„Semănătorii de valori naționale”

Timp de o lună, câțiva elevi din clasele a 8-a și a 9-a, din IPG Todirești, au scris câte o prezentare a unui discurs ce rezidă în construirea de argumente în susținerea unei opinii, prezentând contribuția personalităților literare în valorificarea trecutului glorios. În cadrul acestui proiect, elevii au venit cu informații noi pentru colegi și pentru cei din clasele mai mici. Elevii cu cele mai bune lucrări au participat și la Simpozionul transdisciplinar „Semănătorii de valori naționale”, care s-a desfășurat în incinta IPLT „Mihai Eminescu” or. Anenii Noi.

“During a month, some pupils from the 8^th – 9^th form had to write a presentation of a discourse of arguments in support of an opinion, presenting the contribution of literary personalities in the valorisation of the glorious past”

Some of these presentations:

STEPHEN THE GREAT AND HOLY

    Stephen the Great opens, in the history of the Romanian people, one of the most brilliant pages from the foundation of the medieval states.  Throughout his reign, the great man made Moldova a significant factor in international relations in this part of Europe.  Through his remarkable activity in the sphere of foreign policy, Stefan the Great inaugurated a new era of international affirmation of Moldova.  Being so important, many books and so much literature was written about him, his life and his plans for the future. Much has been said and written about Stephen the Great. Historians, writers, statesmen, soldiers, artists, priests, teachers, scholars and ordinary people felt and still feel the need to talk about Stephen the Great. A special person, more exactly being Vasile Alecsandri, who wrote ,,Hymn to Stephen the Great” in 1871. Other famous writers who wrote many poems and books about him are Mihail Kogălniceanu,  Ioan Alexandru , Mihai Eminescu, Lucian Blaga and even King Ferdinand l. Describing the appearance, character and personality traits of Stephen the Great is a difficult undertaking, given that no internal documentary sources from the period have been preserved, and many of the external ones are based on oral accounts, more or less credible, and interpreted according to the local cultural context and the interests that the respective country had towards Moldova. Stephen the Great was a great supporter of culture and the church, founding a large number of monasteries and churches both in Moldova and in Wallachia, Transylvania or Mount Athos.  For these merits, he was canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church, with the name of Stephen the Great and Holy, on June 20, 1992. The policy pursued by Stephen the Great internally throughout his reign had the main purpose of consolidating the lord’s central power and ensuring social peace.  In this sense, the main directions of action were represented by: repopulating the country by appropriating land and granting privileges to the descendants, creating a new aristocratic class based on military meritocracy, strengthening the military power and defense capacity of the country, reconciliation with the old families nobles and the recall of those who went into exile. In the extern plan the first period, between 1457-1469, is characterized by political and military actions for external recognition and consolidation of the reign.  In this sense, they were aimed at strengthening Moldova’s position on the regional scene and regaining the country’s freedom of action, significantly restricted in previous decades. In the military plan, he pursued two major directions of action.  The first was the creation of a permanent fortification system at the country’s borders.  The second major direction was the creation of a modern army with a permanent, professional and semi-professional component and a mass component, consisting of corps of armed soldiers, mobilized in the event of major military campaigns.

Lucian Blaga

        One of the most important personalities of Romanian culture, Lucian Blaga stood out vital lyric, philosophical systems, impregnated theatre plays by the impressionist breath and exceptional intellectual vocation. Blaga is ,,Inorogul”, symbol of spiritual power. Lucian’s works reveal the horizon of an impressionist creation with vastness and diversity, marking this respective period through original elements that are compared with universality.

As a philosopher he analyzes his universal spirit in his creations with mystery, the inner tension and effervescence of the self, the unconscious as a mode of communication. His book cult is considered the Romanian cultural miracle that has kept us under the spell for half of century, a reality that no one escapes from.

In Blaga’s lyrical theories we find myths, loneliness and metaphysics, themes and moods. For Blaga the word comes from the substance of the vision. And the vision of his poems is always philosophical, loaded with meanings.

