Grigore Vieru commemorated at event dedicated to unification of Romanian Principalities

People of culture, politicians and ordinary citizens, mostly elderly, gathered Saturday at the Writers Union’s building to mark 150 years since the unification of the Romanian Principalities. The event started with a moment of silence for departed Grigore Vieru, Info-Prim Neo reports. “This January 24 we mark two events which, through their significance, interweave. We a jubilee from the political unification of the two Romanian countries and we commemorate Grigore Vieru. If Alexandru Ioan Cuza joined the two countries politically, Grigore Vieru welded them through his word. He wanted us to accomplish his ideal, which coincides with the one of the forefathers of 1859,” said Nicolae Dabija, the president of the Democratic Forum of Romanians from Moldova, who assumed the organization of the event. Singer Mihai Ciobanu sang songs on Vieru’s lyrics. “For me Grigore Vieru meant an important turn in my artistic activity. I thank him for this. He was advisor, a parent to me. We used to meet when he had a poem or a piece of advice for me,” Ciobanu said. “Unfortunately Grigore Vieru’s departure coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Unification of the Romanian Principalities. It’s natural to mark these events together, because Grigore Vieru was a great advocate of the Romanians’ unification, a great poet and a great spirit of the Romanianism,” said writer Valeriu Matei. A candle was lit on the stage of the hall in the memory of Grigore Vieru, while the choir of Prometeu high school snag the poet’s verses. Grigore Vieru died on January 18, following a car accident near Chisinau. On February 14, the poet would have turned 74. He is famous for his poems about mother, nation and motherland and is considered a symbol of Romanianism in Basarabia. Moldavia and Wallachia joined in 1859 and the unification is linked to prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza as he was elected the prince of Moldavia on January 5, while the parliament of Wallachia elected him as prince on January 24.