On the occasion of the “Romanian postage stamp day” on July 15, 2019 Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue with the theme “Seals of the Romanian rulers”.
The four stamps illustrate images of the wax seals that belonged to the Rulers Alexander the Good (1400-1432), Stephen the Great 1457-1504), Vasile Lupu (1634-1653) and Petru Rares (1527-1538; 1541-1546).
The stamp that has a the face value of Lei 3.10 reproduces the seal of Ruler Alexander the Good. He became the ruler of Moldavia with the strong support of Mircea the Elder. His reign was a peaceful one in an epoch when Moldavia had the largest area with stable borders and high economic prosperity.
He was a good organizer of the state and the institutions thereof mainly in the fields of administration, justice and military. He pursued a tolerant religious policy and was also the founder of Bistrita and Moldovita monasteries. Dimitrie Cantemir characterized him as follows: “Alexandru I, also known as the Good… is the one who apprised for the first time the name of the Moldavians that was little known of until then …”.
The seal of Saint Stephen the Great is shown on the stamp having the face value of Lei 7.
An exceptional ruler, he stood out as a politician and excellent diplomat, a great army commander, strategist, unifier, a supporter of culture, an important builder of monuments, the re-founder of Moldavia, a symbol of Romanians’ fight for independence and a defender of Christianity.
He became the Ruler of Moldavia, and in 1457 he was one of the most famous army commanders by obtaining outstanding victories in the battles against the Ottoman troops, being recognized as an Athleta Christi by the Pope in Rome. A first-rank builder and an exceptional representative of the Romanian spirituality, he was recognized by the Romanian Orthodox Church as Stephen the Great and Holy.
The seal of the Ruler Petru Rares is reproduced on the stamp having the face value of Lei 8.50.
He was beautifully presented in the Chronicle of Moldavia written by Grigore Ureche: “He truly was the son of Stephen the Great, because he resembled his father so much, he went to wars and came out victorious, he did good things, he protected his country and estate as a good shepherd, and he was a just man. He was not only a pious man but also a courageous one and everybody understood that he was ready to rule the country”.
Petru Rares gave the Romanian culture the exterior painting of the Moldavian churches in the form of frescoes whose mastery matches the most beautiful European religious works of art.
The stamp that has a face value of Lei 11.50 depicts Vasile Lupu’s seal. He is known for having built the exceptional Trei Ierarhi church from Iasi, which has become not only a religious settlement but also a famous cultural centre. The solidity of this edifice given by the minutely processed stone and marble, undoubtedly prove this prince’s ambition to remain in the memory of his succesors.
Trei Ierarhi School just like the St. Sava School of Bucharest was a Royal Academy, namely the main educational centre of Moldavia.
A contemporary of Ruler Matei Basarab of Wallachia, after several armed confrontations, after the year 1639 he managed to make peace symbolically materialized through the erection of two religious settlements: Soveja monastery (built by Matei Basarab) and Stelea monastery of Targoviste (built by Vasile Lupu).
The images of the seals have been reproduced after genuine exhibits belonging to the museum patrimony of the Romanian Academy Library.
Romfilatelia thanks the Romanian Academy Library for the documentary support granted in the achievement of this postage stamps issue.
Photo courtesy of Romfilatelia
