Ion Inculeț (; 5 April 1884 – 18 November 1940) was a

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 ...

n and

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 ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, the President of the Country Council of the

Moldavian Democratic Republic The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; , ), also known as the Moldavian Republic or Moldavian People's Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the ''Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–November 1917 foll ...

, Minister of the Interior of Romania, full member (since 1918) of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

Biography

Ion Inculeț was born on 5 April 1884 in Răzeni village, which became later the inter-war Lăpușna County, in the family of Constantin and Maria Inculeț.

Education

He graduated from the primary school in his native village, and in 1894 he was admitted to the Theological School in Chișinău, subordinated to the Theological Seminary, which he graduated with very good grades, obtained the right to be enrolled in the Seminary. He studied in the same year with the future deputies and state dignitaries Vasile Bârcă and

Pantelimon Erhan Pantelimon Erhan (1884 – April/May 1971) was a Bessarabian politician and prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–1918). Biography Pantelimon Erhan was born in 1884 in Tănătari, Căușeni District. He died in April or ...

. He was interested to study in a college of exact sciences and was enrolled at the faculty of physics and mathematics of Dorpat University (

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

), but after a year of studies he transferred to the

Saint Petersburg Imperial University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public university, public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the uni ...

, the faculty of physics and mathematics, which he graduated with a 1st degree diploma. He had a recommendation for postgraduate studies. During the student years in Petersburg, at his own initiative, the association of Bessarabian students from Petersburg was established.

Career

After graduating from the university he competed successfully as a private

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

and worked at several private schools in Petersburg, teaching physics, mathematics and astronomy.Antonina Inculeț, Emanuel Bădescu,
1918. Ion Inculeț la Academia Română
", ''

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 ...

'', no.11/2000 In 1917 he was an MP in the Petrograd Soviet from the

Socialist Revolutionary Party The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR; ,, ) was a major socialist political party in the late Russian Empire, during both phases of the Russian Revolution, and in early Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Russia. The party memb ...

. After getting his PhD in 1915, Inculeț worked as a physicist at the Meteorological Observatory, while at the same time, he wrote for the ''Basarabia'' newspaper of

Constantin Stere Constantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea (Romanian language, Romanian; , ''Konstantin Yegorovich Stere'' or Константин Георгиевич Стере, ''Konstantin Georgiyevich Stere''; also known under his pen name ''Șărcăleanu''; ...

. In April 1917 he returned to Bessarabia, as emissary of the President of the

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

Alexander Kerensky Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky ( – 11 June 1970) was a Russian lawyer and revolutionary who led the Russian Provisional Government and the short-lived Russian Republic for three months from late July to early November 1917 ( N.S.). After th ...

, in front of a group of 40 Bessarabians, students and teachers from Petrograd, in order to deepen the conquests of the

February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...

. He was elected to the first parliament of Bessarabia, "The Council of the Country", together with other Bessarabians from Petrograd, from the side of the peasants’ MPs. Initially, Inculeț's political conception was one of political transformation within a democratic and renewed Russia. However, after the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd through the October putch, Inculeț evolved into an alliance with Romania.

President of the Moldovan Parliament

Sfatul Țării ''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council of political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in Russian Empire, Tsarist Russia. This became a legislative body which e ...

, a representative body was formed on 21 November 1917, and Inculeț was chosen in unanimity its president. The first session of

was held on , and chose Ion Inculeț as its president.

Gherman Pântea Gherman Vasile Pântea (; surname also spelled Pîntea; ; ; May 13, 1894 – February 1, 1968) was a Bessarabian-born soldier, civil servant and political figure, active in the Russian Empire and Romania. As an officer of the Imperial Russian Army ...

, the former minister in the Government of the Democratic Republic, and future mayor of Odessa characterized the Inculeț's activity as follows: ''"On 21 November 1917 the Country Council was opened, a body that would speak on behalf of Bessarabia and decided its fate. Ion Inculeț was elected president of this parliament unanimously. He met all the qualities to be given this honor: he was calm, skillful, reassuring, and especially extremely patient. (...) Mr. Inculeț in all the circumstances has proved a perfect calm and cold blood. No hasty decisions, no reckless step. The big day was approaching - the day of the Union - but Inculeț was thinking of the peasant's fate. He often said, "If the God would help us with the unification and with the radical agrarian reform, that would mean, to give land to the peasants, I would be the happiest man.""''