,,After Eminescu, Blaga was the poet who was most deeply involved in the construction of a national poetic myth, to which he knew how to give a universal value. Through interrogative excellence, his creation reaches, in the last instance, the great serenity of the classics.” (Ion Pop) Blaga’s debut was produced on March 26, 1910 in the newspaper Tribuna from Arad, with the publication of the verses ,,Pe Ţarm”. From that day he affirmed his candidacy as a proclaimer of the Romanian culture and of the extremely simple way of expression and full of demonstrated facts.

The poet and philosopher was appreciated and is still appreciated for his thought and for his true expression. His poems show the truth of life without excessive and heavy beautification. He wrote simply but profoundly. Many of his poems convey thousand feelings and words that they are scared to be recognized and transmitted. He speaks for everyone and he shows what is really happening in everyone’s thinking. His verses inspire us not to turn back from what we started and to accept our being and nationality.

Blaga was born on 9 May 1895 in Lámkerék Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, his father being an Orthodox priest. He later described his early childhood, in the autobiographical The Chronicle and the Song of Ages, as “under the sign of the incredible absence of the word”. He was a Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist.

He was a commanding personality of the Romanian culture of the interwar period, who appreciated his culture as a treasure that can lay the foundation in human personality. I chose this person, because he believed in our nationality, history, values and continued to discover the mysteries of our culture, showing our special characters through our legacies.

Grigore Vieru – a great poet

       This personality has changed many perspectives and thoughts in Romanian people. He wrote many poems, volumes of books and texts. His career was marked as a unique one because of his inspiration and ideas.

He was a patriot who fought for the most important thing „ The language”.

He was born on 14 February 1935 and died on 18 January 2009.

I think that if there weren’t such poets who care about our intellectuality, there would be a disaster. Thanks to him, we are blessed to have such important creations in our life. Grigore Vieru brought a lot of light in our life and we will never forget about his works.

In 1993 he was elected as a correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. I think that a poet is as important as a scientist because without such people we would never understand the beauty of the simple things.

Do not think that somebody else should do your work; we can also contribute and make our country a better place to live.

Poets, composers did a really good job, they were interested in saving what is the most important and that is why we should admire their talent.

Do not think about a better place to live when you can change everything starting with yourself. Just express your opinion as Grigore Vieru did, be as courageous as he was, be honest and creative as him.

This person changed a lot of things with his own mind, opinions and creations, that is why Grigore Vieru could teach us an important thing „ Never give up” and „Be yourself no matter what others say.”

Not everybody can have an exceptional mind as him, not everyone can have patience to finish a poem with a deep meaning and to show it to people.

I really adore when somebody can show his feelings to others, especially in his creations.

Grigore Vieru will be never forgotten because he worked many years for his eternity. Being a poet can bring a lot of happiness, sadness, confidence, freedom and pleasure, what we should know is that we are choosing our path.

I’m more than sure that creativity will never die because some people as Grigore Vieru, will keep in their soul all their passions and share them with others so they can learn something from their work and this is the correct way that we all should follow.

Be on your position, act carefully and be confident because only confidence will bring you success. Only through failure you will succeed.

I think that Grigore Vieru will stay forever in our minds and his poems in pupil’s Romanian books. As every human who was recognized by others for their acts, Grigore Vieru will be as an unquenchable fire.

Mihai Eminescu

        Mihai Eminescu; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889, was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia,  novelist, and  journalist,  generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul  („The Time”), the official newspaper of the Conservative Party (1880–1918). His poetry was first published when he was 16 and he went to Vienna, Austria to study when he was 19. The poet’s manuscripts, containing 46 volumes and approximately 14,000 pages, were offered by Titu Maiorescu as a gift to the Romanian Academy during the meeting that was held on 25 January 1902. Notable works include Luceafărul (The Vesper/The Evening Star/The Lucifer/The Daystar), Odă în metru antic (Ode in Ancient Meter), and the five Letters (Epistles/Satires). In his poems, he frequently used metaphysical, mythological and historical subjects.

