Categorie: ALTculture – TEATRU

La pas, prin București, dar și prin istorie ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.104, 0/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract Strolling Through Bucharest, and Through History (Excerpt from the book Under the Sign of 12) Author: Ion Bogdan Martin Overview A leisurely spring stroll down Bucharest's iconic Calea Victoriei becomes a profound journey through time, dissolving the boundaries between the present day and the city's aristocratic past. Pausing in front of the historic Casa Vernescu (originally built in 1820 as Casa Lenș), the narrator experiences a vivid temporal slip—or a Tibetan tulpa—witnessing a romantic, 19th-century marriage proposal between the estate's original owner, Valachian boyar Filip Lenș, and his beloved Lisavette. Key Themes & Historical Vignettes As the phantom vision vanishes into thin air, the narrator encounters a living archive of the city: Colonel Stamatesco, a witty, 97-year-old retired aviator. The venerable veteran unfurls a rich tapestry of forgotten lore and oral history, linking the mansion to monumental historical milestones: - The Romantic Encounter: The colonel shares his grandmother’s firsthand account of meeting a young, dashing Count Leo Tolstoy at the mansion’s gates in the 1850s. - Political Intrigues: The transition of the estate from the Lenș heirs to the prominent politician George D. Vernescu, and its later dark transformation into a communist protocol house. - The Literary Ghost: The profound political shockwave caused by Romania's national poet and fierce journalist, Mihai Eminescu, whose final explosive article in 1889 forced Vernescu’s resignation. Conclusion Weaving magical realism with authentic historical chronicles, this excerpt captures the eternal spirit of Bucharest as the "Little Paris" of yore. It portrays a city where the past never truly dies—it merely lingers in the air, waiting to be rediscovered at a wrought-iron garden table or over a cold beer at the famous Casa Capșa, under the ghostly, mocking gaze of playwright Ion Luca Caragiale.

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.

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.