“Historical Dictionary of Moldova” in English presented in Chisinau

The “Historical Dictionary of Moldova” by Andrei Brezianu and Vlad Spanu – a unique reference book in the English language designed for the foreigners interested in Moldova – was presented in Chisinau. Produced at the US publishing house Scarecrow Press, the second edition of the dictionary contains hundreds of entries for personalities, places, institutions and important political, economic, social and cultural events in Moldova’s history. At the launch ceremony, the academician Mihai Cimpoi, chairman of the Writers Union, said that the dictionary is a useful and necessary work, especially because Moldova, with its history, problems, phenomena and celebrities, is not known in the world. The “Historical Dictionary of Moldova” forms part of a collection of dictionaries dedicated to other several dozens of European states. The book’s structure meets the specific typographic requirements and the entries are listed in alphabetical order. Compared with the first edition released in 2000, the present dictionary contains over 100 new entries, including items about monasteries and the historical sites in Moldova, well-known cultural celebrities etc. Professor Andrei Brezianu, the dictionary’s author, said that he aimed to present the facts in an unbiased way, to objectively describe the events, causes and reasons, without passing judgments, making assessments and bringing criticism and without sending unionist or pro-Russian massages. Yet, the dictionary has already generated disagreements among historians and writers in Chisinau, especially as regards the work’s preface, which includes a synthesis of Moldova’s history. Speaking about the dictionary’s informational role at global level, the historian Gheorghe Palade said that the book contains mistakes and lacunas and stressed the necessity of carrying out a thorough study of it in the academic environment in Chisinau. The dictionary will be launched on September 19 in Bucharest and will be later presented in Washington.