Every century in the history of Wallachia has had significant moments which have contributed to the formation and development of the modern Romanian state, some recorded in the pages of history, others known only to God and to those who lived (or survived) in those times. From Holy Scripture we learn that without the Cross there is no Resurrection. The same is true of the events that represented a national victory; these were achieved through great sacrifice, regardless of the political or social context. From the 14th century onwards, Wallachia, known by various names—particularly in foreign writings—such as Ungro-Wallachia or Wallachia, found itself countless times under hostile rule, attempting with great diplomacy to resist the might of great empires, such as the Ottoman, the Habsburg or the Kingdom of Poland.
The Romanian territory was marked not only by the wars waged for national freedom and dignity, but also by territorial losses caused by its geographical position and the strength of political alliances. Beyond the historical aspect, it is worth noting that the idea of unity amongst the Romanian provinces existed before its gradual realisation, as early as the time of Voivode Mihai Viteazul in the year 1600, continued during the reign of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza on 24 January 1859, and brought to completion with the Great Union of 1 December 1918, thanks to the ancestral Orthodox faith, professed through the Symbol of Faith by all Romanians. Thus, the harmonious relations between the State and the Church were also fostered by the fact that the citizens of the State were, at the same time, believers of the Church.
In addition to the political situation, the hardships faced by Romanians from the 17th century onwards were compounded by an unfavourable period from a medical perspective, caused by the outbreak of various epidemics. Disease was fuelled both by poverty and a lack of hygiene, but also by the trade carried out by foreign merchants from the East, who conducted their business in major cities such as Bucharest, Iași, Târgoviște, Sibiu and many others. Just as today, there were major social class differences between those who could access medical care and those who could not even afford a consultation with a doctor. Thus, during that sad period of the past, when the medical and technological systems were nowhere near as advanced as they are today, the true Christian, faced with natural disasters such as drought, famine, locust swarms or various diseases, including the plague, typhus, cholera and diphtheria epidemics, had no hope other than God’s mercy and the intercession of the saints.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the plague was so widespread throughout the country that it claimed the lives of dozens of people every day. Overcome by despair, Prince Nicolae Mavrocordat turned to God for help, repeatedly bringing the relics of several healing saints to Bucharest. Being of Greek descent, his father was called Alexandru Mavrocordat Exaporitul and was one of the most influential politicians at the Sublime Porte, enjoying considerable standing within the Greek Orthodox world. Thus, in 1719, he brought several holy relics from Mount Athos, which he carried in a procession organised with many priests through the streets of the city. As any act of sincere repentance is not overlooked by God, following the services, “a great miracle was witnessed, for the plague ceased and everyone rejoiced, giving thanks to God”1).
The processions continued during the reign of Prince Ștefan Mihai Racoviță, in the year 1765, when the inhabitants of Bucharest requested that the relics of Saint Gregory the Decapolite be brought from Bistrița Vâlcii Monastery for the deliverance of the capital.
These processions with the holy relics indicate that the Romanian people had a living and strong faith in God, as well as a special love for the saints. Often, less pleasant events in community life were interpreted as the consequences of sins; for this reason, the saints have always been regarded as intercessors before God, and their relics were carried on pilgrimages with great devotion and hope.
Bucharest and the year 1774
For Wallachia, but especially for Bucharest, the 18th century presented a real challenge from every point of view. Beginning with the Phanariot period, spanning the years 1716–1821, and continuing through various periods of natural disasters, which diminished political activity in the long term and, above all, weakened interpersonal relations, the lives and safety of the inhabitants were often put at risk. Much of the contemporary evidence can be found in the personal diaries of foreign travellers who visited Wallachia during this period. Two of these recount the terrible famines of 1718 and 1739, when the people of Bucharest were reduced to ‘fighting over a piece of bread’2 This famine was caused by periods of drought, as well as by the locust invasion of 1738. The number of these insects was so great “that people gathered them up with shovels”3.
