Great departed poet of Moldova paid homage at 84th birthday anniversary

Chisinau, 14 February /MOLDPRES/ - Tens of people today assembled at the bust of Grigore Vieru on the Alley of Classics of the Romanian Literature from Chisinau, in order to pay homage to the departed poet, who would have turned 84 today.  

Among them there were writers, composers, newspapermen, culture people, teachers, pupils and children.  

Attending the event, the state secretary general of the Education, Culture and Research Ministry, Igor Sarov, said that Grigore Vieru, called also Eminescu of Bessarabia, was paid respects in education institutions, libraries and museums from all over Moldova. “It is our moral duty to pay homage to the poet, whose work contributed, in a special way, to the taking root of the national values in the spirit of our nation. Grigore Vieru lives also after death through his poems, which penetrated deeply in our souls and which arouse special feelings in us,” Igor Sarov stressed.      

For his part, the head of the Moldovan Writers’ Union, Arcadie Suceveanu, noted that Grigore Vieru represented for us a moral model, a model of writer fully involved in the life of the country. “He sang like nobody else the Romanian language, our Romanian ideals. Also, as professionals of writing, he remained for us as a model of writer. Grigore Vieru is loved for the sincerity and simplicity of his works, a profound simplicity, just as the one of the spring water,” Arcadie Suceveanu emphasized.    

Contacted by MOLDPRES, academician Mihai Cimpoi said that Grigore Vieru was a poet of children and adults, a poet of everybody. “At an event dedicated to the poet, held in Iasi on 13 February, I said that, in 1968, Vieru’s volume titled Numele Tău (Your Name) appeared, which oriented our literature, our aesthetic mentality to another trend – the trend of normality, with return to our values, to springs, as he used to say, to ethic, aesthetic and holy things.”   

In the context, writer Nicolae Dabija said that people speak about Grigore Vieru as a man in the past and about Grigore Vieru as a poet in the future. “His poetry does not become obsolete, it is always up-to-date. Everywhere, where we, writers, go, in schools, we are met with songs with lyrics by Grigore Vieru. He is part of us,” Nicolae Dabija noted. At the same time, the wife of the departed poet, Raisa Vieru, said that Grigore Vieru was not forgotten. “Often, I am invited to diverse events dedicated to the poet to gymnasiums, lyceums and kindergartens. What makes me happiest of all is that many of the poet’s readers say that they miss him much and that we need Grigore Vieru at present,” Raisa Vieru underlined.     

Also today, the National Library of Moldova hosted a vast event dedicated to the poet and a book titled, Anotimpuri și culori (Seasons and Colours), which includes songs for children with lyrics by Grigore Vieru, music of Eugen Mamot, was launched at the Ion Creanga National Library for Children.  

Poet Grigore Vieru was born in the Pererata village, northern Hotin county, now Briceni district, on 14 February 1935. He was author of more books of poems. Vieru was also author of the ABC-book. His works were translated into English, Russian, German, Italian, Bulgarian and other languages. In 1988, Grigore Vieru was awarded the most prestigious international distinction in the field of literature for children – Hans Christian Andersen Honorary Diploma. In 1996, Vieru was awarded the Order of the Republic. In 1990, the poet was elected Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy. Grigore Vieru died in the wake of a traffic accident on 18 January 2009. He was posthumously awarded the National Order Star of Romania in the Grade of Grand Cross. At present, more schools from Moldova, a boulevard from Chisinau and a street in Iasi, Romania, bear his name.