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Academician Razvan Theodorescu, who died on Monday at the age of 83, was buried on Wednesday with military honors in the Academicians' Section at the Bellu Orthodox Cemetery, told Agerpres.
The funeral service was officiated by the Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramures and Salaj, Andrei Andreicut, together with a council of priests.
The high hierarch presented the condolence message of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, who emphasized that Razvan Theodorescu was an illustrious art historian, university professor, writer, academic.
"Author of numerous specialized volumes, many dedicated to Romanian monasteries and churches of heritage, of over 600 hundred articles and valuable studies published in magazines in Romania and abroad, the venerable academic Razvan Theodorescu remains the author of a work composed of books and fundamental studies of Romanian and European art history," Patriarch Daniel said.
The head of the Romanian Academy, Ioan-Aurel Pop, highlighted that professor Razvan Theodorescu taught generations of students about the life of the Romanian people, about the most beautiful things that they did for them, about the painted churches, the old medieval art, the splendor of the princely courts.
"He burned like a flame on the altar of those who founded this institution, he was moved every time in the Academy Hall, which he regarded as an Empire of the most chosen spirits of our nation. He follows now in their footsteps, in the footsteps of the founders, and he goes with the hope that he will be settled in the world of the righteous. May God rest him in peace, may he leave us a great legacy to carry forward and live from age to age in our memories. May God forgive him," said Ioan-Aurel Pop.
Academics Mircea Dumitru, vice-president of the Romanian Academy, and Sabina Ispas, representatives of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radautilor and of the International Association of Southeast European Studies, members of his family also delivered emotional speeches.
At the ceremony, there were present to lead Razvan Theodorescu on his last journey, together with his family, among others, the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu, the prefect of the Capital, Toni Grebla, the president of the Writers' Union, Nicolae Manolescu, the presidents of the Composers' Union, academic Adrian Iorgulescu, president of the Union of Visual Artists, Petru Lucaci, president of the Romanian Cultural Institute, Liviu Sebastian Jicman, former president of the Constitutional Court, Valer Dorneanu, former prime ministers Adrian Nastase and Petre Roman, former Minister of Culture Ionut Vulpescu, academics, people of culture, former collaborators and students of the teacher.
A detachment of soldiers from the 30th "Mihai Viteazul" Guard Regiment presented the honour and executed three volleys with maneuver cartridges.
"A storyteller has disappeared. When you started a conversation with Razvan, you didn't want it to end. He was always interested in everything. (...) Razvan Theodorescu was, indeed, a person who could inspire others. He had this ability of inspiring people during their rough times, like when he protested against the demolition of the Vacaresti Monastery, and he kept this power of inspiring others including in the more recent times, when there is this general cultural decay. He remained a positive presence," said former president of Romania Emil Constantinescu, at the end of the ceremony.
Razvan Theodorescu, vice-president of the Romanian Academy between 2018 and 2023, died at the Floreasca Emergency Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for three weeks.
As a sign of tribute for the activity carried out in the high academic forum, on Tuesday, the coffin with the lifeless body was deposited at the Academicians' Club, after which it was placed in the Great Chapel of the Bellu Orthodox Cemetery.
Exceptional personality of contemporary Romanian culture, with an encyclopedic vocation, reputed cultural historian Razvan Theodorescu coordinated, as a specialist in art history, Romanian art and civilization, Christianity and Balkan spirituality, the activity of the Arts, Architecture and Audiovisual Section of the Academy Romanian, as president, for 10 years.
Invited professor at the Superior Center for Medieval Studies in Poitiers, Razvan Theodorescu's name is also associated with the establishment of the first UNESCO humanities desk in Romania.
His voluminous work was focused on the study of ancient Romanian art and medieval European art, on the comparative analysis of geopolitical strategies in Europe, on the study of mentalities and on the research of some niche areas from which the theory of "cultural corridors", the theory of the typology of founders, the exposition of the momentum princeps for the beginnings of European art, but also the theory of the transactional mentality of the Romanian people, which he presented in the reception speech at the Romanian Academy.
As secretary general of the International Association of Southeast European Studies (1994 - 2023), he supported numerous interdisciplinary research projects.
Laureate of the "Nicolae Balcescu" Award of the Romanian Academy and the "Gottfried von Herder" Award, conferred by the University of Vienna, academician Razvan Theodorescu was elected a member of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in 1998.
He was awarded the National Order "For Merit" in the rank of Grand Officer by the President of Romania and the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic, in the rank of Commander, as a recognition of his indisputable contribution to the promotion of Romanian and European culture.
