăranii, intelectualii de la orașe și sate'' ("To All Workers, Peasants, Intellectuals in Towns and Villages").
It called for an increased awareness of Soviet life, and planned to organize exhibitions, conferences, and sport events, as well as editing a magazine (which was to bear the same name as the association). Special points were made about publishing translations of
Russian literature
Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia, its Russian diaspora, émigrés, and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. Major contributors to Russian literature, as well as English for instance, are authors of different e ...
and about showcasing
Soviet cinema and theater.
In 1932-1933, the PCR had ensured the creation of other outlets (focusing on rallying support in other areas of Romanian society); these were ''Comitetul Național Antirăzboinic'' (the National Anti-War Committee), ''Liga Muncii'' (the Labor League), and ''
Comitetul Național Antifascist'' (the National Anti-Fascist Committee).
Repression
While tipped off about the PCR-''Amicii'' connection from before the society's creation (probably as early as 1932) and familiar with Constantinescu-Iași's dissemination of
agitprop
Agitprop (; from , portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', "propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in the Soviet Union where it referred to popular media, such as literatu ...
material,
Siguranța
''Siguranța'' was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety () ...
(the country's
secret police
image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression.
Secre ...
) failed to intervene immediately. According to historian
Adrian Cioroianu, this was largely due to the tendency of tolerating the more discreet, if clandestine, manifestations of support for the Soviet cause, especially in
Bessarabia
Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
(where Constantinescu-Iași was active). It was also at this time that the establishment itself sought a compromise with the Soviet state, largely due to the efforts of
Foreign Affairs Minister Nicolae Titulescu (1934 was the year when diplomatic relations between the two countries were agreed upon).
In short time, however, the notoriety of the organization and its tight connections with an illegal movement enlisted a response from Romania's leadership.
In September,
National Liberal cabinet of
Gheorghe Tătărescu, acting through
Minister of the Interior
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
Ion InculeÈ›, refused to allow the ''Amicii URSS'' magazine to be published (either at the original location in Bucharest or in the more isolated one it found in
Pitești
Pitești () is a city in Romania, located on the river Argeș (river), Argeș. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated in th ...
).
Constantinescu-Iași and
Alexandru Sahia decided to visit
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
on the occasion of the
October Revolution
The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
17th Anniversary, thus testing Romanian legislation that made crossing the border into Soviet territory illegal.
[Diac] The carefully organized action implied the creation of two distinct groups, headed by Constantinescu-Iași and Sahia respectively; the former, supposed to cross the
Dniester
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
, never actually left the country, while Sahia's, passing through
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, took part in festivities at the
Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...
.
[Cioroianu, p.117; Diac]
Pressures increased, with the Tribunal of
Ilfov County
Ilfov () is the Counties of Romania, county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, whi ...
refusing to allow the group's registration,
[Cioroianu, p.117] and with several employees of universities, such as
Mihai Beniuc and
Teodor Bugnariu, receiving semi-official criticism for their ''Amicii'' membership.
The Siguranța began routine
searches at the organization headquarters, and eventually arrested Constantinescu-Iași on November 25.
King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Carol II
Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...
also reacted against clandestine PCR activities, and drafted a Decree banning 31 political associations suspected of
sedition
Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
, including ''Amicii URSS'', ''Comitetul Național Antirăzboinic'', ''Comitetul Național Antifascist'', and ''Liga Muncii''.
Legacy
Without noticeable echo inside Romania, the crackdown became a cause for large protest rallies in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(organized by the ''
Amis de l'URSS'', with the noted participation of
Fernand Grenier and
André Malraux
Georges André Malraux ( ; ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (''Man's Fate'') (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed ...
,
[Cioroianu, p.118] as well as
Victor Basch) and a formal protest of
Czechoslovakian intellectuals (it was signed, among others, by
Karel ÄŒapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright, critic and journalist. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum' ...
).
[Matichescu, p.25] In early 1935, a "Committee for the Defense of Romanian Anti-Fascists" was formed in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
under the leadership of
Henri Mineur, which monitored the situation of detained communists. Aside from this intervention, Romania became a target for the activities of the
International Red Aid.
Sahia's visit to Moscow was the inspiration for a
reportage
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
, ''URSS azi'' ("The USSR of Today"),
in which he praised
Stalinist
Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
policies at length.
He died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in 1937.
Soon after 1934, several of the grouping's former members came to reject communism. They included
Haig Acterian, who adopted fascist ideas and joined the Iron Guard, and
Mac Constantinescu, who was already active inside the ''
Criterion'' group, and who later became official artist for the
National Renaissance Front
The National Renaissance Front (, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romanian political party created by King Ca ...
corporatist regime.
