In September 2011, Dr S.A. Frantsouzoff was invited by Academia Romana to Bucharest and Transylvania to take part in the project Documents on the Relations between South Eastern Europe and the Antiochean Patriarch, Syria, during the 17th Century. His stay in the country consisted of two parts. First, during September 11 to 19, he worked at the Institute of South-East European Studies (Institutul de studi sud-est europene), Bucharest, and then took part in the International Symposium Le Livre. La Roumanie. L’Europe. Quatrième édition held in the city of Sinaia. In Bucharest, the Romanian Russian colloquium Relations entre les peuples orthodoxes de l’Europe orientale et les chrétiens arabes aux XVI-XVIII siècles was held and it was joined also by Dr Vera G. Chentsova, the Institute of Global History, Moscow, and Dr N.I. Serikov, Wellcome Library, London. Dr S. Frantsouzoff submitted his presentation Le patrimoine manuscrit de Paul d’Alep conservé à St. Pétersbourg. Perspectives of further joint projects were discussed with Răzvan Teodorescu, the member of the Romanian Academy of Sciences. Other presentations should be mentioned, too, such as those by Dr V. Chentsova, Les séjours russes de Macaire Ibn al-Za‘îm, Patriarche d’Antioche, d’après les documents conservés aux archives de Moscou, Dr N. Serikov, Patriarch Makarius III Ibn al-Za‘îm’s Knowledge of the Greek Language, Dr Ioana Feodorov, Le récit du voyage du Patriarche Macaire par Paul d’Alep: héritage et évolutions récentes du projet d’édition, Dr Andreea Dunaeva, L’arabisant russe Georges Abramovitch Mourqos, spécialiste de l’œuvre de Paul d’Alep, and Dr Carmen Crişan, Basile Radu et son édition du Récit du voyage du Patriarche Macaire Ibn al-Za‘îm.

Before the colloquium, Dr S. Frantsouzoff had a chance to work at the Library of Academia Romana where Arabic Christian mss are kept. The head of the Department of Manuscripts, Gavbriela Dumitrescu, told him about the catalogue of Arabic mss kept at the library that had been compiled in cooperation with colleagues from other European states including Dr S. Kenderova, Sofia, Bulgaria, who used to be supervised by Prof Dr O.G. Bolshakov, the IOM RAS.

Moreover, Dr I. Feodorov organized a meeting with the Vice President of Academia Romania Dr Dan Berindei, a visit to the Institute of Global History named after N. Iorga (Institutul pentru studiul istoriei universale Nicolae Iorga) where the Russian guests were taken to the office of the great Romanian scholar of history N. Iorga; a meeting with Arhim. Dr. Policarp (Chiţulescu), the councilor of the Patriarch of Romania, curator of the Library of the Holiest Synod. On September 17, an excursion to the Valahian monasteries located to the south-east of Bucharest was organized.

At the International Symposium Le Livre. La Roumanie. L’Europe. Quatrième édition, held on September 20-22 at the Hotel Palace, Sinaia, Dr S. Frantsouzoff submitted his presentation, Le phénomène des feuillets transposés dans les manuscrits arabes chrétiens de St. Pétersbourg, at the panel IV-B, Européens et Levantins aux XVIe-XXe siècles: histoire, société et culture. At the same panel there were submitted presentations by Dr V. Chentsova, L’apparition de la légende de Saint Coumnénos en Russie et la description de Bethléem par Francesco Quaresmio, Dr N. Serikov, The First Digital Library of Manuscripts Written in Arabic Characters, Dr K.A. Panchenko, Moscow State University, The Anthiochian Greek Orthodox Partiarchate and Rome in the Late 16th Century: a Polemic Response of the Metropolitan Anastasius Ibn Mujalla to the Pope, Dr Geoffrey Roper, the UK, The Habsburg Empire and Printing in Languages of the Ottoman Empire, 16t -19th Centuries, Prof Dr Charles Burnett, Warburg Institute, London, The Translations of Arabic Astrological Works into Greek and Their Use in Byzantium, Paul Auchterlonie, Exeter University, English Captivity Narratives as a Source of Information on the Ottoman Period. Warm and friendly contacts were made with Georgian scholars such as Dr Eka Dugaşvili and Dr Nino Kavtaria.

