On the occasion of the National Day of Culture and the 174th anniversary of the birth of the national poet Mihai Eminescu, not only everything that is authentic in the national culture is celebrated, but also the fact that by cultivating and protecting our cultural authenticity, we can contribute to enriching the heritage of the entire humanity, writer Ivan Pilchin, vice-president of the Writers’ Union of Moldova, stated at a cultural event staged at Mihai Eminescu’s bust on the Alley of Classical Writers, IPN reports.
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, led by Minister Sergiu Prodan, were the first who came to the Alley of Classical Writers to lay flowers at the bust of Mihai Eminescu,. “It is a special day today in our country - the day great poet Mihai Eminescu was born and the National Day of Culture. Today we celebrate our culture, which is Romanian by definition and was also enriched by the cultures of other ethnic groups. It is the day when we honor those who devoted themselves to culture, either creators or promoters of artistic values,” said the minister.
Ovidiu Viorel Năftănăilă, first collaborator at the Romanian Embassy in Moldova, said that January 15, when the National Day of Culture and the birthday of national poet Mihai Eminescu are celebrated, is one with special symbolic significance for Romanian culture. “It is celebrated at the same time on both banks of the Prut. It is a day when we look with pride at the past that brought a lot of cultural personalities into the focus of universality. At the same time, it is a day when we must look confidently into the future. 2024 is a year in which, we hope, artists, creators will reconnect with the public. At the same time, it is a year in which we live in a new paradigm – the Republic of Moldova opens the chapter of negotiations with the European Union. The Republic of Moldova is through culture, assimilated values, language part of the EU and Romania will always be by its side to support the Republic of Moldova on this path,'” stated the Romanian official.
Former Minister of Culture Monica Babuc, currently director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Chisinau, also came to lay flowers. “Mihai Eminescu is an emblematic figure for Romanian culture because he revolutionized the Romanian language. The way they wrote and published before Mihai Eminescu is totally different from what happened after the appearance of this great poet, this genius of Romanian culture. The Romanian language we speak today we owe to him,” said Monica Babuc.
The administration of the Chisinau City Hall initially laid flowers at the monument of poet Mihai Eminescu in “Mihai Eminescu” Square, and then also at the poet’s bust on the Alley of Classical Writers in the Public Garden “Ștefan cel Mare si Sfânt”. A poetry recital with Eminescu’s poems was also held. Deputy mayor of Chisinau Irina Gutnic said that the Culture Day is marked differently in all countries of the world. “In the Republic of Moldova, this day is celebrated together with the birthday of the great poet Mihai Eminescu, who was born on January 15, 1850. Today, at the age of 174, we met here to pay homage to the star of Romanian literature,” said Irina Gutnic.
“Through our literature, music, cinema, fine art, theater or dance, we can define our identity and sensitivity, communicate with other cultures, connect the circuit of ideas to the humanistic ideals of the world that is in permanent transformation,” said writer Ivan Pilchin, vice-president of the Writers; Union of Moldova.
The National Day of Culture was established in April 2012 and aims to promote national culture, authentic cultural values, as well as artistic personalities from the field of culture.