Although the PCR did not resurrect ''Amicii URSS'' in its illegal structure,
it attempted to prolong its influence by creating a succession of organizations, all of which replicated its goals; the first of these, known as ''Societatea pentru întreținerea raporturilor culturale dintre România și Uniunea Sovietică'' (the Society for Maintaining Cultural Links between Romania and the Soviet Union), was created on May 22, 1935, and notably drew support from the musician
George Enescu
George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanians, Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher and statesman. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history.
Biography
En ...
and linguist
Alexandru Rosetti. Alongside these and various former members of ''Amicii URSS'', signers of its founding document included, among others, the lawyer
Radu R. Rosetti, the academics
Eugen Heroveanu and
Traian Săvulescu, the visual artists
Nicolae Tonitza
Nicolae Tonitza (; April 13, 1886 – February 27, 1940) was a Romanian painter, Engraving, engraver, Lithography, lithographer, journalist and art critic. Drawing inspiration from Post-Impressionism and Expressionism, he had a major role in ...
and
Jean Nițescu, the writers
Victor Eftimiu and
Radu Boureanu, the composers
Matei Socor and
Constantin Silvestri, the operatic artists
Ionel Perlea and
Jean Athanasiu, the architect
Octav Doicescu, the theater director
Soare Z. Soare, the actors
Tony Bulandra,
Gheorghe Timică and
Ion Iancovescu, as well as the musical critics
Emanoil Ciomac and
Traian Șelmaru. The new organization was based in Bucharest, on Dr. Victor Poloni Street.
[Ioniță, p.61]
Among its main purposes was popularizing
Soviet cinema, which it showcased in the Marconi and Trianon film theaters.
[Ioniță, p.61-62] During one of the shows in February 1936, the Communist Party reportedly dropped leaflets with
agitprop
Agitprop (; from , portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', "propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in the Soviet Union where it referred to popular media, such as literatu ...
messages.
In anniversaries of the October Revolution from 1935 to 1936, the Society attempted to send representatives to the Soviet Union — notably, the 1937 project Communist activist
Constantin David and workers for the
Romanian Railways in
Grivița
Grivița () is a district of Bucharest, Romania, centered on the Grivița Railway Yards (''Atelierele CFR Grivița''), which were and still are an important landmark within the manufacturing landscape of the city. Located near Gara de Nord, the ...
.
[Ioniță, p.62] Several organized groups did leave Romania on other occasions (on
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's March equinox, spring equinox and midsummer June solstice, solstice. Festivities ma ...
1936 and later in the same year).
''Societatea pentru întreținerea raporturilor culturale'' was outlawed in February 1938.
During the early stages of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, when government in Romania was taken over by the
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
fascist
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
and pro-
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
movement (''see
National Legionary State
The National Legionary State () was a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Fascism, fascist regime which governed Kingdom of Romania, Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led ...
''), PCR leaders
Teohari Georgescu and
Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu
Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu (; 4 November 1900 – 17 April 1954) was a Romanian communist politician and leading member of the Communist Party of Romania (PCR), also noted for his activities as a lawyer, sociologist and economist. For a while, he ...
worked together to reactivate the society, profiting from friendly relations between the new authorities and the Soviet Union;
[Betea] their attempt came to an abrupt end in 1941, when
Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...
's triumph against the Guard provoked a collateral move against communist activists (''see
Legionnaires' Rebellion and Bucharest Pogrom'').
Notes
References
* Lavinia Betea
"Ambiția de a intra în istorie" ("The Ambition of Entering History") in ''
Magazin Istoric
''Magazin Istoric'' () is a Romanian monthly magazine.
Overview
''Magazin Istoric'' was started in 1967. The first issue appeared in April 1967. The headquarters is in Bucharest. The monthly magazine contains articles and pictures about Romanian ...
'', January 1999
*Ovidiu Bozgan, "" ("University Trajectories: from Interwar Left to Communism", in
Lucian Boia, ed., ' ("The Myths of Romanian Communism"),
Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 1998, p.309-335
*
Adrian Cioroianu, ',
Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005;
Fragment on ''Amicii URSS'' and ARLUS, published by LiterNet, available online* Cristina Diac
in ''
Jurnalul Naţional'', January 19, 2005
*Gh. I. Ioniță, "«Un succes al spiritului de solidaritate»" ("«A Success for the Spirit of Solidarity»"), in ''Magazin Istoric'', October 1972
*Olimpiu Matichescu, "" ("1934-1936. Standing by Romanian Communists and Antifascists"), in ''Magazin Istoric'', March 1971
* Paula Mihailov
"Prietenii din România ai Rusiei Sovietice" ("Soviet Russia's Friends in Romania") in ''Jurnalul Național''
*
Z. Ornea, ' ("The 1930s: The Romanian Far Right"),
Editura Fundației Culturale Române, Bucharest, 1995
{{Authority control
1934 establishments in Romania
Comintern
Political organizations based in Romania
Romanian Communist Party
Soviet Union friendship associations
Romania–Soviet Union relations
Greater Romania