Alexis Nour

Alexis (Alexei Vasile) Nour
Born	1877 Bessarabia
Died	1940 (aged 62–63)
Occupation	journalist, translator, political militant, ethnographer, spy
Nationality	Imperial Russian, Romanian
Period	1903–1940
Genre	collaborative fiction, epistolary novel, essay, memoir, novella, sketch story
Literary movement	Poporanism, Constructivism

Alexis Nour (Romanian pronunciation: [aˈleksis ˈno.ur]; born Alexei Vasile Nour,^[1] also known as Alexe Nour, Alexie Nour, As. Nr.;^[2] Russian: Алексе́й Ноур, Aleksey Nour; 1877–1940) was a Bessarabian-born Romanian journalist, activist and essayist, known for his advocacy of Romanian-Bessarabian union and his critique of the Russian Empire, but also for controversial political dealings. Oscillating between socialism and Russian nationalism, he was noted as founder of Viața Basarabiei gazette. Eventually affiliated with Romania's left-wing form of cultural nationalism, or Poporanism, Nour was a long-term correspondent of the Poporanist review Viața Românească. Publicizing his conflict with the Russian authorities, he settled in the Kingdom of Romania, where he openly rallied with the Viața Românească group.

During World War I, Nour agitated against any military alliance between Romania and Russia. He stood out among Germanophiles and local supporters of the Central Powers, agitating in favor of a military offensive into Bessarabia, and demanding the annexation of Transnistria. This combative stance was later overshadowed by revelations that Nour was spying for Russia's intelligence service, the Okhrana.

Still active as an independent socialist in Greater Romania, Alexis Nour won additional fame as an advocate of human rights, land reform, women's suffrage and Jewish emancipation. During the final decade of his life, Nour also debuted as a novelist, but did not register significant success. His late contributions as a Thracologist were received with skepticism by the academic community.