National Culture Day marked at Moldova's Academy of Sciences

Chisinau, 16 January /MOLDPRES/ - A festive meeting titled, Eminescu in poems and songs, dedicated to the National Culture Day, took place at the headquarters of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (ASM) on 15 January.   

The event was organized by ASM and the Romanian Academy and fits into a string of scientific and cultural actions on the common agenda. The meeting’s protagonist was composer, academician Eugen Doga, for whom the poems of Mihai Eminescu are full of music.  

In his greeting message, ASM President, academician Ion Tighineanu said, inter alia, that the day of 15 January, the birthday of poet Mihai Eminescu, revealed to the next generations through an amazing geniality and universality, was recognized and marked on both banks of the Prut river as the Day of the National Culture or the National Culture Day. He noted that this day gave us the occasion to celebrate together the culture, the spiritual traditions and values which define us as a civilized nation. ‘’On behalf of the Presidium of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences, I express sincere congratulations to the scientific community of Moldova and Romania, on the occasion of the National Culture Day and I come up with the urge to further join the efforts, in order to create as many as possible bridges of cooperation,’’ the ASM president stressed.      

For his part, President of the Romanian Academy, Academician, Honorary member of ASM Ioan-Aurel Pop said he was quite happy that Moldova and Romania were able to celebrate the National Culture Day together. Together – the ones from Bucharest, from Cluj, from Iasi, from Timisoara, from Baia Mare up to Constanta and from the Capriana Monastery up to the Voronet Monastery.   

”The Romanian nation does not bring, probably, exceptional things to the European concept. There are other privileged nations which are known in the world, but the Romanian nation brings a unique experience of life. It is about a community with roots in Rome, mediated through the independence of the second Rome, with a neo-Latin language, with a Christian Orthodox religion and a Church of the Byzantine and Slav model. While celebrating the national culture, we always return to Eminescu, to the spiritual heritage of the nation represented by him, to virtues, to values and also Eminescu gives us confidence in future. Who could write a nicer poetry dedicated to the Romanians and the country but Eminescu, when he said: “What I wish you, sweet Romania?.’’ the president of the Romanian Academy said.    

In continuation, Doctor Honoris Causa of ASM, professor, secretary general of the National Commission for UNESCO Constantin Rusnac said that it was significant the fact that the National Culture Day was marked on 15 January, the birthday of the poet Mihai Eminescu. Rusnac said the departed poet had left us a poetry heritage, journalism, prose with a deep philosophical substratum – a priceless treasure in which the man finds him/herself in all hypostases. ‘’The genius of Eminescu understood as well as possible the role of the Culture in the society. I gleaned just several thoughts the poet was promoting for the improvement of the society which he felt sick: ‘’There is no welfare without work; there is no culture without truth. For one to understand  the level of general culture of a nation, he/she should see what idols it has,’’ Constantin Rusnac said.      

The event ended with a music recital, within which singer, soprano of the State Opera from Vienna Valentina Nafornita sang the song, Ochiul tău iubit (Your Beloved Eye), lyrics by Mihai Eminescu, music – composer Eugen Doga, accompanied at piano by Marian Lungu.