Culture of Romania
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Romania's culture is very similar to other European culture, including that of Western Europe and Central Europe. However, the culture also has some influence from other, Oriental parts, including Turkey, or Slavic countries such as Russia.
Romania's rich cultural traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the Roman occupation. The traditional folk arts, including dance, wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes and household decorations, and fascinating folk music, still flourish in many parts of the country. Despite strong Austrian, German, and especially French influence, many of Romania's great artists, such as the painter Nicolae Grigorescu, the poet Mihai Eminescu, the composer George Enescu, and the sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi, drew their inspiration from Romanian folk traditions.
The country's many Orthodox monasteries, as well as the Transylvanian Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church, some of which date back to the 13th century, are repositories of artistic treasures. The famous painted monasteries of Bukovina make an important contribution to European architecture.
Poetry and the theater play an important role in contemporary Romanian life. Classic Romanian plays, such as those of Ion Luca Caragiale, as well as works by modern or avant-garde Romanian and international playwrights, find sophisticated and enthusiastic audiences in the many theaters of the capital and of the smaller cities.
Here's a sketch of what should be here:
- folk music and traditions (Grigore Leşe)
- classical and contemporan music (George Enescu, Gheorghe Zamfir, Constantin Silvestri, Iannis Xenakis)
- literature (Mihai Eminescu, Mihai Sadoveanu, Ion Creanga, Ion Luca Caragiale, Eugène Ionesco, Mircea Eliade and Tristan Tzara)
- painting (Nicolae Tonitza, Nicolae Grigorescu, Camil Ressu)
- sculpture (Constantin Brancusi)
- cinematography (Sergiu Nicolaescu, Johnny Weissmuller, Edward G. Robinson)
- architecture (starting with Dacian fortresses, Middle-Ages Monasteries, Medieval castles as Castelul Huniazilor or Dracula's Bran Castle, early modern buildings, Palatul Parlamentului)
- sport (Oina, Nadia Comaneci, Simona Amânar, Gheorghe Hagi)
- a little bit about science (Traian Vuia, Henri Coanda, Hermann Oberth etc.)