Legend of Martisor on stage in France

She has preserved national values and traditions even thousands of kilometers away and has managed to bring The Legend of Martisor to major stages in France, transforming the white and red thread into a universal story about rebirth, connection and identity. This is the story of Victoria Ștefaniuc, the talented and charismatic artist from Moldova, who has been living in Paris for many years and has staged in France a performance dedicated to the symbol of spring.

Through her theatre association “Balkoucha”, Victoria, who is the daughter of the late actor Victor Ștefaniuc, has succeeded in turning Martisor into an artistic talisman that brings together children, parents and entire communities.

For Victoria, the Martisor is more than just a symbol of spring; it is a metaphor for her own life – braided between Moldova and France, between roots and flight.

The braided Martisor is a representation of my life

“Thirty years in Moldova and 26 years in France. I am a combination of these two countries. The braided Martisor s a representation of my life,” Victoria told MOLDPRES.

It all started from love for her country and for national traditions, which she keeps deeply in her heart, wherever she may be.

“Long ago, I wanted to create a performance that would promote our traditions, but since I was targeting an unfamiliar audience, I had to look for something with unusual characters plus a metaphor, poetry… In Paris, the audience loves everything related to traditions; they are very curious. Then I realized that the French have no story or tale linked to spring. The Greeks have their mythology with the legend of Persephone and Demeter, Indian mythology also has the Spring Festival – the Goddess Saraswati – Goddess of knowledge and creativity, celebrated every spring. So, staging The Legend of Martisor emerged as something obvious,” said Victoria.

The performance was staged for the first time in 2018 at the Mandapa Theatre in Paris, a venue that welcomes storytellers from different countries, whether it is a dance performance, puppetry, or drama. Among the first spectators of Victoria Ștefaniuc’s creation on the French stage were the Ambassador of Moldova in Paris, as well as members of the Diaspora.

Victoria admits that the hardest part was finding a title for her performance.

“For us, the word Martisor is part of our vocabulary and we immediately understand what it means. In the West, however, I had to find a formula to justify the performance and its idea. I had to be clever here, and I named it in French: ‘Le Dragon et le Porte-Bonheur’. ‘Le Dragon’ is the Zmeu who stole the sun – who doesn’t like dragons? ‘Porte-bonheur’ in French means a kind of talisman that brings success, health, happiness. That’s how I found the key to success for this performance,” Victoria said.

Victoria’s performances are always eagerly awaited by the French public, who discover in her work a source of unique emotions, love of tradition, and self-discovery.

“The audience’s reactions are mostly about surprise, curiosity, the desire to discover something new. Children love the appearance of the Zmeu, as we usually like what frightens us. They like the character Snowdrop (in French ‘Le perce-neige’), which I also had to justify, because in Western culture snowdrops are not the first heralds of spring; in urban cities you don’t see snowdrops, only in the mountains. So, when I ask in the hall who the first heralds of spring are, children answer ‘Les jonquilles’, that is, daffodils,” said Victoria.

The performance followed by Martisor-making workshops

Victoria did not stop at staging the performance. She chose to go further and turn her love for national traditions and values into a way of braiding, from a white and a red thread, a distinct story at each event. This is how the idea arose of organizing creative workshops after the performance, in which participants make their own Martisor. Thus, those present have the opportunity to create a unique object, a symbol of spring, which they give to their loved ones, passing on to their family members the idea of the performance.

“In the West, creative making workshops are increasingly appreciated. While in the past the audience had a passive status, coming only to watch the performance, ‘visually consuming’ it, today the aim is to give them an active role: yes, they watch the show, but they also leave with a handmade object related to it. That’s how the idea came that after presenting the legend with puppets, we would make spring symbols together with the French audience. In this way, children will pass the idea of the performance to those at home, to their parents, grandparents… There is also an educational side: to whom exactly will you offer this Martisor?” the artist said.

Step by step, Victoria’s performance has won over the French public, who have the unique opportunity to experience vivid emotions in unison and create their own stories of tradition and culture.

