INTERVIEW MOLDPRES // Moldova's culture minister says cultural relationship between Moldova and Romania strong, promising

Moldova’s Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan, along with his Romanian counterpart, Demeter András István, on his first official visit to Chisinau, visited the wooden church in the village of Vorniceni. This historical monument of exceptional value is currently undergoing an extensive restoration process with the support of the ALT Foundation for the Development and Support of Social Initiatives.

In an exclusive interview given with the MOLDPRES Agency, Minister Sergiu Prodan detailed the concrete actions taken by the Ministry of Culture, in order to document, protect and reutilize the country's historical heritage, with a special focus on religious buildings over a century old. At the same time, we discussed the Access to Culture programme, the National Strategy for Culture and Heritage 2035, the use of Eugen Doga's archive, the promotion of cultural tourism and joint projects with Romania.

MOLDPRES: Romania is an essential cultural partner for Moldova. The new minister, András Demeter, made an official visit to Chisinau just a few days after taking office. What did you discuss and how do you see the continuation of the Moldovan-Romanian cultural cooperation?

Sergiu Prodan: Minister András Demeter's visit to Chișinău, even during the first weekend of his mandate, was a symbolic gesture of openness and commitment. We had a warm and constructive discussion, in which we reconfirmed our common will to consolidate Romanian cultural projects and promote European heritage and values together. The visit's agenda included moments with a strong symbolic charge: attending the performance, Homework, in Butuceni, as part of the First National Congress of Memory, presence at the "Eminesciana" Festival in Straseni, and visiting the wooden church in Vorniceni, under restoration. These are clear signals that the cultural relationship between Moldova and Romania is solid and promising.

MOLDPRES: The recent visit to the wooden church in Vorniceni brought public’s attention to the importance of documenting and restoring valuable religious buildings. What concrete measures is the Ministry of Culture taking, in order to protect these monuments?

Sergiu Prodan: The visit to Vorniceni, with the new Minister of Culture of Romania, was indeed deeply symbolic. We wanted to convey a clear message: protecting heritage goes beyond mere legislative acts and strategies. Presently, we are working on a comprehensive process of documenting and cataloging the historical monuments of Moldova, an essential step for protecting our national heritage. All this work requires active presence, genuine interest, and close collaboration. The wooden church in Vorniceni is a striking example of rare beauty, and its restoration is possible thanks to the considerable efforts of the ALT Foundation and especially the exemplary involvement of the local community. This concrete case confirms the urgency of accelerating the process of documenting and cataloging historical monuments, especially churches dating back over 100 years. Unfortunately, many of these buildings lack clear documentation or are completely omitted from official registries. Therefore, we are undertaking a fundamental reorganization of the institutions involved: the National Heritage Institute, the Monuments Inspection Agency, the National Council of Historical Monuments and the Heritage Directorate of the ministry. The aim is to ensure much more efficient collaboration between them. Our vision is for each monument to be identified, properly documented, precisely delineated, and, where feasible, transferred to the direct management of the local community. A successful example is the Church in Dubasarii Vechi, which, together with the Donici family vault, has been fully documented and cadastrally delineated. Thus, the monument has been entrusted to the care of the parish community for a period of 49 years.

MOLDPRES: The Ministry is drafting the National Strategy for Culture and Heritage 2035. What does this document entail?

Sergiu Prodan: The strategy is a visionary document aimed at modernizing the cultural sector and bringing the public closer to cultural acts. It starts from an in-depth analysis of the current situation and proposes concrete measures to make culture vivid, more accessible, and more connected to society. It is a sustained effort by the Ministry, together with the UNESCO Regional Office and the European Union.

MOLDPRES: In last May, the Ministry of Culture launched the National Access to Culture Programme aimed at supporting ambitious projects in the field. The call for projects was also launched. How high the interest is and what comes next?

Sergiu Prodan: We have received over 360 requests, of which approximately 160 have been selected with implementation potential. Not all are mature projects, but intents that will be developed along with our subordinate institutions, from libraries, museums, concert halls, and theaters. The goal is to rebuild the relation between cultural centers and local communities. Decentralization was necessary, but led to the loss of collaboration mechanisms. We now want to reconnect these bridges.

MOLDPRES: Moldova has given the world remarkable personalities, such as the departed composer Eugen Doga. Do you have a strategy for protecting and promoting his works?

Sergiu Prodan: Eugen Doga is a major figure in our musical culture and a symbol of a golden era. To showcase his work, there is a need for involvement from critics, musicologists and historians, in order to explain to the public his contributions. On July 15, as part of the Access to Culture programme, we are organizing a tribute concert at the National Palace. It will not just be a concert, but an emotional journey into the life and creation of the maestro. Subsequently, this tribute will turn into a tour through the country's settlements. The maestro's personal archive is in the care of his family, especially his daughter, Viorica Doga, to whom we have provided every necessary support. The state has already acquired, through a contract, five musical works signed by Eugen Doga, transferred to the National Philharmonic. The copyright now belongs to the state. We aim to establish the Eugen Doga Culture Center, either under the Chisinau Municipality or the Ministry of Culture, to work as a museum, promotion space and complete archive.

MOLDPRES: There is intense discussion about artificial intelligence. What role do you think it could play in the culture field?

Sergiu Prodan: Nothing new under the sun. When books were handwritten, they took years and were valuable. Printing appeared – and everyone said: "It's a mockery, where's the art?" Photography came – "Painting is finished." Cinematography appeared – "People no longer go to the theater." Then came television – "Cinema is over." The same with radio. Every new tool was seen as a threat. Artificial intelligence is just a tool. If you don't know how to use it, others will use it on you. There's no problem using ChatGPT for drafting, translation, information search, or grammar checking. We must understand that artificial intelligence is not a threat, but a tool; it's important that we use it and not be used by it.

MOLDPRES: The government has recently approved significant amendments to the Cinematography Law. What new elements does this bring? Can we expect the development of film production in Moldova?

Sergiu Prodan: The main novelty is the creation of the National Cinema Fund, which will ensure sustainable financing for the industry. It's a more secure solution than an off-budget fund, as it has a clear framework for functioning. The fund will support film production through transparent rules, with clear allocations from the state budget. This is a decisive step for the development of the domestic film industry, thus ensuring real and sustainable growth of the national film industry.

MOLDPRES: The DescOperă Festival attracts more and more opera lovers to Butuceni. What plans do you have for the 2026 edition?

Sergiu Prodan: While earlier, only two or three people were coming – a soloist, an accompanist – now, at each edition of the DescOperă Festival, we manage to have real opera performances. Not just sung arias, but complete performances: with orchestra, choir and the entire artistic ensemble. The festival grows from year to year. We have agreed with Daniel Jinga to sign a multi-year agreement, so that the Bucharest Opera and Ballet Theater constantly participates in the festival. Next year, we want to bring ballet to Butuceni.