Romanian Language Day celebrated in Moldova, Romania on August 31

Today marks the celebration of Romanian Language Day in Moldova. The holiday traces its origins back to the years of National Revival. On August 31, 1989, during the Great National Assembly, the Romanian language was proclaimed the official language of the Republic of Moldova, which was then part of the USSR. This was a victory for the thousands of people gathered in the capital's center and a decisive step toward the Independence achieved in 1991. Since 2013, Romanian Language Day has been celebrated in Romania as well. 

Romanian President Nicusor Dan Expected in Chișinău

On Romanian Language Day, Moldova is visited by Romania's President Nicusor Dan. The Romanian head of state came to Chisinau today morning. Together with President Maia Sandu, he greeted the 2,000 participants in the Great National Dictation and laid flowers at the bust of Mihai Eminescu on the Alley of Classics. Later, Maia Sandu and Nicusor Dan went to Straseni , in order to attend the opening of the concert dedicated to the Romanian Language Day.





In Chisinau and across the country, more events are held today to promote reading, writing and correct speaking of the Romanian language, including a national dictation.

Romanian Language Day National Celebration Schedule

The third edition of the Great National Dictation today took place on the Great National Assembly Square, starting at 10:15. According to the Ministry of Education and Research, over 2,000 participants wrote the same dictation together.





The Romanian Academy and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova are organizing a festive session dedicated to the National Holiday, Our Romanian Language. The event started at 11:00 in the Azure Hall of the Academy. The session was opened by academician Ioan Aurel Pop, president of the Romanian Academy, and Ion Tighineanu, president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM).

The World Congress of Eminescu Scholars, the 14th edition, will gather personalities from both sides of the Prut River in Chisinau. The participants will be addressed by academician Mihai Cimpoi and Romanian MEP Maria Grapini, first vice-president of the EU-Moldova Delegation.

The National Library is hosting a topic-related exhibition, The Identity of the Romanian Language in the European Context. The exhibition brings together 280 valuable documents highlighting the role and evolution of the Romanian language as a Latin-origin language and the contributions of Bessarabian personalities to European culture.

The National Museum of Romanian Literature opened a commemorative exhibition titled, Valentin Mândâcanu, the Right Man in the Right Place – 95 Years since Birth. The exhibition features museum heritage items, as well as documents, photos and manuscripts from the Valentin Mândâcanu Archive, recently donated to the institution by Emil Mândâcanu, the linguist's son, and his daughter-in-law, Ala Mândâcanu. On Romanian Language Day, entry to the museum is free.

Historical Context

The Romanian language was proclaimed the official language of Moldova on August 31, 1989. Until then, Moldovans were required to know Russian, as it was the only official language of the Soviet republic. Under the impetus of the Great National Assembly, the Supreme Soviet of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic (RSSM) voted, on August 31, 1989, the law turning the Romanian language into the official language on the Republic's territory, as well as the law mandating the return to the Latin alphabet.





The writers of the '60s and '70s generation were at the forefront, becoming pillars of the National Liberation Movement.









The Chisinau-based National Museum of Romanian Literature still preserves documents, photographs and testimonies from those glorious times. The institution's director, writer and literary critic Maria Șleahtițchi, told MOLDPRES that her destiny had been marked by those years of revival.

"The first assembly I attended was the one that was joined by Mircea Snegur. We walked on foot from the center of Chisinau to the Green Theater. I remember the enthusiasm, that light full of optimism – a feeling of confidence that an extraordinary future lay ahead. For the first time, Mircea Snegur openly joined the movement. It was a state of elation and hope," recounted Maria Șleahtițchi.

Since 1990, August 31 has been declared a national holiday in Moldova.

In 2011, more Romanian associations and organizations from Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Ukraine decided that August 31 would be celebrated as Romanian Language Day in Romanian communities in these countries, starting from 2012.

Romanian Language Day Celebrated in Romania

The legislative proposal to establish Romanian Language Day on August 31 in Romania was initiated in 2011 by 166 parliamentarians from all political groups. The law was voted by the Senate during the session on December 6, 2011, and by the Chamber of Deputies on February 19, 2013. The law was promulgated by President Traian Băsescu on March 13, 2013, and published in the Official Journal on March 19, 2013.

Law 53/2013 stipulates that Romanian Language Day can be celebrated by Romanian public authorities and by diplomatic missions abroad, including the Romanian Cultural Institutes or other Romanian institutions abroad, through the organization of cultural and educational schedules and events of a commemorative or scientific nature.

What Language is Spoken in the Republic of Moldova – "Moldovan" or "Romanian"

The Declaration of Independence from August 27, 1991, mentions the Romanian language as the state language. The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, adopted on July 29, 1994, re-uses the term "Moldovan language," at the insistence of a parliamentary majority led by the Democratic Agrarian Party, causing 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.

It was not until 2013 that the Constitutional Court stated that the Declaration of Independence constitutes the legal and political foundation of the Constitution, so that no provision of the latter can exceed the Declaration of Independence's framework. Romanian became the official language again in Moldova.

On March 16, 2023, the Parliament of Moldova adopted a legislative proposal to eliminate from the national legislation the terms "Moldovan language," "official language," "state language," and "mother tongue." Instead, the expression "Romanian language" was established.