DESTINUL UNEI DOAMNE N ISTORIA MOLDOVEI.

MITURI I REALITI DESPRE ECATERINA CERCHEZOAIC

A DOUA SOIE A LUI VASILE LUPU
Lilia Zabolotnaia
Este cunoscut faptul c cerchezoaicele erau de o
frumusee extraordinar i aveau reputaia de mirese de invidiat. nfiarea frumoas a fetei a fost
ntotdeauna un bun preios, dar, pe lng aceasta,
cerchezoaicele posedau caliti de soii nelepte,
bune la suflet i bune gospodine. Din copilrie
fetele cercheze, nscute n familiile nstrite, se
educau sistematic i se pregteau ntr-o manier
special pentru viitoarea via de familie. Cstoria cu o fat cerchez avea i o pronunat conotaie politic, ntruct asigura stabilitatea relaiilor
militar-politice i diplomatice cu ara nrudit, de
aceea fetele cercheze au fost ntotdeauna cerute i
dorite ca soie.
La mijlocul secolului al XVII-lea ara Moldovei se
afla n mijlocul unei reele complexe de interese
internaionale i geopolitice ale Poloniei, Rusiei,
Turciei, avnd o relaie tensionat cu vecinii si
Muntenia, pe de o parte, i cazacii i ttarii, pe
de alt parte. Politica domnului rii Moldovei,
Vasile Lupu, care a domnit circa dou decenii
(1633-1654), intrat n istorie ca o perioad de
schimbri profunde, n special n domeniul culturii, purta un caracter profund strategic. De aceea,
ncheierea unei cstorii cu o fat dintr-o familie puin cunoscut, dar rud a hanului Crimeii,
urmrea un oarecare interes, inclusiv o motivaie
politic pronunat. Dar, dup cum arat sursele
epocii, tocmai aceast cstorie a demonstrat o
istorie de familie extraordinar, plin de iubire i
nelegere.
n acest articol vom ncerca s evideniem povestea vieii unei fete cercheze, care devenind soia
domnului Moldovei, a jucat un rol important nu
numai n viaa personal a domnului, n destinul
fiicelor lui, dar s-a manifestat i ca un filantrop
generos i patron al bisericilor i mnstirilor din
Moldova, iar n perioadele de criz ale soului i
fiului a artat capaciti de politician talentat.
Caracteriznd situaia istoriografic a problemei
studiate, este important de menionat c ea s-a
Tyragetia, s.n., vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, 2013, 97-110.

aflat n vizorul cercettorilor, n special romni.

Printre primii care s-au referit n lucrri la istoria
femeilor din principatele romneti a fost Nicolae
Iorga (Iorga 1910; Iorga 1911; Iorga 1932; Iorga
1937; Iorga 1992). n lucrrile sale fragmentar
se menioneaz c a doua soie a lui Vasile a
fost o rud a Hanului ttresc, o mare frumuse circasian, care, botezndu-se, lua numele
cretinesc de Ecaterina (Iorga 1911, 33-34; Iorga
1992, 46).
n 1928 a fost publicat monografia istoricului
romn Nistor Oltea O circazian pe tronul Moldovei (Oltea 1928), consacrat Ecaterinei, dar
cartea a devenit o raritate, iar noi, din pcate, nu
am avut posibilitate s-o consultm. n 1933 a aprut primul volum al lucrrii lui Constantin Gane
(Gane 1991, 206-218), dedicat soiilor i fiicelor
domnilor Moldovei pn n sec. al XVIII-lea, n
care, ntr-o form tiinifico-popular, este descris cstoria Ecaterinei cu Vasile Lupu. n 1938
cercettorii romni C.I. Andreescu i C.A. Stoide,
n monografia tefni Lupu, domn al Moldovei
(1659-1661) (Andreescu, Stoide 1938), despre fiul
lui Vasile Lupu i al Ecaterinei, prezint parial
i problema vieii personale a Ecaterinei. Printre
cercettorii romni contemporani merit atenie
lucrrile lui Sorin Iftimi (Iftimi 1995a, 291-305;
Iftimi 1995, 423-440; Iftimi 1998, 329-345; Iftimi
1999-2002; Iftimi 2006b; Iftimi 2006a; Iftimi
2006), C.G. Toderacu (Toderacu 2010, 6-11),
P. Zahariuc (Zahariuc 2003), Constantin erban
(erban 1991). Istoricii din Republica Moldova
au abordat n mod indirect problema cstoriei
domnului cu o cerchez (Zabolotnaia 2008, 1644; Eremia 1999; Baidaus 2005, 175-179; Mischevca, Marinescu 2006, 82-96).
Cu toate acestea, n opinia noastr, pn n prezent n vasta literatura istoric cstoria lui Vasile
Lupu i Ecaterina este descris destul de superficial i nu vom gsi rspuns la multe ntrebri. n
primul rnd, ce interese politice urmrea Vasile
97

