Ten documentary films were launched within the "Prut Valley – Hearth of the Romanian Civilization" project funded by the Romanian Department for the Relationship with the Republic of Moldova. All the ten films were made in as many localities on both banks of the Prut River, and the production reflects their belonging to Romanianism, journalist Vadim Cheptănaru said in a news conference hosted by IPN.
"We chose to discover Romanianism and valorize it in the following localities: Ștefănești, Huși, Bivolari, Galati in Romania, and Costești, Leova, Cahul, Comrat, Vulcănești, Sculeni in the Republic of Moldova," said the journalist.
According to Vadim Cheptănaru, in three months of filming, they discovered events that took place hundreds of years ago, demonstrating the affiliation of the Romanian people from both banks of the Prut. There was another month of preparations, during which they looked for protagonists, interesting places, local guides, Bessarabian Romanians, who moved from one shore to the other. The people and the local public authorities were receptive.
The journalist noted that the documentaries present places about which too little is known in the Romanian space, but which have special historical, cultural and touristic value for this area.
For example, in Ștefănești there is a network of tunnels leading under the Prut, in Bessarabia, built by Ruler Stephen the Great himself to defend the country from the invading hordes of that time. Evidence of very old civilizations was found on both sides of the Prut, from the entire Romanian area. The house of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in Galati was visited, common elements of the Romanian traditions, customs, occupations were found, especially in the Prut Valley.
"The most indisputable proofs of the origin of the Romanian nation, from the Nistru to the Tisza, are preserved in the museums of localities of the Prut Valley: objects and facilities that are hundreds of years old, documents signed by great rulers, elements of the folk costume, coins and others – all remind of the unity of the banks of the Prut of yesteryear and of the same Romanian origin," said Vadim Cheptănaru.
Within the project "Prut Valley – Hearth of the Romanian Civilization", in parallel with the filming, a survey was conducted in the ten localities by the research company IMAS to determine the perception of the people from both sides of the relationship between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
According to Vadim Cheptănaru, the survey revealed mostly a brotherly and open attitude, as well as warm openness towards Romania among the Bessarabians in the Republic of Moldova.
In two weeks since their launch, the documentaries from the series "Prut Valley – Hearth of the Romanian Civilization" have been watched by 10,000 people, 140,000 single viewers. On social media and YouTube, they attracted almost 20,000 viewers.
