Romfilatelia, the specialized company issuing and trading philatelic items in Romania, releases the postage stamp issue entitled “Michael the Brave: which includes one postage stamp of 3,000 Lei (ROL), that represents Michael the Brave’s statues from Bucharest.
Michael the Brave was the ruling prince of Wallachia between September 1593 and August the 9th 1601. He was also a pragmatic politician with a high level of political knowledge and expertise in the major social and political issue of his time, as well as a great army leader. With his victory over the Turks and Tatars, he succeeded to free Wallachia from the Ottoman political, economical and military authority. After a series of wining battles, Michael the Brave made peace with the Turks in 1598 and managed to obtain non-interference from the Ottoman Empire in Wallachian internal policy. These victories led to military and political strength. Thus Wallachia became, under his rule, the main pillar of the unity of the Romanian country.
After he defeated the army of the Transylvanian prince Andreas Bathory, on the 28th October 1599, Michael the Brave conquered Transylvania and in 1600, after a quick campaign, conquered Moldova, were Jeremiah Movila, appointed by the Polish, had recognized the Ottoman suzerainty. This way, Michael the Brave fulfilled, in 1600, the first union of the Romanian country entitling himself “I Michail voivoda, by God’s mercy, ruler of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia.”
His wars and his brilliant victories against the Turks had a European echo. They raised the interest of the whole Christendom and were very discussed in Europe. The news of his victory spread over the whole continent. His name was mentioned with great esteem and hope for moving off the Ottoman danger.
For the Romanian people’s history, the Union from 27th May 1600 is of great importance. Michael the Brave was the man who achieved, for the first time in history, the unification of the Romanian countries. Although it wasn’t a long term state of facts, the Union from 1600 won a symbolic value in the history of the Romanian people and the leader became an example for the descendants.
Michael the Brave – the hero from Calugareni and Selimbar – had a tragic ending on the field of Turda, but entered the Romanian consciousness as a legendary person, symbolizing the idea of independence and state unity.