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L. Zabolotnaia, Destinul unei doamne n istoria Moldovei. Mituri i realiti despre Ecaterina Cerchezoaic

2011: . , .
.: . XX
23-24 , 2, (
2011), 293-305.
2004: . , . , , ( 2004).
1981: XVII-XVIII . ( 1981).

The destiny of woman in the history of Moldavia. Myths and realities

about Catherine the Circassian the second wife of the hospodar Vasile Lupu
Abstract
In this study the author came to some specific conclusions. In particular, it is safe to say that the marriage between
Vasile Lupu and Catherine was far from accidental. As the sources of the era attest, all the details have been well
thought out. Almost immediately after the death of his wife, Vasile Lupu sends the ambassadorial cortege to get
his second wife, hence not respecting even the basic mourning traditions. One may also assume that perhaps in
that situation government and political interests were high above his emotions. Vasile Lupu was an ambitious,
far-sighted politician and a brilliant strategist. His plan was to expand the Moldovan boarders. He prepared his
only son Ioan as future ruler of Wallachia. However, his plans failed after the sons death, and he was left without an heir. Vasile Lupu was well aware that he had to urgently resolve the dynastic crisis. He needed a young,
strong and healthy wife, able to give birth to his heirs. The choice fell on Catherine the Circassian. How and under
which circumstances this choice has been made remains an unsolved mystery. Unfortunately, we do not have any
sources that could provide a reliable answer to this question. At the same time, we do not deny the well-known and
hackneyed opinion in the historical literature that this marriage took place in a certain political context, for the
Moldavian-Tatar mutual support in the political, military and economic spheres.
List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Vasile Lupu, Catherine and their son tefan (Hlincea Monastery).
Fig. 2. Lady Catherine Cercheza (the Circassian), the second wife of Vasile Lupu (fresco in the Golia Church) (by
Nicolescu 1970, pl. CXCIIIb).
Fig. 3. Maria Radziwi (daughter of Vasile Lupu) and Catherine, wife of Vasile Lupu (fresco in the Church of Trei
Ierarhi, Iasi) (by Nicolescu 1970, pl. CCIII).
Fig. 4. Ioan, the son of Vasile Lupu (embroidery from the Church of Trei Ierarhi, Iai) (by Nicolescu 1970, pl.
CXXXVIII).
Fig. 5. Lady Tudosca, the first wife of Vasile Lupu (fresco in the Church of the Trei Ierarhi, Iai) (by Nicolescu 1970,
pl. CLXXIX).
Fig. 6. The Golia Church.

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109

II. Materiale i cercetri

:
. 1. , ( ).
. 2. , ( ) ( Nicolescu
1970, pl. CXCIIIb).
. 3. ( ) ( Trei Ierarhi, ) ( Nicolescu 1970, pl. CCIII).
. 4. , ( Trei Ierarhi, ( Nicolescu 1970, pl. CXXXVIII).
. 5. , ( Trei Ierarhi, ) ( Nicolescu
1970, pl. CLXXIX).
. 6. .

23.02.2013
Dr. Lilia Zabolotnaia, Institutul de Istorie, Stat i Drept al AM, 31 August 1989, 82, MD-2012 Chiinu, Republica
Moldova, e-mail: lilia_zabolotnaia2000@yahoo.com

110