His father was Gheorghe Eminovici, an aristocrat from Bukovina, which was then part of the Austrian Empire (while his grandfather came from Banat). He crossed the border into Moldavia, settling in Ipotești, near the town of Botoșani. He married Raluca Iurașcu, an heiress of an old noble family. In a Junimea register, Eminescu wrote down his birthday date as 22 December 1849, while in the documents of Cernăuți Gymnasium, where Eminescu studied, his birth date is 15 January 1850. Nevertheless, Titu Maiorescu, in his work Eminescu and His Poems (1889) quoted N. D. Giurescu’s research and adopted his conclusion regarding the date and place of Mihai Eminescu’s birth, as being 15 January 1850, in Botoșani. This date resulted from several sources, among which there was a file of notes on christenings from the archives of the Uspenia (Princely) Church of Botoșani; inside this file, the date of birth was „15 January 1850” and the date of christening was the 21st of the same month. The date of his birth was confirmed by the poet’s elder sister, Aglae Drogli, who affirmed that the place of birth was the village of Ipotești, Botoșani County.

The first evidence of Eminescu as a writer is in 1866. In January of that year Romanian teacher Aron Pumnul died and his students in Cernăuţi published a pamphlet, Lăcrămioarele învățăceilor gimnaziaști (The Tears of the Gymnasium Students) in which a poem entitled La mormântul lui Aron Pumnul (At the Grave of Aron Pumnul) appears, signed „M. Eminovici”. On 25 February his poem De-aș avea (If I Had) was published in Iosif Vulcan’s literary magazine Familia in Pest. This began a steady series of published poems (and the occasional translation from German).

In 1867, he joined Iorgu Caragiale’s troupe as a clerk and prompter; the next year he transferred to Mihai Pascaly’s troupe.  On 1 April 1869, he was one of the co-founders of the „Orient” literary circle, whose interests included the gathering of Romanian folklore and documents relating to Romanian literary history. On 29 June, various members of the „Orient” group were commissioned to go to different provinces. Eminescu was assigned Moldavia.

Still in the summer of 1869, he left Pascaly’s troupe and travelled to Cernăuţi and Iaşi. He renewed ties to his family; his father promised him a regular allowance to pursue studies in Vienna in the fall. As always, he continued to write and publish poetry; notably, on the occasion of the death of the former ruler of Wallachia, Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei, he published a leaflet, La moartea principelui Știrbei („On the Death of Prince Știrbei”).

Stephan the Great

Stefan III of Moldavia, vmost commonly known as Stefan cel Mare (Romanian: Ștefan cel Mare; pronunciation: [ˈʃtefan t͡ʃel ˈmare]; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 in a conspiracy organized by his brother and Stephen’s uncle Peter III Aaron, who took the throne. Stephen fled to Hungary, and later to Wallachia; with the support of Vlad III Țepeș, Voivode of Wallachia, he returned to Moldavia, forcing Aaron to seek refuge in Poland in the summer of 1457. Teoctist I, Metropolitan of Moldavia, anointed Stephen prince. He attacked Poland and prevented Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, from supporting Peter Aaron, but eventually acknowledged Casimir’s suzerainty in 1459.

Stefan decided to recapture Chilia (now Kiliia in Ukraine), an important port on the Danube, which brought him into conflict with Hungary and Wallachia. He besieged the town during the Ottoman invasion of Wallachia in 1462, but was seriously wounded during the siege. Two years later, he captured the town. He promised support to the leaders of the Three Nations of Transylvania against Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in 1467. Corvinus invaded Moldavia, but Stephen defeated him in the Battle of Baia. Peter Aaron attacked Moldavia with Hungarian support in December 1470, but was also defeated by Stephen and executed, along with the Moldavian boyars who still endorsed him. Stephen restored old fortresses and built new ones, which improved Moldavia’s defence system as well as strengthened central administration. Ottoman expansion threatened Moldavian ports in the region of the Black Sea. In 1473, Stephen stopped paying tribute (haraç) to the Ottoman sultan and launched a series of campaigns against Wallachia in order to replace its rulers – who had accepted Ottoman suzerainty – with his protégés. However, each prince who seized the throne with Stephen’s support was soon forced to pay homage to the sultan. From 1486, he again paid a yearly tribute to the Ottomans. During the following years, dozens of stone churches and monasteries were built in Moldavia, which contributed to the development of a specific Moldavian architecture.

