Personalities of the Great Union. Ştefan Rusu, archpriest of Târgu-Mureş, important figure of
the Transylvanian Orthodoxy
The most important and remarkable Orthodox archpriest of Târgu-Mureş was Ştefan Rusu. The
relevance of this personality comes from his rich activity and the positions he held. He studied
to become a priest attending the Andrei Şaguna Seminary in Sibiu, while in 1902 he was put in
charge of the archpriest parish district of Târgu-Mureş, where he served until 1940. Ştefan Rusu
was an important voice during the Romanian national movement and, as any prestigious Romanian
intellectual; he was a member of ASTRA. During World War I the archpriest suffered the
oppression of the authorities and he endured much humiliation from them. He was deported in the
concentration camp of Nagymarton. After returning to Transylvania, Ştefan Rusu played his part
in the Great Union and attended the memorable event from Alba Iulia. During the inter-war he had
a decisive contribution to the process of nationalizing the administration in Mureş-Turda
county, on Romanian bases. His greatest achievement is the Orthodox Cathedral „Înălţarea
Domnului” from Târgu-Mureş, built between 1925 and 1934. Also, he was senator of the National
Liberal Party having several mandates.
RĂZVAN MIHAI NEAGU
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