Added to all these hardships, which both politicians and ordinary people were to endure, were the periods of war, during which Wallachia and Moldavia fought in the hope of liberation from Ottoman rule. The introduction of Phanariot rulers in Moldavia and Wallachia signalled the Ottoman Porte’s desire to keep them under its own suzerainty. 4 For the two principalities, the consequences of the new Russo-Turkish or Russo-Austro-Turkish wars, fought largely on their territory: the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, concluded with the Treaty of Kuciuk-Kainargi 5; the Russo-Austro-Turkish War of 1787–1792, which ended with the Treaties of Shistov and Iași; the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812, which ended with the Treaty of Bucharest 6.
In 1762, Catherine II assumed the throne of the Russian Empire; her policy was to destroy the Ottoman Empire, to create a Dacian kingdom by annexing the Romanian Principalities under the rule of a member of the Romanov family (with a view to subsequently integrating the whole under Russian rule), to bring Orthodox Christians under Russian sway, and to gain control of the two straits, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, in order to secure access to the Mediterranean Sea. Although the aim was a selfish one, solely for Russia’s benefit, the Empress presented herself as the saviour of Christians from the infidels, issuing a document in which she claimed that the Ottoman Empire, by persecuting Orthodox Christians, had declared war on her because she supported the cause of the dissidents in Poland, and that their barbaric rule ‘seeks to cast into the abyss of lawlessness both the bodies and souls of the Christians living in Moldavia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia and the other parts of the Ottoman Empire’7.
Bulgaria was an extremely important region for Russia. If the crossing of the Danube were successful and the Russian army emerged victorious in the Turkish pashalik of Bulgaria, then the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople would be in grave danger.
In her exaggerated optimism, the Empress often declared: “My soldiers went off to war against the Turks as if to a wedding”8. In reality, however, the Russian soldiers were subjected to mental and physical strain that is hard to imagine. Few actually reached the front line due to the treatment meted out by their superiors, intended to prevent the soldiers from rebelling against them. In the view of modern historians, this marching in columns was likened to the transatlantic voyage of slaves. More often than not, the soldiers set off chained together, which caused them serious injuries and sapped their physical strength.
‘Towards the end of the century, the Count of Langeron, a Frenchman in the service of Russia, estimated that fifty per cent of recruits died. He described in detail the sadistic regime of beatings and discipline… Just like black slaves, Russian soldiers found solace in their vibrant, picturesque and sacred culture’9 Because the Christian Russians had been under the Ottoman threat for hundreds of years, in the mind of the Russian soldier, who came from a peasant background, this war was likened to a crusade, and the motto was ‘fight to the death!’.
Unlike the other armies of Europe and America, where soldiers were recruited from among mercenaries who fought for the king and certainly not for their homeland, the Russian army was an elite force made up of patriotic peasants, who had the desire for victory in their blood and were motivated by the idea of expansion.
Owing to the political situation and social decline in the Romanian Principalities following the Phanariot period, Russia gained considerable trust through its promises amongst the boyars and even the pro-Russian princes, who were awaiting liberation from Ottoman rule, so that “the boyars here are asking the Empress for the country’s full incorporation into Russia”10. Moreover, upon hearing the news that the liberators were approaching, armies of volunteers were formed in their support, led by Pârvu Cantacuzino, who facilitated the Russians’ entry into Bucharest and the capture of Prince Grigorie Ghica. From 1771 until September 1774, Bucharest was under Russian military occupation.
Russian General Ivan Petru Saltîkov11, at the end of the military expansion south of the Danube, took with him the venerable relics of Saint Dimitrie the New, with the intention of bringing them to his homeland so that they might not be desecrated by the Ottomans. Taking advantage of the fact that Bucharest was under Russian rule, he made his first stop in the capital of Wallachia, where God had other plans for His beloved Saint Demetrius the New.
