AUTHOR: Costin CLIT
FOREIGN MERCHANTS ESTABLISHED IN GALATI AND THEIR ESTATES FROM ŞENDRENI AND DĂNCENI, COVURLUI COUNTY: RUSTEA OF SARHOROD. DOCUMENTS
Danubius, XXXIX, Galaţi, 2021, pp. 33-116.
Abstract
The study deals with the fate of the family of the merchant Rustea, who came to Moldova from the Podolian town of Sharhorod (modern-day Ukraine) around 1648, during the Cossack uprising. He fled the country during the reign of Gheorghe Stefan (April 1653; July 1653-March 1658), became the „friend” of Eustratie Dabija. By his generous consent, he returned to Galati, together with other merchants who have taken refuge. Rustea bought the village of Șendreni and a part of Dănceni, from Archimandrite Theona, former abbot of the Galata and Cașin monasteries. Together with the other merchants, he prepared a donation to the church in Sharhorod, without being able to materialize it. Some objects were brought and stored at the Probota monastery, then donated to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in Jerusalem. The merciful spirit the merchant Rustea had towards the places of worship was reflected, in 1671, by his donation to Cetățuia monastery. He donated a part of Șendreni and Dănceni, the rest being sold in 1817 to Brazi monastery by the nun Anastasia (in myrrh, Anița Rustea, Ioan’s wife). The documents documents comprised in this article reveal the evolution of Șendreni village, from the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century.