Romania: Chronology

1841 • Ottoman EmpireElder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles passed through modern-day Romania on his mission to Jerusalem.

February 1, 1887 • Istanbul, Ottoman EmpireMischa Markow, whose mother was Romanian, was baptized in the Black Sea.

July 30, 1899 • Constanța, RomaniaArgir Dimitrov was baptized by Mischa Markow in the Black Sea, becoming the first Romanian to be baptized.

1899–1903 • Bucharest, Romania, and Temesvár and Brassó, Austria-HungaryOn two separate missions to Europe, Mischa Markow preached in Bucharest and in modern-day Timișoara and Braşov.

1914–1990 • Austria-Hungary and RomaniaThe last missionary serving in Brassó left shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Besides a few visits from missionaries and BYU performing arts groups, the Saints in Romania continued to operate in isolation through World War II and the subsequent communist rule.

February 8, 1990 • BucharestJust weeks after the Romanian Revolution, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Romania for the preaching of the gospel in Cișmigiu Park.

1990 • EuropeThe Europe Area Presidency organized a relief fund for Romania. Saints from across Europe sent truckloads of donations to the country. In September, humanitarian missionaries arrived in the country, and in December the first proselytizing missionaries arrived from missions in Italy and Yugoslavia.

March 24, 1991 • BucharestOctavian Vasilescu, Doina Biolaru, and Camelia Ionescu became the first converts to be baptized in Romania since the return of missionaries.

July 28, 1991 • BucharestThe first branch in modern Romania was organized in Bucharest with Octavian Vasilescu as branch president and Doina Biolaru as Relief Society president.

1992 • RomaniaDaniel Paun became the first person in Romania to be called on a full-time mission.

October 1992 • Frankfurt, GermanyThe first group of Romanian Saints traveled to the Frankfurt Germany Temple to receive temple ordinances.

July 1993 • BucharestThe Romania Bucharest Mission was organized.

September 22, 1996 • Bucharest and Ploiești, RomaniaThe first seminary and institute classes began in Bucharest and Ploiești.

October 1998 • Salt Lake City, UtahA complete Romanian translation of the Book of Mormon was published.

May 23, 1999 • PloieștiThe Ploiești România District was organized with Alexandru Chirilă as president. The Ploiești România District and the Bucharest Romania District were combined in 2009.

May 2000 • Bucharest and PloieștiThe first Church-built meetinghouses were dedicated by Elder Johann Wondra, an Area Seventy.

January 12–14, 2001 • BucharestThe first young single adult conference was held.

2004 • Salt Lake City, UtahThe Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price were published in Romanian.

May 16, 2006 • BucharestFollowing severe flooding of the Danube, Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke, offering comfort and encouragement to a congregation of more than 675 people, the largest gathering of members and friends in the history of the Church in Romania.

March 8, 2009 • Arad, RomaniaThe Arad Romania District was organized with Ovidiu Dorin Ursu as president. The district headquarters were moved to Oradea in 2011 and then to Cluj-Napoca in 2018.

February 2010 • Bucharest

Romanian Saints gathered in Cișmigiu Park, near the location where the country was dedicated, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Church’s presence in Romania.

August 28–29, 2010 • Kyiv, UkraineA group of Romanian Saints traveled to the Kyiv Ukraine Temple to participate in its dedication and preceding cultural celebration.

2017 • BucharestIn response to the Church’s worldwide relief effort “I Was a Stranger,” Romanian Saints hosted a movie night and provided hairdressing courses for local Syrian refugees.

2018 • RomaniaThe România/Moldova Mission and the Hungary Budapest Mission were combined to form the new Hungary/România Mission.

October 21, 2018 • Iaşi, RomaniaThe Iaşi România District was organized with Radu Stoica as president.