PHOTO Departed writer of Moldova Spiridon Vangheli paid last respects

Chisinau, 24 June /MOLDPRES/ - Writer Spiridon Vangheli was paid his last respects today. Admirers of his works came to the National Palace to bid farewell to the departed writer, called also ‘’father of Guguta.’’ President Maia Sandu today decreed national mourning day, in the memory of the writer.     

Today morning, the burial procession moved from the Saint Theodora of Sihla church to the National Palace, where the coffin with the writer’s body was laid. During about three hours, more citizens, readers, friends, officials, culture people, ministers and MPs came to the National Palace to pay the last homage to the departed writer.     

Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that Spiridon Vangheli was a writer of all Romanians. ‘’This is a great grief. He is not only a writer for children from Moldova; he is the writer of all Romanians and the fact that his works were translated into other languages makes us be proud and obliges us to keep his memory,’’ the official noted.  

Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan said that Spiridon Vangheli „was a legend, who created legends.’’ „The words are powerless before the grief, as well as the grandeur of this moment. Today, a legend who created legends leaves us; a man whose life coincided with the most important historical moments of the Republic of Moldova. It is hard to assess the value of the heritage he bequeaths us. I would like to emphasize a single fact: the books of Spiridon Vangheli are not only books; they represent a door to the childhood of each of us. When opening one of his books, we plunge into our own childhood and then the age of each of us no longer matters. Let us do this as often as possible from now on: let us open a book by Spiridon Vangheli and be happy that we were his contemporaries, let us be happy for these reference points and this great heritage he bequeathed us. May he rest in peace,’’ the minister said.        

The president of the Moldovan Writers’ Union, Teo Chiriac, said that Spiridon Vangheli was a writer who had dedicated his entire life to the literature for children, hundreds, thousands of children from this world. It is surprising for one to read his biography and bibliography, in order to understand how much force, how much spirit, how much love this personality had; this man who lived with us, who greeted us, who embraced us, who encouraged us. Spiridon Vangheli was not a man of the public discourse; he chose another way, other field – the writing, which directly enters our conscience and spirit. The writer wrote for of all for us, the adults and for children – the child who remains forever.  As long as we live, that wonderful, sublime child lives. It is difficult for me to speak about the writer in the past time. He has been and will remain one of the pillars of resistance of the Romanian society from Bessarabia. He represents a magnificent, golden generation, the generation of 1960s, of an inestimable nobleness and value,’’ Teo Chiriac also said.              

Following the funeral ceremony, the burial procession moved to the Central Cemetery on the Armeneasca Street, where Spiridon Vangheli was buried.   

Writer Vangheli died on 21 June at the age of 92 years. Also called ‘’father of Guguta’’ (Guguta is a small child with national hat in Vangheli’s works for children), the departed writer enjoyed special popularity among readers, especially children and parents.  

Spiridon Vangheli was born in the Grinauti village, Balti county, presently Rascani district, on 14 June 1932. Following the graduation from the Ion Creanga State Pedagogical Institution (presently the Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University), he worked as school teacher, then as editor at the editorial offices ‘’Cartea Moldovenească” (Moldovan Book) and „Lumina’’ (Light). 

The writer debuted in 1962.

The author got into the hearts of children through the hero Guguta, who is beloved both by small readers and adults.   

The writer also translated from the universal poetry for children. Two of his works were translated into the more languages: English, French, German, Czech, Slovakian, Japanese, Chinese, Armenian, Finnish, Hindi and was printed in millions of copies.     

Spiridon Vangheli was awarded the Andersen International Honorary Diploma, the Mihai Eminescu medal, the Order of the Republic, the State Prize of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, the Ion Creanga Prize of the Romanian Academy, the title of Master in Art and the one of People’s Writer.