“I have played and continue to play this performance very often in libraries; it’s a cultivated audience, and the organizers do everything possible to fill the libraries with new workshops and live art – performance. Naturally, after each performance in libraries, we make Martisor with white and red threads; children leave happy: with a new legend and with a symbol of spring. I hand out small explanatory leaflets so they can follow the protocol of offering the Martisor and tying it to a tree at the end of March,” the artist emphasized.

Artistic activity – a bridge for transformation and rebirth

Besides her artistic work, Victoria is also a specialist in drama therapy. In 2022, she obtained a Master’s degree at the Paris Descartes University of Psychology, specializing in “Art Therapy”. Her love of theatre and the knowledge she gained at the Faculty of Psychology have allowed her to turn art into therapy.

“It is clear that here, with this performance and this wonderful symbol of rebirth, of transformation (the word ‘transformation’ is the key to any therapy), we touch the invisible hidden within us – who is the person we choose to give this unique Martisor to? Not ten, as in Moldova, but a single one. What wish will we make at the end of March? A single wish, not ten… And when, in the workshops, I have for example a parent and a child who are creating together a symbol of spring, not only the actual thread is braided, but also the bond between them, perhaps a bond that has been lost with the invasion of screens and enrolling children in so many activities that they barely see each other anymore; the bond between parent and child becomes fragile, misunderstandings appear… This symbol, the Martisor, is a bridge to being together, to sharing, to creating, to savoring breaths and hearts beating in unison. Anyway, today, as an art therapist in a clinic with depressive patients, I can no longer imagine staging a performance without therapeutic meaning,” said Victoria Ștefaniuc.

United by Martisor

Today, on March 1, the first day of spring, Victoria is holding a Martisor-making workshop at a medical institution in the town of Meudon, near Paris.

“I am so proud that the clinic’s patients, people of different ages, will make this symbol of spring and rebirth together, all gathered in a room called ‘Salle de piano’ – the piano room with mirrors. We will all be there, from different backgrounds, but united by Martisor,” Victoria noted.

At the same time, in September, Victoria will present the performance “The Legend of Martisor” to children in the town where she lives – Issy-les-Moulineaux.

“The symbol of Martisor is in my heart and in the hearts of all Romanians, but I, as an artist, transform this idea into something lasting, going beyond all stereotypes. Because Martisor is not just a few threads pinned to the chest because that’s what protocol or our tradition demands; Martisor is a universal symbol that is worn as our heart tells us and whenever we are inclined and ready to love: in winter, summer, spring, autumn…” said Victoria.

Tour in Moldova – “The dearest audience is the one back home”

The success achieved in France has not made Victoria forget her roots, her native country, the place from which she took flight. Thus, The Legend of Martisor, staged in French, came to be presented in 2025 in several schools and kindergartens in Moldova, as part of an extensive tour by Victoria Ștefaniuc. The dearest audience is the one back home, Victoria says.

“It was the idea of the French Alliance in Chișinău. I contacted them to request help and support for my trip to stage this performance at the municipal theatre Guguta. They offered this support but also invited me to do a tour in April 2025 for kindergartens and schools with a French profile. Even though I have a job and a family in Paris, I accepted without hesitation. How could I refuse? Impossible!!! I staged the performance and was convinced that it is appreciated by Western audiences, but would it be appreciated by the audience back home? For me, one of the most precious audiences,” the artist mentioned.

The performances took place in Soroca, Cahul, Balti, Orhei, Hancesti, Chișinău. “I also performed at ‘Gheorghe Asachi’ Lyceum in Chișinău, where I studied myself. Everywhere I was welcomed with open arms, warmly. If only you knew how full my heart felt playing back home in French,” Victoria confides.

Martisor is a traditional symbol of spring, marking the rebirth of nature and the continuity of folk customs. Initially, it was made from a twisted red and white thread, worn on the wrist to protect the wearer and bring health and good luck. Over time, Martisor has evolved, while preserving its connection to local values and customs. In 2017, the tradition of Martisor was included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, thus recognizing its importance as a symbol of cultural identity and an essential element of traditional heritage.