Romfilatelia introduces into circulation on Friday, November 8th this year the “Historical Anniversaries” postage stamps issue, dedicated to events featuring a outstanding personality of history, Michael the Brave (Romanian: Mihai Viteazul), the ruler of the first Unification. The events took place in Transylvania and Bucharest.
The anniversaries, celebrated, through issue, are: 425 years since Michael the Brave entered the fortress of Alba Iulia, an event that set the stage for the first Unification of Transylvania with Wallachia and Moldavia, and the 150th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue of the great ruler in Bucharest, attended by Prince Carol I and Princess Elisabeta.
In agreement with the Habsburg monarch Rudolf II, Michael the Brave entered Transylvania with his army, aiming to conquer it and remove it from the Polish vassalage. The opposing army was led by Andrei Báthory. The decisive battle took place on October 28th, 1599, resulting in the victory of the ruler of Wallachia. Falling into the hands of a group of Székely peasants (who fought on Michael the Brave’s side), Andrei Báthory was killed on October 31st.
At the head of his victorious army, on November 1st, 1599 (425 years ago), Michael the Brave entered Alba Iulia in triumph, marking the peak of his political and military achievements. This was later followed by the proclamation of the Unification of Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia under a single ruler in May 1600, when Michael the Brave declared himself “Lord of Wallachia, Transylvania, and all of Moldavia”.
Honouring the memory of the architect of the first Unification, 150 years ago, on November 8th, 1874, Bucharest, the capital of Romania, unveiled to the public the city’s first equestrian statue, depicting Michael the Brave. The creator of the statue, French artist Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, used documentary material provided by Alexandru Odobescu and painter Theodor Aman as a guide. On September 11th, 1877, at the order of Prince Carol I, two cannons, captured after the conquest of the Ottoman redoubt Grivița I on August 30th, 1877, were placed on either side of the statue.
The images on the postage stamps reproduce a painting by Stoica Dumitrescu titled “The Triumphal Entry of Michael the Brave into Alba Iulia” (face value of Lei 25), an engraving of Michael the Brave’s portrait created in 1601 by Aegidius Sadeler in Prague, alongside a period print of the Battle of Șelimbăr (face value of Lei 6), and the equestrian statue of Michael the Brave(face value of Lei 5).
The First Day Cover adds, alongside a drawing by Constantin Lecca, the obverse of an anniversary medal dedicated to “Voivode Michael the Brave”.
Romfilatelia thanks to the representatives of the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia for their collaboration and documentary support in developing this postage stamps issue.