President of Moldavian Democratic Republic

On , Sfatul Țării proclaimed the

, with Inculeț as president. Ion Nistor, p.282

Union of Bessarabia with Romania

On 6 January 1918 the Bolsheviks took over the attempt to take over the Power in Chișinău and Ion Inculeț and

send a telegram to Iasi requesting that the

Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces. The Romanian Land Forc ...

be withdrawn from Bessarabia. He was accused by the Moldovan Bloc, together with Pantelimon Erhan and Gherman Pântea, of a pro-Russian attitude, the latter two resigned. On 24 January the Country Council proclaimed the independence of Bessarabia with the majority of votes against Russia, and on , the majority proclaimed the unification with Romania, given that

rumcherod Rumcherod () was a short-lived organ of Soviet power in the South-Western part of Russian Empire that functioned during May 1917–May 1918. The name stands as the Russian language abbreviation for its full name Central Executive Committee of ...

and other minority factions urged the parliament to insist on keeping the relations with Russia.

After the Union

After the Union, Ion Inculeț was minister of Bessarabia, minister of public health, minister of interior, minister of communications and the vice-president of the Council of Ministers in the Government of Romania, led by Gheorghe Tătărescu (1933-1937). In 1940, with reference to the fate of Bessarabia and the Union held 1918, he said: ''"Bessarabia was forced out of the body of Moldova, with the violation of any right and of any justice, in 1812. The autonomy promised to annexation, with the preservation of the Romanian language in all districts, was rather withdrawn. Bessarabia being slowly transformed into a simple Russian county (gubernya). For one hundred years, the persecution of Czarist Russia lasted - one hundred years of the resistance of this wonderful Moldovan people between Prut and Dniester for keeping the language, for the preservation of the national being. Never during this age has the sacred fire of national consciousness been extinguished. And once the circumstances became favorable, this fire turned into a flame, which consumed as much as possible from the obstacles that were put in the way of the Union with all Romanians."'' On , Ioan Simionescu proposed Inculeț to be a member of the Romanian Academy and he was elected as a full member on the meeting which took place the following day. His inaugural speech was named "Space and time in new scientific light" and it talked about the importance of Einstein's 1916

Theory of Relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...

. Together with Pan Halippa, Inculeț founded the Bessarabian Peasants' Party, which militated for

land reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...

in Bessarabia. In 1923, his wing of the party joined the National Liberal Party.

Personal life

He was married to Princess Roxana Cantacuzino. His children from this marriage were Ion I. Inculeț, ''Doctor Honoris Causa'' of the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

(

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

consultant, Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, director of the Center of Applied Electrostatics of the University of Western Ontario, and his brother, George I. Inculeț.Valeriu Pelivan, În: Constantin Mardare, „Ion Inculeț”. în Vatra veșniciei - Răzeni : Carte de familie de neam Răzenean (1484-2003) (Constantin Mardare concepție, selecție, scenariu). Editura Baștina-RADOG, Chișinău, 2003, , pp. 68-98 Inculeț died from a heart attack on 18 November 1940 and was buried at the

Bellu Cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...

in Bucharest. At the funeral, a speech was given by Vasile Bârcă, who said: ''"What characterizes Ion Inculeț’s life and work is his endless modesty and gentleness, his thorough preparation, accompanied by the tact and calm that characterizes him, above all, his warm love of the people, the country, and Bessarabia. of his native, whom he loved with all the powers of his mind and soul."'' The remains of Inculeț and his wife were moved to

Bârnova Bârnova is a commune in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania, part of the Iași Metropolitan Area. It is composed of six villages: Bârnova, Cercu, Păun, Pietrăria, Todirel, and Vișan. The commune is located in the southern part of the c ...

on 7 June 1942. Their tombs are inside the Bârnova Saint John the Baptist Church (built 1942–47), located on the outskirts of

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 ...

Gallery

Image:Conacul lui Ion Inculeţ din Bârnova8.jpg, The house of Ion Inculeț in

Image:Conacul lui Ion Inculeţ din Bârnova15.jpg, The statue of Ion Inculeț in

Image:Biserica Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul din Bârnova2.jpg, The tomb of Ion Inculeț inside the

church

Publications

* ''Popular works on physics’ and astronomy'' in the magazine ''Scientific Review'', Sankt-Petersburg (1911-1916); * ''Space and time in the new scientific light'' (Bucharest, 1920); * ''Ma première rencontre avec Saint Aulaire'' (1930) – in French language; * ''U.R.S.S.'' (Bucharest, 1932); * ''An experienced revolution / Ion Inculeț''. omposed by Ruxandra Mihaila Chișinău: Universitas, 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inculet, Ion 1884 births 1940 deaths Romanian people of Moldovan descent People from Ialoveni District Saint Petersburg State University alumni Russian Constituent Assembly members Presidents of Moldova Presidents of the Moldovan Parliament People of the Russian Revolution Deputy prime ministers of Romania Ministers of communications of Romania Ministers of public works of Romania Ministers of health of Romania Ministers of interior of Romania 20th-century Romanian scientists Romanian socialists Titular members of the Romanian Academy Bessarabian Peasants' Party politicians National Liberal Party (Romania) politicians Socialist Revolutionary Party politicians Burials at Bellu Cemetery Moldovan physicists Moldovan MPs 1917–1918 Ministers for Bessarabia