Casimir IV’s successor, John I Albert, wanted to grant Moldavia to his younger brother, Sigismund, but Stephen’s diplomacy prevented him from invading Moldavia for years. John Albert attacked Moldavia in 1497, but Stephen and his Hungarian and Ottoman allies routed the Polish army in the Battle of the Cosmin Forest. Stephen again tried to recapture Chilia and Cetatea Albă, but had to acknowledge the loss of the two ports to the Ottomans in 1503. During his last years, his son and co-ruler Bogdan III played an active role in government. Stephen’s long rule represented a period of stability in the history of Moldavia. From the 16th century onwards both his subjects and foreigners remembered him as a great ruler. Modern Romanians regard him as one of their greatest national heroes, although he also endures as a cult figure in Moldovenism. After the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1992, he is venerated as „Stephen the Great and Holy” (Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt).

Stephan the Great

Stefan cel Mare, also known as Stephen the Great, was a significant and highly respected leader of medieval Moldova. Born in 1433, he ruled from 1457 to 1504 and played a crucial role in establishing a strong and independent country that reached its peak of prosperity under his leadership.
At the age of 18, Stephen the Great succeeded his father as the ruler of Moldova and soon became a great warrior and politician. One of Stefan cel Mare’s most notable achievements was his determination to maintain Moldova’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, a powerful neighbour of the country. He led several wars against the Turks and achieved important victories that helped consolidate Moldova’s position on the European map. One of the most memorable of these victories was the defeat of the Turks at Vaslui in 1475, which had a major impact on the balance of power in the region. One of the most notable achievements of Stefan cel Mare was his successful defense of Moldavia against numerous invasions by the Ottoman Empire. In 1475, Stefan cel Mare led his army to victory against the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Vaslui, earning him the title „Athlete of Christ” from Pope Sixtus IV. He continued to defend Moldavia against the Ottoman Empire, winning numerous battles and repulsing several invasions throughout his reign. In addition to his military accomplishments, Stefan cel Mare also made significant contributions to the cultural and artistic development of Moldavia. He supported the construction of churches, monasteries, and other cultural institutions, and he commissioned the creation of many works of art and literature. Stefan cel Mare was also known for his charitable acts, including the construction of hospitals and the distribution of food and other necessities to the poor. In addition to his military successes, Stephen the Great is also remembered for his efforts to promote the culture and independence of Moldavia. He supported the development of the arts, literature, and education, and he encouraged the use of the Moldavian language and the adoption of a Latin alphabet. He also sought to strengthen the country’s economy and to improve the living conditions of the Moldavian people. Stephen the Great’s legacy has continued to be celebrated in Romania, where he is remembered as a national hero and a symbol of resistance against foreign domination. His name is associated with a number of cultural and historical landmarks, including the Stephen the Great Monument in Chișinău, the capital of Moldavia, and the Stephen the Great University in Iași, Romania. Stefan cel Mare also made significant contributions to the diplomatic relations of Moldavia. He formed alliances with other European states, including Poland, Hungary, and Russia, in order to strengthen the position of Moldavia and protect it from outside threats. Stephen the Great is still remembered today in Moldova as a great ruler who put the country and its people first. Stephen the Great’s legacy lives on in Moldova today. He is celebrated as a national hero and is remembered for his courage, his leadership and his faith. He is seen as a symbol of Moldova’s struggle for independence and is credited with preserving the nation’s cultural and religious identity. Stephen the Great will forever be remembered as a great leader of Moldova. Stephen the Great will always be remembered as the great ruler of Moldova who brought glory and prosperity to the country. Overall, Stefan cel Mare was a respected and beloved ruler who made significant contributions to the cultural and military development of Moldavia. His legacy continues to be celebrated in Moldavia and throughout Eastern Europe.