Historical Dictionary of Moldova (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)

Historical Dictionary of Moldova (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)

The Republic of Moldova claims a European lineage reaching back in time long before its 14th century accession to statehood. In the 15th century, it managed against all odds to avoid being conquered by Islam and-albeit an intermittent vassal after 1485-it maintained its autonomy and was never turned into a province of the Ottoman Empire. After this period, however, Moldova would not be so fortunate, as it altered between Russian, Romanian, and Soviet control until it finally gained its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Moldova , through its chronology, introduction, appendixes, maps, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects, traces the history of this small, but densely populated country, providing a compass for the direction it is heading. “This dictionary covers the history of Moldova in concise entries on political, economic, social, cultural, religious, and linguistic aspects of the country. These consist of people, places, institutions, and events, with a chronology, introduction on the country's characteristics, and history also provided. The second edition aims to give basic data about Moldova in an accessible format. It contains more entries than the previous one, such as political and social-economic developments that have occurred since 2000 and articles on cultural, artistic, and political individuals, and those who have received international reputation. Appendices list chairpersons of the country's legislative bodies, prime ministers, and presidents.” ― Reference and Research Book News “Libraries that serve large programs in Eastern European history or politics will also want to keep the 1st edition in their collections along with the new one.” ― American Reference Books Annual Andrei Brezianu is a specialist in European intellectual history and has taught at the Free University of Moldova, the Catholic University of America, and the University of Bucharest. Vlad Spânu is the president of the Moldova Foundation in Washington, DC. He served as a senior Moldovan diplomat both in Chisinau and abroad between 1992 and 2001.