International Poetry Festival in memory of departed Moldovan poet held in Chisinau, Iasi

Chisinau, 14 May /MOLDPRES/ - Poets and literary critics from Moldova and Romania participate in the tenth issue of the Grigore Vieru International Poetry Festival. The event today was opened with laying flowers at the bust of the departed poet Grigore Vieru on the Alley of Classics in the Stefan cel Mare public garden from Chisinau. A moment of evoking the poet came next. The festival is held in Chisinau on 14-15 May and in Iasi, Romania, on 16-17 May.      

The moderator of the event, academician Mihai Cimpoi said that Grigore Vieru was the poet who, along with Ioan Alexandru, had re-established the sacred in the contemporary Romanian poetry. “His poetry works were highly appreciated both by great poets of the present times, Nichita Stanescu, Marin Sorescu, Adrian Paunescu and by first-ranking critics – Edgar Papu, whom he regarded the greatest contemporary Romanian poet, Constantin Ciopraga, Eugen Simion, Alex Stefanescu, Theodor Codreanu, Adrian Dinu Rachieru. Over 20 volumes with monographic character were published about him,” academician Mihai Cimpoi said.      

For his part, the head of the Moldovan Writers’ Union, Arcadie Suceveanu, said that Grigore Vieru remained, also in posterity, a quite popular poet, with many readers, with his works translated in more languages. “Grigore Vieru is s symbol of national revival and liberation, our everybody’s moral rock,” Suceveanu noted.  

In the context, writer Nicolae Dabija said that we should do our utmost to deserve the poets we have: Mihai Eminescu, Nichita Stanescu, Grigore Vieru, etc. “If we do not open their books, they will be angry with us. The Grigore Vieru International Festival is, in fact, a Romanian-Romanian festival, which united the two banks of Prut,” Nicolae Dabija specified.   

The first day of the festival will end with the Festival’s Awards Gala and a homage show, at the Licurici Puppet Theatre from Chisinau at 18:00.

On 15 May at 10:30, the Moldovan Academy of Sciences will host a scientific symposium titled, Grigore Vieru – Man of Sunday, organized by the Philology Institute.

The events dedicated to Grigore Vieru will continue in Iasi on 16-17 May.

The tenth issue of the Grigore Vieru International Poetry Festival is organized by the Grigore Vieru Cultural and Scientific Centre, Education, Culture and Research Ministry, Mihai Eminescu Romanian Cultural Institute, Chisinau city hall, Iasi city hall, Moldova’s Academy of Sciences, Moldovan Writers’ Union, Ion Creanga National Library for Children and other culture institutions.  

(Reporter N. Roibu, editor M. Jantovan)