National Culture Day

Romanians are celebrating National Culture Day.

Bogdan Matei, 15.01.2026, 14:00

For some time now, January 15 has been dedicated to the celebration of Romanian culture, both in Romania, in the neighboring Republic of Moldova (a country with a majority Romanian-speaking population), in the historical Romanian communities in other neighbouring states, as well as elsewhere in the diaspora. Established by Parliament in 2010, at the proposal of the then president of the Romanian Academy, university professor and literary critic Eugen Simion, Culture Day is celebrated on January 15, on the birth date of the national poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889). The latter is considered the last great representative of European romanticism, but also left behind a considerable body of work as a journalist with conservative views. Eminescu is in fact the focus of a literary event held by the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice, Italy. In Bucharest, Paris, New York, Warsaw, Vienna, Stockholm, Lisbon, Madrid, Brussels, Budapest, Istanbul and Beijing, all the branches of the Romanian Cultural Institute are these days hosting concerts, recitals, book launches and graphic exhibitions. Romania’s biggest cities, from Constanța (southeast) to Timișoara (west), and from Iași (east) to Craiova (southwest), are playing host to special cultural events.

Radio Romania, the only radio network in the country that has two stations dedicated exclusively to culture, namely Radio Romania Cultural and Radio Romania Muzical, is also celebrating January 15th through a marathon of news bulletins, interviews, special events and reports from events dedicated to National Culture Day around the country and abroad. Radio Romania Music dedicates the entire day to Romanian composers and musicians, with an emphasis on musicians who have become famous abroad. There is also no shortage of forays into the archives, with recordings from the Radio Romania sound library. The stations Radio Romania Regional, Radio Romania Antena Satelor, Radio Romania International, Redacția Minorități, Radio 3Net and Radio Chişinău have also prepared special programs dedicated to National Culture holiday.

January 15 is also the launch date of the largest on-demand radio theater collection in Romania. The new version of the platform provides a streamlined digital experience and real-time access to thousands of productions from the National Radio Theater archive, from classic shows and legendary stagings to contemporary works and recent productions. The new eteatru.ro also has an interface specially designed for children, the section offering the most beautiful stories and plays staged for the radio.