Sergiu Grossu

Sergiu Grossu (November 14, 1920, Cubolta - July 25, 2009, Bucharest) was a writer and theologian from Romania.^[1]

Biography

Sergiu Grossu was born to Ion and Maria Grossu on November 14, 1920 in Cubolta. In 1927, his family moved to Bălţi, where he was a classmate of Eugen Coşeriu. He published in Viaţa Basarabiei.^[2] He graduated from the University of Bucharest with degrees in theology, philosophy and modern philology. Following the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, he became a refugee in Bucharest. In the wake of the Soviet occupation of Romania, he joined Oastea Domnului (English: the Lord's Army),^[3] a spiritual renewal movement of lay volunteers as well as clerics, associated with the Romanian Orthodox Church. This organization was outlawed during the communist rule. His pseudonym was Simion Cubolta.

In April 1957, he married Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu (1919–1996), a graduate of Bucharest Conservatory, relative of Iuliu Maniu and former political detainee. The Romanian movie Binecuvântată fii, închisoare (Bless you, prison) and the book Prisoner Rejoice^[4] recount the story of Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu's grueling years of detention by the Romanian Communist Regime. On March 7, 1959, Grossu was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison for his activity in Oastea Domnului.^[5] He was pardoned in 1962.^[6]

Sergiu Grossu and his wife immigrated to France in 1969. There they founded the "Catacombes" publishing house, the association "La Chaine" and served as editors of the monthly magazine Catacombes (1971–1992). He hosted the radio show "Lumea creştină" on Radio Free Europe. He has given lectures in Paris, Bordeaux, Versailles, Besançon, Dieppe, Tours, Blois, Poitiers, Nantes, Brest, Toulouse, Lyon, etc.

On January 18, 1996, after 27 years in exile, Sergiu Grossu returned for good to Bucharest, bringing with him the mortal remains of his wife. In Bucharest, he founded Fundaţia Foştilor Deţinuţi Politici "Nicoleta Valeria Grossu", the publishing house "Duh şi Adevăr”, and the association "Centrul de cultură creştină Nicoleta Valeria Grossu."

In Chişinău Sergiu Grossu founded Centrul internaţional de cultură pentru copii şi tineret "Sergiu Grossu" and sponsored the creation of the Muzeul Memoriei Neamului, led by his former classmate Vadim Pirogan.^[7]

Honours

• Premiul concursului de creaţie literar-creştin "Sergiu Grossu"
• Centrul internaţional de cultură pentru copii şi tineret "Sergiu Grossu"

Works

• Catacombes 1973 (Almanach de l'Église de Silence), 1973, Éditions Catacombes
• Lanțul, poezii, 1971
• O rază de soare, poezii, 1971
• Pietre de aducere aminte, poezii, 1971
• Câmpurile de muncă în URSS, 1975
• Derrière le rideau de bambou (de Mao Tsé-toung à Fidel Castro), 1975, Éditions Catacombes (În românește: În spatele cortinei de bambus, de la Mao Zedong la Fidel Castro)
• La Technique du regard în Promesses - Revue de réflexions bibliques, N°15, juillet - septembre 1975 (În românește: Tehnica privirii)
• The Church in today's catacombs, Arlington House, U.S.A., 1976 (În românește: Biserica în catacombele de astăzi)
• Vania Moisséieff (Le jeune martyr de Volontirovka), 1976, Éditions Catacombes (În românește: Vania Moiseev - tânărul martir din Volontirovka)
• Infernul chinez, 1976
• Au fond de l'abîme (Le règne de la haine), 1976, Éditions Apostolat des Éditions (În românește: În fundul abisului, Domnia urii)
• Les Enfants du Goulag (Chronique de l'enfance opprimé en U.R.S.S.), 1979, France-Empire (În românește: Copiii Gulagului - Cronică a copilăriei oprimate în URSS)
• Le calvaire de Roumanie Chrétienne, Éditions France-Empire, 1987 (În românește: Calvarul României creștine^[8])
• Maîtresse, Dieu existe! Les enfants dans l'étau de l'athéisme soviétique, Fayard, Paris, 1988 (În românește: Tovarășă învățătoare, Dumnezeu există! Copiii în menghina ateismului sovietic)
• Îmi bate inima la Bug, ed. Museum, Chișinău, 2000
• L’Église persecutée, L’Âge d’Homme, 2002
• Plaidoyer pour L’Église du Silence, Ed. Resiac, 2003
• Calendarul persecuției religioase în țările comuniste, 2003
• Muştar -1940
• Pietre de aducere aminte – 1971
• La Chaine – 1971 Paris
• Un rayon de soleil – 1971 Paris
• ziarul „Catacombes”- 1971, editat timp de 20 de ani
• Derrière le rideau de bambou – 1975 Paris
• Au fond de l-abime – 1976 Paris
• Les enfants du Goulag – 1976 Paris
• Maitrese, Dieu existe – 1998 Paris
• Vania Moiseief – 1996, ed. Apostolat des Editions, Paris
• Calvarul Romвniei creştine – 1992,ed. Convorbiri literare
• Inscripţii pe un vas de lut – 1994, ed. Roza vвnturilor
• In şfichiul ironiei – 1996, ed. Hrisova, Bucuresti
• In aşteptarea unui pămвnt nou – 1998, ed. Duh şi Adevăr
• Apocalipsiada

References

Bibliography

• Sergiu Grossu, Calvarul României creștine, "Convorbiri literare" - ABC DAVA, 1992.

External links

• (French) Sergiu Grosu, La Technique du regard
• (French) Sergiu Grosu, La technique du regard (2)
• Sergiu Grossu
• Biografía Sergiu Grossu ( pseudonim Simion Cubolta)
• (Romanian) Literatura şi Arta, Un apostol al Neamului Romвnesc