Poet Mihai Eminescu has been honoured today, January 15, in Chisinau city on the occasion of his 158th birth anniversary, Info-Prim Neo reports. Tens of Chisinau residents – writers, artists, city officials, politicians, teachers and students, young and older people – gathered today at the poet’s bust in Stefan cel Mare Park to take part in the traditional day of remembrance organised by the Writers’ Union. Earlier this morning, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin laid flowers at the bust on the Classical Writers’ Alley in the park. The head of state was accompanied by his advisors, department heads of the presidential apparatus, and the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Artur Cozma. City officials, headed by Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, laid flowers at the poet’s monument in the square of the National Theatre Mihai Eminescu, and then at the poet’s bust in the park. The Mayor stated that Mihai Eminescu is one of the supporting pillars on which the Romanian nation rests, and the proof is that Eminescu is not disputed by anyone, not even by those who are trying to split the nation into two separate peoples speaking two languages. The Mayor emphasised the topicality of Eminescu’s works and expressed hope that the national poet would be a guiding light, The Morning Star, for the municipality in 2008. Eminescu’s journalistic articles gave troubles to many of his contemporaries and would certainly inconvenience many people today if they were read in public, said writer Iulian Filip, adding that all Eminescu’s articles on Bessarabia are still valid today. In the afternoon, the International Centre Mihai Eminescu in Chisinau hosted a presentation of facsimiled manuscripts of the unmatchable national poet. According to Iulian Filip, similar events took place concomitantly in the main cultural centres of the Romanian space – Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj (Romania), Cernauti (Ucraina), Novi Sad (Serbia). Mihai Eminescu was born in Botosani on January 15, 1850; he debuted in the "Familia" magazine, with his poem “De-as avea”. He was a contributor to "Convorbiri literare" (“Literary Conversations”); director of the Central Library in Iasi, a professor, school inspector in the counties of Iasi and Vaslui; editor of the "Curierul de Iasi”(“The Courier of Iasi”) newspaper. Since 1877 till 1883 he was editor and then editor-in-chief at the "Timpul" newspaper, the period in which he wrote “Scrisorile” (“Epistles”), “Luceafarul” etc. He died on June 15, 1889, being buried in Bucharest at Bellu cemetery. The creation of the writer is composed of 290 poems; prose - “Fat-Frumos din lacrima” (“Prince Charming, The Tear-Begotten”),” Sarmanul Dionis” (“Poor Dionis”), “La aniversare” ("The Anniversary”), “Cezara”; plays - “Amor pierdut – Viata pierduta” (“Lost Love – Lost Live”), “Mira”, “Muresanu”, “Decebal”, “Gruia Sanger”, “Bogdan Dragos” etc. Eminescu is the best-known and most influential Romanian poet celebrated in both Romania and the Republic of Moldova.