After Russian troops entered Bucharest, General Ivan Petru Saltîkov was asked by a Romanian man named Hagi Dimitrie (we do not know exactly what the relationship was between Saltîkov and Hagi Dimitrie) to donate the venerable relics to the Metropolis of Wallachia. At that time, the metropolitan see was held by the learned Metropolitan Gregory II (1760–1787), who had made a major political contribution during the Russo-Turkish Wars. Four years earlier, in 1770, in Saint Petersburg, together with several representatives of the Church and the State, they had appealed to Empress Catherine for help in liberating the Romanian Principalities from the Ottoman Empire.
According to the accounts of Academician Constantin Bălăceanu Stolnici, it is possible that the Russian general Saltîkov had Romanian connections, or perhaps this gesture of leaving the relics of Saint Dimitrios to the Romanians was a way of winning their favour towards the Russians. The academic does not rule out the possibility that General Saltîkov may have felt a sense of obligation towards this Hagi Dumitru.
Romanian soil was blessed by God through the arrival of the relics of Saint Demetrius the Pious in Bucharest at just the right time for the Romanians, who had endured many hardships, and the relics of the Pious One were a source of comfort and encouragement to those seeking his help.
Whilst, at the beginning of the 18th century (1714), a martyr Prince and his four sons were beheaded for the true faith and for their nation, towards the end of the century, 60 years later, on Wednesday, 13 July 1774, the Romanian Orthodox people received a great gift from God: the venerable relics of Saint Dimitrios the New, who was to become the Patron Saint of Bucharest.
Since the Christian Orthodox calendar had for some time commemorated on 26 October a Holy Military Martyr from the early Christian centuries – Saint Demetrius the Great Martyr – Metropolitan Gregory II, in order to avoid confusion, decided that the commemoration of Saint Dimitrios the New should take place each year on the following day, 27 October, and also named him ‘the New’.
The veneration of Saint Dimitrios the Pious in Bucharest
The years 1768–1774 are known as a period of great hardship for Romanians, both politically and medically. The armed conflict between the Russian and Turkish armies, which took place on Romanian territory as well, led to the outbreak of epidemics, so that the city of Bucharest was marked by war, fires, disease, poverty and widespread social injustice. Due to the very poorly developed healthcare system – and in some areas, its complete absence – the number of deaths in a single day was rising at an alarming rate. The appearance of ‘ciocli’ on the city’s streets caused even greater fear, as these men, being seriously ill themselves, no longer cared whether those they carried to the grave were dead or alive. For this reason, in the modern understanding, the word ‘cioclu’ means ‘gravedigger’, ‘rather than a devoted carer of the suffering sick’12). Added to all this were natural disasters: earthquakes and floods. It is well known that, in the past, technology was not sufficiently advanced to measure the intensity of earthquakes, which were ‘recorded by chroniclers, clergymen or travellers’13).
From the akathist dedicated to Saint Demetrius the Pious, we learn that after the venerable relics were brought from Basarabi to Bucharest, ‘the fire of war and bondage was extinguished (…) and the plague vanished like smoke’14. These accounts are not only recorded in ecclesiastical history, but also by the dignitaries and chroniclers of the time, who witnessed the events as they unfolded. In this regard, Major Dimitrie Papazoglu, a military officer and historian, was to record in his work 15 many of the miracles that God performed upon the city of Bucharest, through the intercession of Saint Demetrius the New.
Having observed and felt the presence and help of Saint Dimitrie in their lives, the devotion of the faithful towards this great saint was truly exceptional. Both in times of danger and during religious or local festivals, the people of Bucharest would request that the saint from the Metropolitan See be carried in processions through the city’s streets. Taking note of the faith of those under his care, Metropolitan Filaret II of Wallachia (1792–1793) proclaimed Saint Demetrius the Pious as the Patron Saint of Bucharest. On this historic and ecclesiastical occasion, the metropolitans, rulers, the Romanian or occupying army, boyars, foreign travellers and all the faithful bore witness to the tangible and swift aid provided by Saint Demetrius throughout the capital’s period of development and modernisation.
