CONVOIUL (X) de Gheorghe Schwartz Tradus de / Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: The Convoy (X) – The Body of the Serpent Part I: The Serpent’s Body (Episode 18) In this tenth installment of the series, the hypnotic cadence of the march—"Left, right, left, right"—serves as the rhythmic heartbeat of a narrative steeped in surveillance and existential dawning. The protagonist finds himself caught in a psychological tug-of-war between the rigid discipline of his own "Convoy" and the magnetic pull of a parallel column moving on the horizon, the "Mirror Convoy." Key thematic layers explored in this chapter include: - The Architecture of Surveillance: The protagonist’s neighbors in the line—the "Guard," the "Redhead," and the "Giant"—act as more than fellow travelers; they are ideological buffers designed to obstruct his vision and warn him against the "malicious plans" of the opposition. - The Ouroboros Metaphor: The General’s cryptic promise of a future where "the serpent swallows its tail" introduces a chilling cycle of eternity. The protagonist grapples with the meaning of this totality: is it a state of perfection or a trap of infinite circularity? - The Subversive Gaze: Moving away from the programmed obedience of looking only at the ground or the back of the person in front, the protagonist begins to look "left and right." This peripheral awareness is triggered by the recurring presence of a solitary woman on the opposite side of the road—a figure dismissed by his peers as a "paid lure," yet perceived by him as a silent, persistent witness to his own existence.
De ziua mea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲
De ziua mea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract Title: On My Birthday (De ziua mea) Source: Fragment from the book Under the Sign of 12 (Sub semnul lui 12) by Ion Bogdan Martin This narrative fragment follows a young man on his birthday, May 1st, as he accompanies his pious mother to a secluded monastery near Bucharest. What begins as a peaceful, mundane Sunday morning—marked by a quiet walk along a sun-drenched lake—quickly evolves into a profound spiritual encounter. While his mother attends the liturgy, the protagonist meets a mysterious, barefoot old monk who possesses an uncanny, clairvoyant knowledge of his life, his education in journalism, and his future as a writer. The story takes a surreal turn when the monk invites the protagonist to his "dilapidated" cell, which proves to be a gateway to a hidden, metaphysical realm. Guided by a light that seems to defy physical laws, the young man descends forty symbolic steps into a cavernous chamber. In this "sacred laboratory" illuminated by twelve torches, he experiences levitation and witnesses a divine vision upon a golden table: a glimpse of the ongoing church service where believers are distinguished by bluish halos of light. The encounter serves as a spiritual awakening, challenging the protagonist's skepticism and urging him to honor his mother’s devotion while hinting at his own predestined path toward enlightenment.
România pierdută (XIV) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲
România pierdută (XIV) de Claudiu Iordache ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: Lost Romania (XIV) By Claudiu Iordache A profound and visceral meditation on national identity, Lost Romania (XIV) serves as both a stinging critique of social hypocrisy and a spiritual call to arms. Claudiu Iordache moves beyond the mere recovery of civil liberties, proposing a "messianic" evolution of the Romanian soul. He views the nation not as a collection of historical ruins or functional utilities, but as a living destiny—a "Heir Child" that remains unfinished and often abandoned by its own people. The text navigates several key philosophical dimensions: - The Responsibility of Love: The author distinguishes his "filial exigency"—a harsh, demanding love born from high expectations—from the "comfortable love" of the masses that tolerates decay. - The Metaphysics of Freedom: Freedom is described as an inward escape, a return to the source. Iordache warns that Romania "withers in the hands of those who do not desire it," framing the nation as a fragile reality that requires constant, conscious cultivation. - The Revolutionary Legacy: Reflecting on the 1989 Revolution, the author describes it as the nation’s "crown," a moment of self-redemption. However, he warns of a continuing "hemorrhage of energy" and a looming Choice where a single wrong step could lead to the ultimate loss of the country. Concluding with a haunting epilogue from the balconies of the Timișoara Revolution, Iordache’s work is an "exalted consent to defeat" that paradoxically seeks to plug the void through which nothingness enters humanity. It is a testament to a "strange inheritance" that can only be preserved through absolute responsibility and unconditional, yet lucid, devotion.
