“On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the declaration of Moldova’s Independence, IPN News Agency decided to depict the portrait of the current Republic of Moldova. For the purpose, it provoked a number of people, including state officials, politicians, businessmen, civil rights activists and persons without posts and titles, but who have what to say. The generic picture is called “Thoughts about and for Moldova”.
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Composer Eugen Doga: I consider we haven’t yet reached states of health of the body called the state. We still ask for money from others and this is our oxygen cushion. The healthy body does not need an oxygen cushion, as a healthy person does not need crutches.
The Republic of Moldova on the 25th anniversary of its Independence sings, but cannot sing high notes and thus cannot win the contest. It cannot sing, but mounts the international stage. Composer Eugen Doga asks himself if this country has the right to go up the stage with such a voice. The artist sees Moldova very sad on the 25th anniversary because the elites of this country are preoccupied with something else than the problems of the state and the people.
The Republic of Moldova detached itself from the Soviet Union, but didn’t become free from sorrows, social, administrative, border and integrity related problems. “We have only borders with Romania, where it is not so necessary, even if the EU starts there. We do not have borders at the East. Others stay there and do not guard our borders. They guard the land stolen from us. These are not peacekeepers. If these are joint peacekeeping forces, they should stay there together. They enclosed their area and stay very far, close to Anenii Noi, in the wood, as the partisans,” stated Eugen Doga.
The composer said that we cannot speak about the European Union until we have a foreign army on our territory and there is no peace and harmony in society. “Which European Union will assume such a headache? The union with Romania is also out of question. We do not yet know what state we want to build. We celebrate 25 years of independence of the state, but what is the form of this state and is this form respected? Where does it start and where does it end? Who set these borders?” asked the master.
Eugen Doga: “Many of the people who took to the streets in 1990-1991 are no longer in the front line. Then, some of those shrewd pretended, as they do now – they say one thing, but do another one, in the personal interests. Twenty-five years have passed and we cannot yet understand what happens in this country. We only read that we are aggressors?! We aggressed those who stole our land and we endure this and even help those thieves, have held ‘talks’ with them for 25 years and pay their debts! Bravo!”.
The artist noted that a very large part of our people find the destiny abroad, not only those who collect strawberries or do housework for people in the West, but also the many people who work intellectually there. “I saw and knew them in Canada, America, Europe. These are extraordinary lads who graduate from school with honorable mentions and obtain scientific degrees and titles of champions in different areas in foreign countries. God gave us a special gift,” stated the composer.
Eugen Doga said the Republic of Moldova does not have symbols. “We play the anthem of the Romanian language, not the national anthem. The matter with the Romanian language is an imported political game because the country’s Constitution names it in a different way, as during the medieval feudal state. They pull us back there! I want to write the national anthem of this state, but wait for that moment to come. I hope the independence will not be only on calendar and that we will have not only a flag, but also another symbol that we could sing with pride in the language spoken today by the people, which would unite us all, not only those who live on this land, but also those who remained in the nation’s history after centuries and those who will come after us,” stated the artist.
Speaking about how Independence influenced his career, the composer noted that after 1983, none of his works has been bought in Moldova. Of the 27 CDs he launched, none was produced and sold here. He considers this is because unsuitable persons are named to particular posts, who are poor spiritually. “These are people who have no pain. They do not have this harmony with society and with the real world. I suspect that they do not feel the spiritual lack as they do not know what this is. If music is not recorded, nothing is produced and nothing is published. This is a kind of embargo on it,” he stated.
Eugen Doga would like the country’s Independence to be ‘filled’ with concrete content so that we are really independent and do not have foreign armies on out territory, are not dependent on poverty and foreign information channels. “Over 30 TV channels from outside disseminate information to our detriment and there are only two national channels. They tell us that there is no embargo on Moldovan products and that this is not the 14th Army, but something else and that the native people are not drafted into this army. How can we be independent? This land belongs to me to and I care about the fate of the people who live here. So, it is my fate too,” he stated.
On paper, the country is independent, while in reality it is not. Financially, it is not independent. The money accumulated by an elderly woman by working in the fields is stolen, as it the money that comes from abroad. Then these thieves come and make presents to the poor elderly people – by a pack of buckwheat or a so-called gratis dinner. “The Republic of Moldova is like a ridded house that cannot go on. How can we go on if we have so many problems that hinder us? We do not even know what state we want to have. The patriotism about which they speak so often means homeland that has special dimensions, a community, a language that unites all the ethnic groups, that is understood and loved by all the residents of this country,” stated Eugen Doga.
According to him, political stability is firstly needed for the purpose. Our elected officials may ultimately become tired of struggles for seats and bank counters. There should be decent living standards, at least at the level of the neighboring states. The spirit should have freedom as the people are often ready to deny everything else in his favor, so as to be able to sing, to speak, to feel free at home, to be sure that they are masters at home. They should have some poles placed in their front for the future. These poles can be a program for the future worked out with society, not in secret, after midnight.
Eugen Doga said we have many holidays, but do not know to celebrate at least the Independence Day. “I remember that in our village, after war, when there was grief, deportations and famine, the people on Saturdays and Sundays put on their best clothes and went to church, walked through the village to see other people and for others to see them. I think we should enjoy this day, which is more illusory than real, but we cannot life without illusions either. God help us so that the Ministry of Culture restored the national costume and the spiritual one too. For me, the good clothes are the music and if my music is not plated on the Independence Day or other holidays, this would be not a real holiday for me or will be a stolen holiday,” said the composer.
In ten years, the Republic of Moldova will yet exist. “We are an abandoned field, with weeds and thorns. We need a tractor with a large plow that will take out that healthy land. We have very good incomparable black earth and also good spiritual, genetic grounds. We have a lot of good people, but these are scattered. There are many good things of which we can be proud, but they are under those weeds,” concluded the artist.
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Eugen Doga is a Moldovan composer with high state awards. He is an Emeritus Master of Arts of Moldova, a laureate of the Order of the Republic, which is the highest state awards conferred in Moldova and also a People’s Artist of the USSR. In 2000, he was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania, the rank of commander, while in 2014 he received the National Order “Faithful Service”, the rank of Grand Officer. In the Russian Federation, he was awarded the Order for Services to the fatherland, Fourth Class. He also got the Golden Medal “Man of the 20th Century” in the U.S. He is also an associate member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. The Moscow International Film School conferred the title of Doctor Honoris Causa on him.
Anastasia Rusu, IPN
The articles of the series “Thoughts about and for Moldova” started to be published on July 18. Among the protagonists are: Dumitru Alaiba, Iurie Ciocan, Ana-Maria Tulea, Ion Manole,Olga Gagauz, Stella Ciobanu, Iurie Leanca, Victor Parlicov, Doru Curosu, Igor Meriacre, Valeria Seican, Ciprian Raetski, Andrei Nastase Ghenadie Galca, Arcadie Barbarosie, Valeriu Matei, Nicolae Botgros, Igor Dodon, Iulia Iabanji, Petru Macovei, Mariana Onceanu Hadarca, Maia Sandu etc.