The first prince of Wallachia following Saint Demetrius’s arrival in Bucharest, following a six-year period of military occupation, was Alexandru Ipsilanti (1774–1782), who ascended to the princely throne on 26 September 1774. It is well known that the new Prince distinguished himself through a series of favourable reforms concerning relations with the Metropolitan See of Bucharest, the development of education and, above all, urban planning. In 1786, a foreign traveller named Monnier, who had come to Wallachia, described the city in the following terms of praise: ‘At the time of my visit, Bucharest had 50,000 inhabitants, 360 Greek Orthodox churches, one Catholic church and one Lutheran church. It was the seat of the Prince of Wallachia, where, at that time, Nicolae Mavrogheni reigned. The city’s streets were beautiful, wide and paved with square, hewn logs laid end to end. The houses were large, built of stone (brick), separated by fences and surrounded by gardens. The princely palace was magnificent, and the court officials were very numerous16”.
In 1796, when the construction of the Dudești Hospital was completed, Prince Alexandru Moruzi, in a charter, set out the need for the new hospital to be built. This charter also mentions a church dedicated to Saint Haralambos, Saint Visarion and Saint Dimitrie Basarabov 17. Following historical research into the location of this church, courtesy of Dr Maria-Camelia Ene, head of the ‘History of Bucharest’ department at the Bucharest Municipal Museum, it was discovered that, in fact, this church was a chapel belonging to Dudești Hospital, which was demolished along with the hospital itself.
Among the most trying times for the people of Bucharest, when the holy relics were carried in procession through the streets of the capital, the following are unforgettable: the drought during the reign of Prince Alexandru Ipsilanti (Metropolitan Dositei Filitti) on 19 April 1803 18; the plague of Caragea (Metropolitan Nectarius of Morea), the procession with the relics of Saints Demetrius the New and Gregory the Decapolite in 1813 19; the drought of 1817 20; Tudor Vladimirescu’s revolution (Metropolitan Dionysius II), the procession from the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Church of Saint Dumitru – Poștă, in 1821; the drought during the reign of Grigore Vodă Ghica 21 (Metropolitan Grigorie Dascălul) in 1827; the cholera outbreak during General Kiseleff’s time 22, on 15 September 1831; the great fire of Bucharest, on 23 March 1847; the diphtheria epidemic 23, in July 1870; the processions for rain on the Bărăgan Plain, between 1929 and 1949; and the major earthquakes 24, in 1940.
In the past, foreign travellers – as tourists visiting Wallachia were known – were deeply impressed by the pilgrimages organised around the venerated relics of the Patron Saint of Bucharest. Testimony to these religious events can be found in several pages from the diary of a foreign traveller named François Recordon. In his correspondence with a friend, he placed great emphasis on the piety shown by the faithful of Bucharest towards Saint Dimitrios the New. Having himself witnessed one of the processions in the capital, he recounted: ‘[…] in the summer of 1817 I witnessed a solemn procession, in which the Court, the clergy and an endless crowd of people took part, who accompanied these holy relics outside Bucharest to implore heaven for rain, which they had been without for six weeks – a situation that was causing fears for the harvest”25.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the procession with the relics of Saint Demetrius
Nowadays, in the 21st century, people have much easier access to medicine thanks to modern technology. However, the start of 2020 was to significantly change the mindset of contemporary people and establish their true priorities. The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus, was a phenomenon that was gradually, yet alarmingly, taking hold across the entire globe, causing not only physical but also spiritual distancing amongst those of weak faith. It was a challenging time for the health and social sectors.
The Romanian Orthodox Church, both at an institutional and individual level, stepped up its charitable work, whilst observing the recommended hygiene guidelines, providing concrete and varied assistance to people in difficulty, as well as to hospitals facing a shortage of medical equipment. At the level of each diocese, pilgrimages were organised, as in times of danger in the past, with holy relics and icons, which were carried in processions by car through towns and villages, without the physical presence of the faithful.