After the symposium, Russian and British scholars had a tour to Transylvania. There they visited Bran Castle known also as the Castle of Dracula and the city of Braşov / Kronstadt.

PHOTOS

An Arabic inscription above the entrance to the old church of St Spiridon’s Monastery, Bucharest (two lines below the eight-lined Greek inscription, ed. in Radu V. Mănăstirea sf. Spiridon şi patriarhul Silvestru al Antiohiei // Revista istorică Română, vol. III, 1933, p. 15-18)

Bucur, the oldest church of Bucharest

The Institute of Global History named after Nicolae Iorga / Institutul pentru studiul istoriei universale Nicolae Iorga of Academia Romana, with the bust of N. Iorga, the great historian, author of "Byzance après Byzance" placed at the entrance

The original table with the title of the Institute that was thought to have been destroyed during the communist period but then found back again after 1989

At the office of Nicolae Iorga

Guests of Academia Romana, Dr V. Chentsova and Dr S. Frantsouzoff, at the desk of N. Iorga

Dr V. Chentsova, Arhim. Dr. Policarp (Chiţulescu) and Dr S. Frantsouzoff at the Antim Monastery, Bucharest

The inauguration of the Russian Romanian Colloquium “Relations entre les peuples orthodoxes de l’Europe orientale et les chrétiens arabes aux XVI-XVIII siècles” at the House of Scholars of Academia Romania, September 16, 2011. Acad. Răzvan Teodorescu delivers his speech; in the presidium, left to right, Dr Ioana Feodorov, the organizer of the colloquium, Institutul de studi sud-est europene, Prof Nicolae Şerban Tanaşoca, the Institute’s Head

Dr S. Frantsouzoff presents his paper

Dr V. Chentsova presents her paper

Dr N. Serikov presents his paper

During the break: (left to right) Gabriela Dumitrescu, the Head of the Library of Academia Romania, Dr Mihai Ţipău, Institutul de studi sud-est europene, Dr N. Serikov

The House of Scholars of Academia Romana, general view

Dr Andreea Dunaeva, the University of Bucharest, delivers her speech

Dr Carmen Crişan, a disciple of Dr I. Feodorov, delivers her speech

After the colloquium: (left to right) Dr N. Serikov, Dr I. Feodorov, Dr N. Serikov, at the House of Scholars

Govora Monastery founded by the Valahian ruler Vlad Ţepeş, in mid-15th century: the temple reconstructed by the Valahian ruler Matei Basarab, in mid-17th century

The same temple: an arch with frescoes

Frescoes inside the temple depicting its ktetors, Matei Basarab and his wife

Dr S. Frantsouzoff at the entrance of Govora Monastery

Hurezi Monastery: the temple from late 17th century built with money of the Valahian ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu (1690-1697)

Interior frescoes of the same temple

Dr S. Frantsouzoff with a temple hammer, Arab. nâqûsh, at the entrance

Before the inauguration of the International Symposium “Le Livre. La Roumanie. L’Europe. Quatrième édition”: (left to right) Dr N. Serikov, Dr V. Chentsova, Dr S. Frantsouzoff

The presidium of the Symposium at the inaugural ceremony

The Casino Pavilion at the Palace Hotel, Sinaia, general view

Dr S. Frantsouzoff presents his paper; to the right - chairman Dr Andrei Timotin, Institutul de studi sud-est europene

Dr N. Serikov and Dr K. Panchenko listen to S. Frantsouzoff’s speech

Dr V. Chentsova presents her paper

The Palace Hotel, Sinaia, general view

Dr K. Panchenko presents his paper; to the right - chairman Dr Geoffrey Roper))

The participants of Panel IV-B of the Symposium

Dr S. Frantsouzoff at the fountain of Peleş Castle, the former residence of Romanian royal family, near Sinaia

The old church at the Sinaia Monastery built in 1690-95 by Mihail Cantacuzino, the church’s ktitor

Internal frescoes depicting the Cantacuzino family

The new church of the Sinaia Monastery built in 1843-46

Bran Castle in Transylvania, general view

Dr S. Frantsouzoff at the gallery of Bran Castle

The Central Square of Braşov / Kronstadt

Dr K. Panchenko and Dr S. Frantsouzoff at the entrance of the Black Church, Braşov / Kronstadt

Photos and text by Dr S. Frantsouzoff; translated by Dr A. Zorin