Elena Alistar-Romanescu | |
|---|---|
 Alistar on a 1996 stamp ofMoldova | |
| Member of theMoldovan Parliament | |
| In office 1917–1918 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1873-06-01)1 June 1873 Vaisal,Ismail County,Romania |
| Died | 1955(1955-00-00) (aged 81–82) Pucioasa,Ploiești Region [ro],Romanian People's Republic |
| Resting place | Bellu Cemetery,Bucharest |
| Political party | Moldavian National Party |
| Spouse | Dumitru Alistar |
| Alma mater | Medical Faculty of the University of Iași |
| Occupation | politician |
| Profession | physician |
Elena Alistar-Romanescu (1 June 1873 – 1955) was aBessarabianphysician andpolitician who was part ofSfatul Țării from Bessarabia.[1][2]
She was the aunt of poetMagda Isanos.[3]
Alistar was born on 1 June 1873 inVaisal commune, at the time inIsmail County,Romania (now inOdesa Oblast,Ukraine). According to some historical sources, she was ofBessarabian origin. She was born in a family of priest Vasile Bălan. Her mother was Elisabeta Bălan.[4][5] She graduated from primary school ofCongaz ofCahul County, and then, attended theChișinău Eparchial School. There she met the young theologian Dumitru Alistar. They married. After a while, her husband became a priest and she followed him. Since 1890, she worked as a teacher in the such villages asVăleni,Roșu,Zîrnești,Cahul, Rezeni, andChișinău.[4] After her husband's death, she was encouraged by the journalist Mihai Vântu to leave forIași, Romania. In 1909–1916, she attended theMedical Faculty of the University of Iași.[6] She was arrested for "nationalistic activity" together with the members of Daniel Ciugureanu's group. The group has claimed the need for forced liberation of Bessarabia from the Russian influence.[7] In 1916, she was recruited by the army as a military doctor. She continued to practice medicine at Costiujeni Hospital nearChișinău.
She was the member of the Moldavian National Party and was elected as an MP from theCetatea Albă County for theSfatul Țării.[8][9] She was one of the two women elected as MP, and actively took part in the political events that led to Bessarabia's unification with Romania. On 27 March 1918, she voted for theUnion of Bessarabia with Romania. The other woman MP,Nadejda Grinfeld, was shot by the Romanian Army for opposing such an unification.
Alistar founded the Women's Cultural League of Bessarabia. She was the president of thePeople's Party, founded byMareșalAlexandru Averescu, who was also originally from Babele, a commune nearIzmail,Budjak which was at the time in theUnited Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia and is now inUkraine. The newspaper"New Romania" was founded and headed byOnisifor Ghibu, in which have been published many articles signed by Elena Alistar.[10] In 1927, she established in Bessarabia theRomanian Women Group.[11] She became famous for her activity for the Romanian Women Orthodox Society which operates under the patronage of Mrs.Alexandrina Cantacuzino.[12] After theSoviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina of 28 June 1940, she fled toRomania. After a short stay inIași, she was arrested by theCommunist regime[13] and sent to the town ofPucioasa, then inPloiești Region [ro] and now inDâmbovița County, where she died in 1955.[14] Years later, she was reburied at theBellu Cemetery inBucharest.[15]
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