Pages: 504-516

The author reviews some debatable issues of life and deeds of Tara Romaneasca’s ruler Constantine Brancoveanu. During his rule, Constantine Brancoveanu showed himself as an advocate of the Orthodox faith, first of all. He aimed to reestablish the united Orthodox area on the Balkans by driving away the Turks from Europe and destroying the Austrian Habsburgs’ efforts to subdue the Orthodox church to the Pope of Rome on the captured territories. The rulers’ cultural and educational activities to support the Orthodox faith were expanding across the boundaries of the Balkan peninsula. During Constantine Brancoveanu’s rule Tara Romaneasca was thought to be a protector of all oppressed Orthodox believers. The ruler’s most active efforts were aimed at building military and political unions against the Turks. These unions had to involve Orthodox nations of the Balkans. In his foreign policy he relied, primarily, on Russia as an orthodox state, hoping to get free from the so called “Turkish presence” with its help and to fight the Catholic expansion. Constantine Brancoveanu died because of a treason. Another issue considered by the author of this article is confessional aspect of interethnic relations.