Such a procession also took place in Bucharest on 5 April 2020, on the Fifth Sunday of Holy and Great Lent. The relics of Saint Dimitrios the New were carried along the following route: the Patriarchal Cathedral, after which the procession descended Mitropoliei Hill – Splaiul Unirii towards Izvor and Eroilor, as far as the Municipal Hospital; then along Cotroceni Road – Viilor Road – Eroii Revoluției; from Eroii Revoluției, the procession proceeded towards Constantin Brâncoveanu Boulevard and Piața Sudului – Calea Văcărești – Mihai Bravu Road – Ștefan cel Mare Road, as far as Victoriei Square, after which the procession proceeded along Lascăr Catargiu Boulevard, Gheorghe Magheru Boulevard – Romană Square – University Square – Unirii Square and then to the Patriarchal Cathedral.
During this pilgrimage, there were four stops – at hospitals and buildings of symbolic and historical significance to the city of Bucharest: the first stop was at the Victor Babeș Hospital; the second stop, at Colentina Hospital, which also houses Matei Balș Hospital; the third stop was at University Square, by the Cross of the Martyr Heroes of 1989; the fourth stop took place at the Brâncoveanu Cross, situated at the foot of Mitropoliei Hill. At each stop, an ectenia and a special prayer for an end to the pandemic were recited.
The anniversary celebration, 13 July 2024
With God’s help, in 2024, Romanian Orthodox Christians witnessed a historic moment in the life of the Church, namely the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the relics of Saint Dimitrie the New in Bucharest. The significance of this celebration was further emphasised by the fact that the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at its solemn working session on 5 July 2022, decided to include in the church calendar the feast of the Bringing of the Relics of Saint Dimitrios the New to Bucharest, to be celebrated on 13 July.
In the run-up to this event, with the blessing of His Beatitude Father Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the the most extensive pilgrimage with the relics of Saint Dimitrios the New. These were carried throughout the Archdiocese of Bucharest, in the deaneries of Câmpina, Ploiești North, Ploiești South, Vălenii de Munte, Urlați, Ilfov North, Ilfov South, and Sectors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the capital.
Following a set programme, taking into account criteria relating to missionary and charitable work and the significance of certain monasteries and churches, the holy relics visited nearly 120 churches (parish or monastic). At each church, prayers of thanksgiving were offered for the blessings received from God through the intercession of Saint Dimitrios the New.
The Consecration of the National Cathedral
Among the events of particular significance in 2025, held as part of the Commemorative Year marking the Centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate, was the consecration of the icon of the National Cathedral, performed by His Holiness Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and His Beatitude Father Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, together with the hierarchs of the Holy Synod, on Sunday, 26 October 2025. In accordance with a tradition specific to the Romanian Orthodox Church, following the consecration service, the faithful, who had gathered in impressive numbers from both Romania and across Europe, were able to worship at the Holy Altar, where, next to the Holy Table, the reliquary containing a portion of the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Patron Saint of Romania, had been placed for veneration. Although there were two separate events – the Feast of Saint Dimitrios the New and the consecration of the National Cathedral – the pilgrims wished to venerate the relics of both saints, waiting with great reverence in two queues: at the historic Patriarchal Cathedral and at the National Cathedral.
Following the feast day of Saint Dimitrios the New, to assist the pilgrims, on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Demetrius the Venerable was taken to the National Cathedral and placed in the Holy Altar, next to the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle. In this way, the Patron Saint of Romania and the Patron Saint of Bucharest welcomed the pilgrims, bringing great blessing and spiritual joy into their lives.
Thus, from the earliest times to the present day, it is evident that an encounter with the saints is not a chance occurrence, but ordained by God to change a person’s life for the better and to awaken their conscience. As friends of humankind, the saints are the ones who help us rediscover the path to God after a period of straying; they help us discover ourselves and restore communion amongst people and our connection with God. In this sense, Emil Cioran said that there are moments when, however far removed we may be from faith, we cannot conceive of life without God as our interlocutor. An encounter with the saints is always a blessing for those who understand the significance of a pilgrimage, which is, in fact, the journey of our lives, with the Kingdom of God as its destination. As we see and feel the presence of the saints in our lives, we should ask ourselves: who honours whom – do we honour the saints, or, in fact, do the saints honour us?