Matematică, psihologie ritualică și anatomie la Cultura Cucuteni din Eneolitic ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲
Matematică, psihologie ritualică și anatomie la Cultura Cucuteni din Eneolitic ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem în cultură! De Cristian Horgoș Abstract: Mathematics, Ritual Psychology, and Anatomy in the Eneolithic Cucuteni Culture By Cristian Horgoș This study provides a radical re-evaluation of the Cucuteni-Trypillia civilization, moving beyond traditional archaeology to uncover a sophisticated "Pre-Academic" system of knowledge. Cristian Horgoș argues that the Neolithic inhabitants of the Carpatho-Danubian space possessed advanced insights into mathematics, ritual psychology, and anatomy—demonstrated by ceramic pigments that have outlasted modern industrial dyes by seven millennia and complex ritual choreographies (such as the Frumușica Hore) that suggest organized forms of education. The article places a significant focus on the Pre-Antiquity of Universal Constants, challenging established Western chronologies: Cucuteni vs. Stonehenge: While mainstream history often cites Stonehenge (3100–2200 B.C.) as a primary example of early Fibonacci-coded architecture, the author identifies similar geometric and numerical progressions in Cucuteni artifacts that predate the British megaliths. This suggests that the "Divine Proportion" and the Fibonacci sequence were not isolated discoveries, but a shared—and perhaps earlier—mental framework in the Eneolithic Balkans. Geometric Symmetry: Drawing on the work of Jung and modern symmetry analysis, the text posits that the Cucuteni mind used translations, rotations, and reflections in ceramic painting that mirror what we now call (Hyper)Euclidean geometry. Ultimately, Horgoș advocates for a shift in international perspective: rather than viewing the potter's wheel as a mere "utilitarian" invention, we should recognize the Cucuteni culture as an intellectual pinnacle where the "Divine Proportion" bridged the gap between the mundane and the sacred long before the rise of Greek philosophy.
La Hanul lui Șchiopu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲
La Hanul lui Șchiopu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: At the Lame Man’s Inn (La Hanul lui Șchiopu) By Ion Bogdan Martin Set in the dusty, windswept Bărăgan plain during a period of profound political unrest, this narrative paints a vivid portrait of "Hanul lui Șchiopu" (The Lame Man’s Inn) in the village of Nucetu. As autumn settles over the landscape, the inn serves as a refuge for broken souls, local peasants, and weary travelers seeking solace in the renowned wine of Lady Chriachița Mănescu. Against a backdrop of Turkish tobacco smoke and the haunting melodies of the famous "Zaraza," the story captures the transition of an era—where the abdication of the King and the looming shadow of Communism dominate the anxious whispers of the patrons. The atmosphere of melancholy is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious, imposing figure whose presence commands immediate attention. The plot reaches a tragic climax when a young, innocent girl, captivated by the stranger's aura, attempts a naive gesture of affection. In a moment of brutal reflex, the stranger—later revealed as a gendarme—ends her life, vanishing into the dark Bărăgan night. The story concludes with a chilling return to the status quo: the inn remains a place of desperate escape, where the music plays on, indifferent to the silent tragedy that has just unfolded.
REN 1.0, de Cristian Mladin ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲
REN 1.0, de Cristian Mladin ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem în cultură! ABSTRACT "REN1.0" Short Story by Cristian Mladin In this gripping piece of speculative fiction, "REN1.0" offers a daring, technological reimagining of one of Earth’s most enduring legends. The story follows Zenx, a rogue from the planet Kyros, who finds himself stranded on a primitive, snow-covered world after a lethal betrayal and a desperate escape through a galactic wormhole. With his ship’s propulsion destroyed and his partner eliminated, Zenx is forced to use his last remaining Kyrosian gifts—telepathy and hypnosis—to survive the brutal winter. In a final bid for momentum, he harnesses a herd of wild reindeer to pull his damaged craft across a frozen mountain peak. Seen through the eyes of a local father and his children in the valleys of Sweden, the sight of a figure in a snow-dusted red flight suit, gliding across the sky in a metallic vessel, births a legend that will transcend centuries. Cristian Mladin’s "REN1.0" is a masterfully crafted tale of cosmic irony, exploring how a fugitive’s struggle for survival became a civilization’s ultimate symbol of winter wonder.
CONVOIUL (IX) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲
This is the nineth part of the "The Convoy" series, presented in a bilingual Romanian-English format. "The Body of the Snake" continues the metaphorical exploration of a human column on a perpetual march, guarded by "Keepers". The narrative delves into themes of individual apathy versus the collective drive for survival, illustrating a moment where external incitements to rebellion are met with both longing and resignation. As the convoy moves from restrictive paths to expansive, multi-lane roads, Schwartz masterfully examines the shifting nature of social control and the internal psychological landscape of those caught in the march. CONVOIUL (IX) de Gheorghe Schwartz Tradus de / Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură!