Romanian Language Day celebrated in Chișinău through Great National Dictation and cultural events

The Republic of Moldova is celebrating Romanian Language Day on August 31. Officially named “Our Romanian Language” after the poem by Alexei Mateevici, the holiday has its origins in the period of the National Revival. In 1989, following pressure from tens of thousands of people gathered at the first Great National Assembly, the Romanian language was proclaimed the state language of the Moldavian SSR and the Latin script was reinstated.



From the Great National Assembly to the historic vote in Parliament

The writers of the 1960s–1970s generation were then on the front line, becoming pillars of the National Liberation Movement. Among them were Dumitru Matcovschi, Leonida Lari, Grigore Vieru, Nicolae Dabija, and Ion Hadârcă, who played an essential role in asserting national identity.





The decisions adopted on August 31, 1989 represented a victory for the National Revival Movement and an important step toward the proclamation of the Independence of the Republic of Moldova. Around 120,000 people from all over the republic took part in the first Great National Assembly, recalls writer Aurelian Silvestru.


“When 120,000 people gather in the Great National Assembly Square, coming from all over the republic, people came on foot to insist that the vote take place. It was then decided to put the issue to debate in Parliament. Clearly, there were different factions in Parliament, many who had fought for this until then, but they were in the minority; everyone had to vote. Then we, those who were in the square, surrounded Parliament and did not allow anyone to leave until the law on the language with Latin script was passed,” recounts Aurelian Silvestru in an exclusive interview for MOLDPRES.


Writer Aurelian Silvestru was one of the 66 signatories of the letter of September 17, 1988 addressed to the leadership of the republic, calling for the return to the Romanian language and the Latin script. More details about this historic decision, the building of a modern educational system and the appearance of the first private school in the Republic of Moldova can be found in the article published by MOLDPRES on Monday, August 31.



The path of the Romanian language in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova

The Declaration of Independence of August 27, 1991 mentions Romanian as the state language.

The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, adopted on July 29, 1994, reintroduced the phrase “Moldovan language,” at the insistence of a parliamentary majority led by the Democratic Agrarian Party, provoking disputes in society.

In 1996, President Mircea Snegur proposed amending Article 13 of the Constitution by introducing the Romanian language. The president’s legislative initiative was rejected by Parliament.

Only in 2013 did the Constitutional Court rule that the Declaration of Independence is the legal and political foundation of the Constitution, so that no provision of the Constitution can go beyond the framework set by the Declaration of Independence. The Romanian language once again became the official language in the Republic of Moldova.

On March 16, 2023, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted a draft law removing from national legislation the phrases “Moldovan language”, “official language”, “state language” and “mother tongue”. These expressions were replaced with “Romanian language”.



Events dedicated to the Romanian language

In Chișinău, the day’s program includes several cultural and educational events.

Starting at 09:00, in the Great National Assembly Square, the Great National Dictation will take place, now in its fourth edition. The organizers aim for around 3,500 people to participate this year: about 2,500 in the Great National Assembly Square and another roughly 1,000 in the districts and municipalities of the country, where similar events will be organized.

At 11:00, a festive meeting dedicated to Romanian Language Day will be held at the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, organized under the auspices of the Romanian Academic Council.

The program will continue in the evening, from 19:00, on the Eugen Doga pedestrian street, where the literary-musical performance “Romanian Language – the soul of the nation” will be presented.

Romanian Language Day has been celebrated in Moldova on August 31 since 1990. In Romania, Romanian Language Day has been officially celebrated since 2013, after the adoption of the law establishing August 31 as a holiday. Ukraine officially marks Romanian Language Day for the first time in 2026. The decision was taken by Decree No. 235/2026, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 12.