"Icons and Martyrs in the Romanian Space" - a history lecture and an icon exhibition/workshop.

The series of three events dedicated to Romanian spirituality and historiography organized by ICR Beijing began on April 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM in the MUSI hall at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). It started with a lecture about Gheorghe I. Brătianu (1898-1953), the martyred historian of the Romanians, on the 70th anniversary of his death. The lecture was given by one of the most balanced and respected historians of the interwar period, Dr. Alin Spânu. Alin Spânu holds a Ph.D. in history, is an associate professor at the Faculty of History, University of Bucharest, and the author of volumes on the history of interwar Romania.

The event was organized with the support of Prof. Dr. Dong Xixiao, the pro-dean of the Department of Romanian Language at BFSU. The lecture was presented to Chinese master's and bachelor's students from four of the most important universities in Beijing where Romanian is studied. Prof. Dr. Dong Xixiao considered the meeting of students with a Romanian professor as a historic moment since they rarely have the opportunity to meet and listen to a Romanian professor. The lecture lasted for approximately two hours and concluded with questions from the Chinese students, expressed in perfect Romanian, which impressed the guests. At the end of the lecture, historian Alin Spânu donated three copies of his most recent books to the three Romanian language lecturers in Beijing.

The event aimed to highlight Gheorghe I. Brătianu as the founder of geopolitics as a science, a Romanian historian, and a university professor, as well as a full member of the Romanian Academy. These aspects of his personality are little known among foreign researchers and even less so in China. Gheorghe I. Brătianu's work, equally little known, is one of the most objective and convincing arguments for the unity of the Romanian people.

Continuing with the project "Icons and Martyrs in the Romanian Space," on Saturday, April 29th, at 10:00 AM, at the ICR Beijing headquarters in the Galaxy SOHO building, the vernissage of the icon exhibition "Byzantine Iconographic Art" was inaugurated. The exhibition was created by master iconographer Cristina Cîmpianu from the Museum of the Romanian Peasant. At the beginning of the vernissage, historian Alin Spânu introduced the audience to the church painting in the Romanian space, which is entirely Byzantine, and iconographer Cristina Cîmpianu talked about the significance and importance of icons in Romanian Orthodoxy. Cristina Cîmpianu's iconographic art offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional Byzantine style, combining modern techniques with ancient traditions. Her works were appreciated by the Chinese audience for their craftsmanship, attention to detail, and spiritual themes.

The vernissage continued with four consecutive icon painting workshops from April 29th to May 2nd, daily from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, prepared for Chinese visitors. These workshops attracted a diverse audience, and especially young participants showed interest and curiosity about Byzantine iconography.