33 Facts About Vasile Cijevschi

Vasile Gheorghe Cijevschi was a Bessarabian and Romanian politician, administrator and writer.

Vasile Cijevschi was wounded and shielded from active duty, but returned with the start of World War I, managing to survive the Battle of Tannenberg.

Later in 1917, Cijevschi was active within the ethnic Romanian political movement, being increasingly supportive of Romanian nationalism as espoused by the National Moldavian Party; as president of the Soldiers' Congress, he mapped out a plan for Bessarabia's emancipation, and fought against the influence of leftist factions, Esers and Bolsheviks alike.

Vasile Cijevschi then drifted away from the mainstream nationalist platform, establishing his own National-Democratic Party, and then affiliating with Vladimir Herta's short-lived Romanian League.

Vasile Cijevschi's critics were alarmed by what they saw as "anti-Romanian" activities, and circulated allegations that he was cultivating known communists.

Vasile Cijevschi was a native of Zaim village, Bender County, at the geographical center of Bessarabia Governorate.

Young Vasile Cijevschi was initially destined for a career in the Orthodox clergy, and enlisted at the Bessarabian Theological Seminary.

Vasile Cijevschi befriended Ion Pelivan, the emerging leader of Bessarabian Romanians; in June 1898, they heard songs by the "great patriot and true spiritual parent", Dionisie Erhan, at the monastery of Suruceni.

Vasile Cijevschi never graduated, preferring to enlist in the Cadet Corps.

Vasile Cijevschi was involved in the Russo-Japanese War, when he received academic training in Oriental studies and prepared for a career in Russian diplomacy.

Vasile Cijevschi was again called to arms upon the outbreak of World War I in mid 1914, the year which marked his graduation as a philologist from Saint Petersburg State University.

Vasile Cijevschi was allowed to regain civilian life in Bessarabia, settling in Khishinev as an employee of the local Zemstvo.

Vasile Cijevschi turned to politics during the February Revolution of 1917, originally as a member of the Party of State Order.

Vasile Cijevschi's turn to Romanian nationalism was observed by fellow activist Grigore Cazacliu, whom Vasile Cijevschi visited in Iasi, on the Romanian Front, at some point in mid 1917.

Vasile Cijevschi was elected President of that Congress, with Stefan Holban serving as his secretary.

Vasile Cijevschi issued orders for applying the ethnic criterion in education, setting aside funds for the "nationalization" of Bessarabian schools, and reprimanding the authorities of Akerman County for resisting this trend.

Vasile Cijevschi reportedly obtained an audience with King Ferdinand I in Iasi, presenting him a message on behalf of the Directorate.

Vasile Cijevschi soon became involved in debates with ethnic minority delegates over the adoption of Romanian as the Republic's official language.

Vasile Cijevschi was himself enthusiastic about that bargain, and "held a long and fiery speech in Romanian", pleading with his colleagues that Bessarabia now had an "extraordinary historic opportunity" of twinning national emancipation with social justice.

Vasile Cijevschi was the one to read the act of union in its Russian translation.

However, in May 1921, Cijevschi organized commemorations for the prime minister's father, Ion C Bratianu, recognized a founder of Romanian liberalism; the initiative committee comprised various other intellectuals, including Herta, Paul Gore, Daniel Ciugureanu, Stefan Ciobanu, Ludovic Daus, and Gherman Pantea.

Vasile Cijevschi's activity was primarily focused on the Art Academy, which he helped refurbish.

Physician I Duscian made similar claims in Universul paper, adding allegations that Cijevschi was forcing inmates of public orphanages to only speak Russian.

In October 1923, activist Ion Negoiescu alleged that Vasile Cijevschi had become a political client of the Romanian National Party, which was relying on him to build a regional chapter.

Vasile Cijevschi had asked for Sanielevici to be tried as a libeler, but his request was denied by the local prosecutor; according to Adevarul, this was the government's way of suggesting that Sanielevici was right about Vasile Cijevschi.

In October 1924, Inculet, as the titular Minister for Bessarabia, lifted a temporary ban on the Russian-language newspapers by allowing Vasile Cijevschi to put out the daily Bessarabskaya Mysl.

Vasile Cijevschi was editor of the newspaper Nasha Mysl, but, according to claims aired by Universul, its actual managers were two prominent figures of the National Liberal caucus in Chisinau: Erhan and Vitalie Zubac.

Vasile Cijevschi had by then established another tribune, Bessarabskaya Zhizn, and was involved as head editor of two other publications: Gazeta-Lei and Ghibu's Romania Noua.

On February 27,1929, Vasile Cijevschi was interviewed by Alexandru Terziman for Dimineata daily, criticizing the National Liberal authorities for still maintaining the state of siege.

Vasile Cijevschi assessed that there was no real threat of a communist insurgency, since the region's core population were "Moldavian peasants, gentle and hard-working"; in his view, the Romanian public was wrong to demand a ban on Chisinau's Russian-language press, noting that local Russian newspaper were generally anti-communist.

Vasile Cijevschi warned that social turmoil could result from a prolonged administrative abuse, and demanded for a "good an honest administration", with power devolved to a regional government.

Around then, Vasile Cijevschi was editorial secretary of Bessarabskoye Slovo, a Russian-language daily put out by Ciugureanu.

Vasile Cijevschi was posthumously honored at the 20th anniversary of Bessarabian autonomy in 1937.