Răzvan Theodorescu
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Emil Răzvan Theodorescu (22 May 1939 – 6 February 2023) was a Romanian historian and politician. He researched and wrote extensively on art history in particular. A member of the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...
(PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Senate for
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from 2000 to 2004, and for
Botoșani County Botoșani County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia (encompassing a few villages in neighbouring Suceava County from Bukovina to the west as well), with the county seat at Botoșani. Demographics As of 1st of December 20 ...
from 2004 to 2008. In the
Adrian Năstase Adrian Năstase (; born 22 June 1950) is a Romanian jurist, academic/professor, blogger, and former politician who served as the prime minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004. He competed in the 2004 Romanian presidential elect ...
cabinet, he was Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs from 2000 to 2004.


Biography

Theodorescu was born in
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 ...
into a family of intellectuals. Review of ''Arta Istoriei. Istoria Artei'' in'' Studii de Știință și Cultură'', issue: 14 / 2008, p.80-82 After completing secondary studies at the Cantemir Vodă High School, he studied History at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
from 1955 to 1963. Between 1959 and 1961 he was excluded from the university by the communist authorities for political reasons and worked as an unskilled labourer in this period. A
cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
and
art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...
, he studied on a scholarship in France in 1968 and received a doctorate in history from the University of Bucharest in 1972. From 1963 to 1987, he was a researcher at 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 ...
's Institute of Art History, serving as adjunct research director from 1972 to 1977. He was removed from his leadership position after protesting against the demolition of the Enei Church in 1977, and in 1984-1985, initiated a collective protest against the demolition of the Văcărești Monastery. From 1987 to 1990 he was an associated professor at the
Bucharest National University of Arts The National University of Arts in Bucharest () is a university in Bucharest preparing students in fine arts. The National University of Arts is a higher education institution in Bucharest. History The National School of Fine Arts was founded ...
, where he became a professor in 1990, teaching courses on the history of old Romanian art, the typology of Eastern Christian art and on the history of European civilisation. He held additional posts in his field, including within
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
.Curriculum vitae
at the PSD Sector 1 site
After the 1989 Revolution, Theodorescu headed the
Romanian Television Televiziunea Română (), more commonly referred to as TVR , is the short name for Societatea Română de Televiziune ("Romanian Television Society"; SRTV), the Romanian public television. It operates nine channels: TVR 1, TVR 2, TVR 3, TV ...
from 1990 to 1992 and was a member of the National Audiovisual Council from 1992 to 2000. The 2000 election brought the PSD into office and Theodorescu became senator and a cabinet minister. He was returned to the Senate at the 2004 election, which his party lost, and sat in opposition. He ran for a Bucharest seat at the 2008 election, but lost. Before his election in 2000 and the return of his friend
Ion Iliescu Ion Iliescu (; born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as the second president of Romania from 1989 until 1996 and from 2000 until 2004. Between 1996 and 2000 and also from 2004 to 2008, the year in which he retired, ...
as
President of Romania The president of Romania () is the head of state of Romania. The president is directly elected by a two-round system, and, following a modification to the Romanian Constitution in 2003, serves for five years. An individual may serve two ter ...
, Theodorescu was a strong critic of the centre-right governments under
Emil Constantinescu Emil Constantinescu (; born 19 November 1939) is a Romanian professor and politician, who served as the President of Romania, from 1996 to 2000. After the Romanian Revolution, Romanian Revolution of 1989, Constantinescu became a founding member ...
, at one point labelling the Radu Vasile cabinet "
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 ...
,
Stakhanovite The Stakhanovite movement was a Mass movement (politics), mass cultural movement for Workforce, workers established by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Communist Party in the 1930s Soviet Union. Its promoters encouraged Rationalization (e ...
, totalitarian". Once in office, he pledged to continue his predecessors' "very interesting" projects, with an increased emphasis on Romania's then-upcoming European Union accession. In the religious affairs field, he continued to attempt advances on the issue of property retrocession from the
Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...
to the Greek-Catholic Church (which had been shut down in 1948 and had its possessions transferred to the Orthodox Church), and supported building the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral in
Carol Park Carol I Park () is a public park in Bucharest, Romania, named after King Carol I of Romania. A French garden located in the southern-central area of Bucharest, partly on Filaret Hill, originally capable of hosting various exhibitions, it suffer ...
. He also, in a step that was not without controversy at the time, admitted Romania's participation in the
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
, declaring that Romania has a responsibility toward those killed and their families, to acknowledge what happened, and to protect historic Jewish properties and cemeteries. In 1993, Theodorescu became a correspondent member 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 ...
, rising to titular member in 2000. He was its vice president from 1997. In 1990 he became a correspondent member of the Archaeological Society of Athens, and since 1998 belonged to the
New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), originally founded as the Lyceum of Natural History in January 1817, is a nonprofit professional society based in New York City, with more than 20,000 members from 100 countries. It is the fourth-oldes ...
. He received the ''chevalier'' (1997) and ''commandeur'' (2003) of the
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
, and from 2000 was a grand officer of the Romanian National Order for Merit. He received a number of other academic distinctions and memberships, as well as prizes and decorations, both at home and abroad. Theodorescu was unmarried and had two children;Emil Răzvan Theodorescu
his son Ion was found dead of a
snakebite A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may ...
while vacationing in Corbeni,
Argeș County Argeș County () is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in Muntenia, with the county seat at Pitești. Demographics At the 2021 Romanian census, 2021 census, the county had a population of 569,932 and the population density was . At the 2011 Ro ...
, in 2016. Petre Dobrescu
“Fiul lui Răzvan Theodorescu a murit intoxicat cu venin de șarpe”
''Libertatea'', 11 October 2016
Răzvan Theodorescu, aged 83, died in 2023 at Bucharest’s Floreasca Hospital. Iulia Marin
“Răzvan Theodorescu a murit. Fostul ministru al culturii avea 83 de ani”
''Libertatea'', 6 February 2023


