Academia Catavencu

Caricatures of Romanian political figures. Produced in Germany by King Cards for Academia Catavencu, a weekly satirical magazine/website. All the cards have a decorative border. The indices are K, Q, V, A. The box carries a message in Romanian saying that politics can seriously damage your health! See the box►

Each court card and Ace in this pack has a caricature of a Romanian politician, with three further characters on the Jokers. According to a friend of Yasha Beresiner’s, those represented are:-

• Hearts – Ace: Ion Iliescu (first post-communist president). King: Silviu Brucan. Queen: Adrian Nastase (allegedly gay). Jack: Nicolae Vacariou.
• Spades – Ace: Emil Constantinescu (next president). King: Corneliu Coposu. Queen: Zoe Petre. Jack: Victor Ciorbea.
• Diamonds – Ace: Teodor Melescanu. King: Bartholomeu Anania. Queen: Corneliu Vadim-Tudor. Jack: Mugur Isorescu.
• Clubs – Ace: Petre Roman. King: Mircea Ionescu-Quintus. Queen: Ana Blandiana. Jack: Teodor Stolojan.
• Jokers – Left: the face is probably “Nae Catavencu”, a character from a political satire written in 1883 by I.L Caragiale. Middle: Florin Calinescu, actor. Right: Mircea Dinescu, poet/writer.

Above: Caricatures of Romanian political figures by Academia Catavencu. Double-ended courts. 52 cards + 3 Jokers in tuck box. Poker size. Date unknown but after 1991. Purchased in Brasov, Romania, in April 2017.