National Library of Moldova launches first bibliography dedicated to Great Union

Chisinau, 24 January /MOLDPRES/ - A volume titled, ”Marea Unire a românilor de la 1918. Contribuții  bibliografice” (The Great Union of the Romanians from 1918. Bibliographic Contributions) was launched at the National Library of Moldova (BNRM) today.  

The work has 625 pages and was elaborated on the occasion of the Great Union with Romania Centenary. The book was made under the guidance of BNRM director general Elena Pintilei; it was compiled by Maria Sargun; Ion Negrei is coordinator and Valeria Matvei and Tatiana Bahmiteanu – editors.     

In the beginning of the event, the BNRM director general, Elena Pintilei, said that the bibliographic research had been carried out based on collections and sources of information and documentation of the National Library, Scientific Library of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (ASM), Scientific Library of Moldova’s National Archive, Library of the National History Museum of Moldova and the B.P. Hasdeu Municipal Library from Chisinau. Titles of books, titles of articles from collections and series publications, reviews, epoch pictures and annexed documents were included in the book.     

The honorary guest of the event, Romania’s Ambassador to Moldova Daniel Ionita stressed that it was significant the fact that this important book was launched today, when the 160th anniversary of the Union of the Romanian Principalities is marked, which represented the certificate of birth of the Modern Romania. “On 24 January 1859, through a wise manoeuvre of both the Principality of Moldavia and  Wallachia – the simultaneous election of Ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza as head of state – the foundations of the modern Romania were laid, Romania which subsequently evolved through the constitutional act from 1866, by the Great Union of 1918, when all Romanians from the historical provinces said Yes for what we have at present – a national, unitary and modern state, in which everybody has possibility to express freely,” Daniel Ionita said.       

In the context, the state secretary at the Education, Culture and Research Ministry, Andrei Chistol, said that, in the last years, the National Library had become a point not only of investigating and borrowing books, but also of discovery, analysis, presentation of new book titles. “The today’s event shows once again the role the National Library must have as an opinion former, of institution which gives guidelines of research. I am quite happy that this work includes the titles of all books written by authors on the subject of this great historical event – the Great Union from 1918,” Andrei Chistol said.

According to researcher bibliographer Maria Sargun, the volume launched is the only work of this kind in the entire Romanian space. The bibliography contains 3,032 bibliographic descriptions, integrated in the following sections: I. Domestic and external context of the national Romanian reunification; II. Union of Bessarabia with Romania (27 March/9 April 1918); III Union of Bucovina with the Kingdom of Romania (15/28 November 1918); IV: Union of the Romanians from Transylvania, Banat, Crisana and Maramures with the Kingdom of Romania (18 November – 1 December 1918); V. International recognition of the acts of the Union; VI. Founders of the Romanian national unity; VII: From the Iconography of the Great Union; VIII – Annexed documents.   

According to specialists in the field, the work, The Great Union of the Romanians from 1918. Bibliographic Contributions, will be of real use for researchers, teachers, students, pupils, librarians, as well as for all those willing to know the history of Moldova between Prut and Dniester and the Romanian nation on the whole.