National Day of Culture

Romanians are celebrating today 170 years since the birth of their national poet, an event marked both in the country and abroad

Daniela Budu, 15.01.2020, 14:00

The National Day of Culture and 170
years since the birth of Romania’s greatest poet Mihai Eminescu have been
marked for the tenth time both in Romania’s major cities and abroad. Now it
seems that there is no cultural institution in Romania left without a special
programme on January 15th, after the Chamber of Deputies in
Bucharest in 2010 endorsed a draft law under which the birthday of Romania’s
greatest poet became a Day of National Culture.

Eminescu has left an impressive
literary work ranging from poetry to translations from various foreign
languages, theatre plays and prose belonging to literary Romanticism. His works
were influenced by the major philosophical landmarks of Romanticism and of his
time. A poet, prose writer, playwright and journalist, Eminescu has been
considered by literary critics the most important poetical voice in Romanian
literature. Romanians in the country and abroad are participating in events
dedicated to their greatest poet whose masterpieces became landmarks and
pillars of Romania’s cultural life as well as a major part of the world
culture. Romanian actor Dorel Visan has referred to the perception people have
nowadays about Eminescu.

Dorel Visan: We don’t
actually have a good perception about him nowadays and I must add that
generations after generations have perceived him differently. He was first held
in high esteem, then he become a taboo, brought down from the pedestal, lifted
up again and after 1989 he got forgotten being no more than a renegade. And it
is not the young generation to blame, it’s the school, its teachers who are no
longer teaching Eminescu like they should. They are limiting themselves at
Eminescu as a Romantic poet, when actually his work is more like a symphony.

According to Romanian Minister of
Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu, Romanians are enjoying a series of cultural events,
related to his life and work, which are this year taking place concurrently.

Bogdan Gheorghiu: We have initiated a series of unitary
actions this year; a Culture Flame is to be symbolically lit as events related
to Eminescu’s birthday are to be staged in almost all Romanian cities. These
events are coming after an appeal we made to the local authorities, the
cultural institutions, county councils, city halls and they all welcomed and
joined this initiative of ours.

Iasi, a city in eastern Romania,
where Eminescu lived for a while, will be seeing an event, which is expected to
be attended by lovers of his poetry from Romania, from the Romanian-speaking
Republic of Moldova and also from Ukraine. The Day of National Culture is
marked by the representations of Romania’s cultural institutes abroad through
numerous cultural events including concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances,
literary events, poem recitals, film screenings and conferences.

(translated by bill)