January 15: National Culture Day in Moldova and Romania, honoring Mihai Eminescu
The Republic of Moldova and Romania celebrate National Culture Day on January 15. This day honors our shared cultural heritage and commemorates the birthday of Mihai Eminescu, the national poet of all Romanians. Traditionally, cultural and artistic events are held on both sides of the Prut to mark this occasion.
The program announced by the Ministry of Culture in Chisinau includes a variety of events such as performances, poetry recitals, exhibitions, film screenings, and thematic discussions.
The celebrations will kick off with flower-laying ceremonies at the busts of Mihai Eminescu, taking place both in the capital on the Alley of Classics and in several locations across the country.
On the evening of January 15, the ceremony to present the 2025 Culture Awards will be held at the Palace of the Republic. This competition, traditionally organized by the Ministry of Culture, features established categories as well as four new ones dedicated to cultural heritage.
Additionally, the National Library of the Republic of Moldova will launch its "National Calendar 2026" edition today. Meanwhile, the "Ion Creangă" National Children’s Library will host discussions on the role of culture in society, along with an interactive quiz titled “Recognize the Personalities of National Culture.”
The National Museum of Romanian Literature is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and the National Museum of Art will organize a museum night for the fifth consecutive year.
Public cultural institutions under the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest are also opening their doors to the public today in honor of National Culture Day. They offer a rich program of exhibitions, performances, concerts, guided tours, workshops, film screenings, and opportunities to meet artists, researchers, and creators.
Lastly, it's worth noting that 2025 has been declared the "Mihai Eminescu Year" to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national poet's birth, who is celebrated as a symbol of both national and universal literature.
Eminescu: The most important poetic voice in Romanian literature
Mihai Eminescu (born Mihail Eminovici; January 15, 1850, in Botoșani – June 15, 1889, in Bucharest) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, and journalist, widely regarded by Romanian readers and literary critics as the most significant poetic voice in Romanian literature.
In addition to his poetry, Eminescu raised public awareness through his articles, particularly during his time at the newspaper "Timpul." He was active in the political-literary society "Junimea" and served as an editor for "Timpul," the official newspaper of the Conservative Party.
Eminescu's journalism provides readers with a detailed look at the political, parliamentary, and governmental life of his time.
He published his first poem at the age of 16 and went on to study in Vienna at 19. The manuscripts of Mihai Eminescu, comprising 46 volumes and approximately 14,000 pages, were donated to the Romanian Academy by Titu Maiorescu in a meeting on January 25, 1902.
Eminescu was hospitalized on February 3, 1889, at Mărcuța Hospital in Bucharest before being transferred to the Caritas Sanatorium. He passed away on June 15, 1889, around 4 a.m., in the sanatorium of Dr. Șuțu. He was buried two days later, on June 17, under the shade of a lime tree in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest.
Posthumously, on October 28, 1948, Eminescu was elected a member of the Romanian Academy.
