(b. 6 September 1817, Iași, d. 1 July 1891, Paris)
Image description
He is a man over 65 years old, bald in the middle of his head and having hair on both sides of his head, bushy eyebrows, moustache and goatee, protruding chin and bulging nose, wearing a suit.
The texture in slightly curved lines is the bristled hair on the back and the parallel, narrow lines highlight the elongated goatee and moustache.
The texture in small and scattered rhombuses is the classic jacket, worn over the textured shirt with bold, short, oblique and broken lines.
He wears and fully embossed bowtie.
Historical information
Mihail Kogalniceanu, historian, man of letters, diplomat and prime minister of Romania, was born on the 6th of September 1817 in Iasi. After graduating higher education in France and Paris, he returns to Iași. Once returned to the country, he was one of the youngsters that studied abroad to promote democratic principles. He also participated in the Revolution of 1848. As a consequence of his beliefs, he was exiled by the ruler Mihail Sturdza to Râşca Monastery [Bibliography 1].
In 1859 he was one of the leaders of the National Party which was involved in the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as the ruler of the two Principalities. During the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Kogălniceanu had several leadership positions. He was a member of the Central Committee of Focsani between 1859 and 1860 [Bibliography 2], head of the Moldavian government between 1860 and 1861 [Bibliography 3].He led the Romanian government on two occasions during Al. I. Cuza’s reign, the first time between October 1863 and May 1864, and the second time after the coup d’état of May 1864 until January 1865. During his rule of Romanian government, laws on agrarian reform have been adopted –the abolition of statute labor and other servitudes and the establishment of the University of Bucharest [Bibliography 4].His name is also related to the achievement of Romania’s Independence [Bibliography 5], being Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1876. According to Keith Hitchins, since 1876 he has been involved “in a vigorous campaign to oblige the Ottoman government to recognize Romania’s independence, threatening that if the concessions will not be in favor, [Romania] would abandon neutrality” [Bibliography 6]. Investigated by the Parliament concerning the relations between Romania and the Ottoman Empire after the war between Turkey and Russia, Kogalniceanu said on 9/21 May 1877: “We are independent; we are a nation of its own […]. Therefore, Honorable Gentlemen, I do not have the slightest doubt and fear of declaring before the National Representation that we are a free and independent nation” [Bibliography 7].
In addition to his political activity, Mihail Kogalniceanu has also been a remarkable man of letters. He started and led Alăuta Românească and Dacia Literară, and then he developed the Historical and Literary Album in 1854. Under his coordination, the first Unionist newspaper Danube Star was published. The most famous political writings of Mihail Kogalniceanu remain “Discourse on the Unification of the Principalities” of 1857, the speech on granting political rights to the people of the country in 1857 and the release of peasants, abolition of the nobles’ privileges, emancipation of Peasants in 1891”[Bibliography 8]. After a long activity on the political and literary scene, Mihail Kogalniceanu died on 21 June 1891.
Bibliography
- Ion Văduva Poenaru, Vergiliu Constantinescu-Galiceni, Pauline Constantinescu-Stoleru (coood.), Enciclopedia marilor personalități….. Vol. XIII Mari voievozi, mari istorici, mari oameni politici, București, Editura Geneze, f.a, p. 214.
- The Central Commission in Focșani was one of the two common institutions of the United Principalities, founded after the double election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruler. It had attributions to „elaborate common interest laws” (For more informations, see Florin Constantiniu, O istorie sinceră a poporului român, București, Editura Univers Enciclopedic, 2014).
- Ion Văduva Poenaru, Vergiliu Constantinescu-Galiceni, Pauline Constantinescu-Stoleru (coood.), Enciclopedia marilor personalități….. Vol. XIII Mari voievozi, mari istorici, mari oameni politici, București, Editura Geneze, f.a, p. 215
4-5. Nicolae Isar, Istoria Modernă a românilor 1774/1784-1918, București, Editura Universitară, 2006, p. 279.
- Keith Hitchins, România. 1866-1947, ediția a IV-a, București, Humanitas, 2013, p. 51.
- Apud, Ioan Scurtu, Istoria Românilor în timpul celor patru regi. Carol I, București, Editura Enciclopedică, 2010, pp. 105-106.
- Ion Văduva Poenaru et alli, op. cit, p. 216.
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