VIDEO // Moldovan culture minister says National Culture Day unites two banks of Prut River in celebration of values

Culture Minister Cristian Jardan has conveyed a message of appreciation to employees in the cultural field, emphasizing the essential role of culture in preserving national identity and the need to protect the cultural heritage of  Moldova. On the occasion of January 15, the official laid flowers at the bust of poet Mihai Eminescu on the Alley of Classics from Chisinau, noting that this symbolic date unites the two banks of the Prut River, with culture being celebrated both in Moldova and in Romania.

The minister highlighted the importance of recognizing the efforts of more than 17,000 people working in the cultural sector of Moldova.

“Congratulations to you all, and I wish you success in all your activities. May your work be appreciated and may more and more spectators come to theatres, concerts, museums, performances and cultural events. All of them are worth seeing and are becoming increasingly valuable throughout the country,” added Cristian Jardan.

Today morning, the minister laid flowers at the bust of Mihai Eminescu on the Alley of Classics in Chisinau, expressing respect and gratitude for the poet’s contribution to Romanian literature and national identity.

“This is a day that unites the two banks of the Prut and, at the same time, brings us together as a society in the celebration of cultural values. On this patch of land, we have the joy and privilege of enriching our culture with the one of the Ukrainian, Gagauz, Bulgarian and Jewish ethnic communities. We have a rich culture that we must value, love, preserve and develop, because it defines us and promotes us in the world,” the official concluded.

January 15 is marked both in Romania and Moldova, as an occasion to celebrate cultural values and national heritage. In Romania, the National Culture Day was established in 2011, with the date chosen to coincide with the birth of the national poet Mihai Eminescu (1850–1889). The initiative was adopted through a draft law voted by the Chamber of Deputies on November 16, 2010, at an initiative by more deputies and senators.

In Moldova, the same day is celebrated as the National Culture Day, according to a decision of the parliament adopted in 2012. The choice of January 15 underscores the cultural connection between the two states and the importance of promoting and protecting national heritage.

Moldova has 39 cultural institutions for which the Culture Ministry is the founder, more than 130 museums, approximately 2,600 libraries, and almost 1,200 cultural centers managed by local public authorities. Behind these figures, there are people who work daily, so that literature, theatre, music, dance, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as contemporary creation can reach the public.