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Stephan the Great Romanian national hero

STEPHAN THE GREAT

Stefan the Great was king for almost half a century in Moldova (1457-1504) during which the country has seen a unprecedented prosperity and was respected by all major powers surrounding Hungary, Poland and the Ottoman Empire.

During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, which all sought to subdue the land. Stephen achieved fame in Europe for his long resistance against the Ottomans. He was victorious in 46 of his 48 battles, and was one of the first to gain a decisive victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vaslui, after which Pope Sixtus IV deemed him verus christianae fidei athleta (true Champion of Christian Faith). He was a man of religion and displayed his piety when he paid the debt of Mount Athos to the Porte, ensuring the continuity of Athos as an autonomous monastical community.

Coat of arms of Stephen the Great

Canonization

At the end of the 20th century, the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to canonize Stephen. The canonization was enacted on June 20, 1992 by the Synodic Council of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Stephen is called "Saint Voivode Stephen the Great". His feast day in the Romanian Orthodox calendar is July 2, the day of his death.

Voivode - which historians describe him as a man not very tall, blonde hair, with a sighted and a strong will - was a brave and determined warrior, a skilled leader of armies, but a faithful man who built many churches and monasteries in Moldova and remained in the memory of the Romanians as "Stefan the Great and Saint”.

In his time, Moldova has known the largest extending from the Carpathians and the Black Sea River.

Suceava was the capital city, which the prince reinforced with of strong stone walls to resist any attack.

Mănăstirea PUTNAThe first and most important foundation of Prince Stephen the Great.

Putna Monastery hosts tomb of Prince Stephen the Great.

Church Pătrăuţi Suceava

Church Milişăuţi SuceavaIt was destroyed during the First World War

Monastery Voroneţ – jud. Suceava

It is famous for exterior painting.

Church „Tăierea Capului Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul”, Vaslui

Church „Sfântul Nicolae“ Iaşi

Church „Sfântul Gheorghe”,

Iaşi

Church „Adormirea Maicii Domnului”,

Borzeşti

Church „Sfinţii Apostoli Petru şi Pavel”, Huşi, Iaşi

Church „Sfântul Nicolae”, Dorohoi, Botoşani

Church „Sfântul Nicolae”, Popăuţi Botoşani Church „Sfântul Arhanghel

Mihail”, Războieni, Neamţ

Church „Naşterea Maicii Domnului”, Tazlău, Neamţ

Monastery Neamţ

Church „Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul”,

Piatra Neamţ

Monastery Bistriţa

Neamţ

Church „Înălţarea Sfintei Cruci”, Volovăţ, Suceava

Monastery Dobrovăţ, Iasi

Church „Tăierea Capului Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul”, Reuseni, Suceava

FortressesSitting, ”in the way of evils, "as the chronicler says, inhabited cities and reinforced by Stephen the Great was never conquered. Most important is the fortress of Suceava Moldova. Raised on a hilltop, with deep trenches of defense stuffed with water, was the pride of Moldova and its most famous leader: Stefan cel Mare.

Fortress Suceava

Fortress Albă

Fortress ChiliaSituated on the arm of the Danube, Chilia, Fortress of Stephen, whose marks are visible today, have a wall with four towers at the corners, some square, others round and was surrounded by a ditch.

Fortress NeamţLikened to an eagle nest Moldovan, Neamt fortress was rebuilt by Stephen the Great in sec. XV. Although fortress sieges, it could never be conquered by fighting fair.

Fortress Orhei

S tephen the Great , raise the left Siret stone fortress is preserved not only some ruins of walls, on the riverbed. She played an important role in the defense of.

RomanFortress Nouă

Located on the Nistru river, the fortress was built in the early fifteenth century, the order of Alexander the Good. Prince Stefan strengthens and an amplified several times and swore to remain at the border guard.

Fortress Hotin

Fortress SorocaIt is a Moldovan fortress of the fifteenth century, founded by Stephen the Great, the site of an ancient Genoese fortress, Alciona.

All these were built during the reign of Stephen the Great. He built 44 churches and monasteries, one for each battle that he won.They are evidence of a troubled era in the history of our country.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.