Sergiu Grossu


Sergiu Grossu was a Romanian writer and theologian.

Biography

Sergiu Grossu was born to Ion and Maria Grossu on 14 November 1920 in Cubolta. In 1927, his family moved to Bălţi, where he was a classmate of Eugen Coşeriu. He published in Viaţa Basarabiei. He graduated from the University of Bucharest with degrees in theology, philosophy and modern philology. Following the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, he became a refugee in Bucharest. In the wake of the Soviet occupation of Romania, he joined Oastea Domnului, a spiritual renewal movement of lay volunteers as well as clerics, associated with the Romanian Orthodox Church. The organization was outlawed during the communist rule; his pseudonym was Simion Cubolta.
In April 1957, he married Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu, a graduate of Bucharest Conservatory, relative of Iuliu Maniu and former political detainee. The Romanian movie Binecuvântată fii, închisoare and the book Prisoner Rejoice recount the story of Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu's grueling years of detention by the Romanian Communist Regime. On 7 March 1959 Grossu was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison for his activity in Oastea Domnului. He was pardoned in 1962. The communist dictatorship then denied him all but manual employment.
Sergiu Grossu and his wife migrated to France in 1969. There they founded the "Catacombes" publishing house, the association "La Chaine" and served as editors of the monthly magazine Catacombes. He hosted the radio show "Lumea creştină" on Radio Free Europe, and lectured in Paris, Bordeaux, Versailles, Besançon, Dieppe, Tours, Blois, Poitiers, Nantes, Brest, Toulouse, Lyon &c.
On 18 January 1996, after 27 years in exile, Sergiu Grossu returned for good to Bucharest, bringing with him the mortal remains of his wife. In Bucharest, he founded Fundaţia Foştilor Deţinuţi Politici "Nicoleta Valeria Grossu", the publishing house "Duh şi Adevăr", and the association "Centrul de cultură creştină Nicoleta Valeria Grossu."
In Chişinău Sergiu Grossu founded Centrul internaţional de cultură pentru copii şi tineret "Sergiu Grossu" and sponsored the creation of the Muzeul Memoriei Neamului, led by his former classmate Vadim Pirogan.

Honours