Bibliography

Theodorescu wrote over 600 journal articles and over 25 books on history and art, both Romanian and European. Among his books are: *''Mănăstirea Dragomirna'' (1965) *''Mănăstirea Bistriţa'' (1966) *''Biserica Stavropoleos'' (1967) *''Bizanţ, Balcani, Occident la începuturile culturii medievale româneşti – secolele X-XIV'', Ed. Academiei, Bucharest 1974 *''Un mileniu de artă la Dunărea de Jos (400-1400)'', Ed. Meridiane, Bucharest, 1976 *''Itinerarii medievale'', Ed. Meridiane, Bucharest, 1979 *''Piatra Trei Ierarhilor'', Ed. Meridiane, Bucharest, 1979 *''Istoria văzută de aproape'', Ed. Sport-Turism, Bucharest, 1980 *''Civilizaţia românilor între medieval şi modern. Orizontul imaginii (1550-1800)'', I-II, Ed. Meridiane, Bucharest, 1992 ; 2nd ed., Princeps Edit, Iaşi, 2006 *''Drumuri către ieri'', Ed. Fundaţiei Culturale Române, Bucharest, 1992 *''Cele 900 de zile ale “manipulării”'', Ed. Tinerama, Bucharest, 1993 *''La peinture murale moldave des 15-ème - 16-ème siècles'', Ed. UNESCO, Bucharest, 1995 *''Roumains et Balkaniques dans la civilisation sud-est européenne'', Ed. Enciclopedică, Bucharest, 1999 *''Picătura de istorie'', Ed. Fundaţiei Culturale Române, Bucharest, 1999 *''Constantin Brâncoveanu între „Casa Cărţi” şi „Ievropa”'', Ed, Rao, Bucharest, 2006 *''Europa noastră şi noi'', Ed. Capitel, Bucharest 2008


References


External links

*
Parliamentary profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorescu, Razvan 1939 births 2023 deaths 20th-century Romanian historians 21st-century Romanian historians Social Democratic Party (Romania) politicians Titular members of the Romanian Academy Members of the Senate of Romania Romanian art historians Romanian writers in French Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Ministers of culture of Romania Television executives Recipients of the National Order of Merit (Romania) Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Academic staff of the Bucharest National University of Arts Historians from Bucharest Politicians from Bucharest University of Bucharest alumni Herder Prize recipients Cantemir Vodă National College alumni