- 1
Tudor Dinu, Phanariot Bucharest – Churches, Ceremonies, Wars, Vol. 1, Bucharest, Humanitas, p. 351.
- 2
George Potra, The History of Bucharest’s Inns, Bucharest, 1985, Scientific and Encyclopaedic Publishing House, p. 59.
- 3
G. I. Ionnescu Gion, The History of Bucharest, Mavios-Clio Publishers, Gheorghe Marin Speteanu Cultural Foundation, Bucharest, 1998, p. 583.
- 4
Paul Cernovodeanu (ed.), The History of the Romanians, vol. VI, Bucharest, Editura Enciclopedică, 2002, p. 17.
- 5
A village in north-eastern Bulgaria.
- 6
Nicolae Isar, A Modern History of the Romanians 1774/1784–1918, Ed. Universitară, Bucharest, 2006, p. 22.
- 7
A. D. Xenopol, The Wars between the Russians and the Turks and their Impact on the Romanian Principalities, Albatros, Bucharest 1997, p. 48.
- 8
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Catherine the Great & Potemkin – An Imperial Love Story, translated from the English by Veronica Tomescu, Editura Trei, Bucharest, 2016, p. 110.
- 9
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Catherine the Great & Potemkin – An Imperial Love Story, op. cit., p. 110.
- 10
A. D. Xenopol, The Wars between the Russians and the Turks and their Impact on the Romanian Principalities, op. cit., p. 59.
- 11
Not to be confused with his father, General Petru Saltîkov, who died on 26 December 1772, aged 74.
- 12
Tudor Dinu, Bucharest under the Phanariots, vol. II, published by Humanitas, Bucharest, 2017, p. 47.
- 13
Dr Ana-Maria Lepăr, Fires, Epidemics and Natural Disasters in Bucharest (1774–1834), Bucharest Municipal Museum – XXX, p. 293.
- 14
The Akathist to Saint Dimitrios the New, Protector of Bucharest, published by I.B.M.O, Bucharest, 2023, p. 41.
- 15
Dimitrie Papazoglu, The History of the Founding of Bucharest, Capital of the Kingdom of Romania, published by Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005.
- 16
Violeta-Anca Epure, ‘Aspects of urban life in the Romanian Principalities as observed by pre-1848 French consuls and travellers. The towns of Wallachia’, in Terra Sebus. Acta Musei Sabesiensis, no. 11, 2019, pp. 383–401.
- 17
V.A. Urechia, The History of the Romanians, Series 1786–1800, Volume III, Thoma Basilescu Printing House and Type Foundry, Bucharest, 1893, p. 441. Similar information can also be found in the 1774–1800 Series, Volume VII, Thoma Basilescu Printing House and Type Foundry, Bucharest, 1894, p. 14.
- 18
V.A. Urechia, The History of the Romanians, Series 1774–1821, Volume VIII, Bucharest, 1897, p. 318.
- 19
M.M. Alexandrescu Dersca, ‘Contributions concerning the Plague of Caragea in Bucharest (1813–1814)’, in Materials on History and Museography, I, 1964, pp. 360–365.
- 20
P. Cernovodeanu, Foreign Travellers on the Romanian Principalities, 1801–1821, p. 674.
- 21
Dimitrie Papazoglu, The History of the Founding of the City of Bucharest, op. cit., p. 129.
- 22
Ibid.
- 23
Adrian C. Corbu, ‘Old Bucharest: Iconographic Documents’, in Arhivele Bucureștilor, no. 1, Atelierele “Carte Românească”, 1936, f. LXIV.
- 24
Dr Vasile Vasilachi, Nicolae Șerbănescu, The Paraclis and Akathist of Saint Demetrius the New, Basarabov, Bucharest, Bucium Ortodox Publishers, 1943, p. 97.
- 25
Paul Cernovodeanu (ed.), Foreign Travellers on the Romanian Principalities in the 19th Century, new series, vol. I (1800–1821), Romanian Academy Press, 2004, p. 674.