Teodor Barsan

Born February 29, 1944, in the northwestern Maramures region, at 16 he learned from his father the artistic wood processing craft. And from “old” Mihai Utase of Calinesti, he he learned to carve gates; and from Stan Patrancu from Sapanta, the skill to create roadside crucifixes and crosses.

At present, Teodor Bârsan carves not only crosses, crucifixes, and gates, but also utilitarian objects including furniture, bottom drawers, spoons. He carves with a chip axe and halberd, for choice oak wood. He passed his craft to his two sons, though one graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and the other from the Faculty of Theology.

One can find in the whole region of Maramures roadside crucifixes carved by him of which the most famous are those from the Rohia Monastery, and from Moisei; in Bucharest there is a roadside crucifix in front of the Romanian National Television; Timisoara in front of the Orthodox Cathedral; Galati at the Vladimiresti Monastery; and also abroad in Serbia on the Timocu Valley as well as in Canada and Belgium.

In an old house, he established a museum much appreciated by local people as well as foreign tourists. In 2001, he participated in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.