The story of one of the best-known poets of the Romanian-speaking world begins in Cainari. It was in this house, on March 16, 1888, that Alexei Mateevici was born. He would later be remembered by generations as the author of the poem “Our Language,” which became the national anthem of the Republic of Moldova in 1995.
Today, the house where Mateevici spent the first years of his life is home to the Alexei Mateevici House-Museum, opened in 1968 to mark the 80th anniversary of the poet’s birth. Its five exhibition rooms preserve photographs, documents, old editions of his works, period objects and artworks inspired by Mateevici’s life and creative legacy. The poet’s monument stands in the museum’s courtyard, alongside a roadside cross erected in his memory.
A few years later, the Mateevici family moved to Zaim, the village that became the poet’s home during his childhood and adolescence.
Located about 70 kilometers from Chisinau, the house in Zaim still preserves the atmosphere in which the future poet grew up. It was turned into a museum in 1988, marking the centenary of his birth, and now houses more than 7,000 heritage items – from photographs and documents to rare books, furniture and household objects from the 19th century.
The exhibition is arranged across six rooms. Some focus on Mateevici’s life and work, while others recreate the world of his family. One of the best-known spaces is the “Our Language” room, dedicated to the poem that would become the national anthem of the Republic of Moldova.
Another special feature is the “Table of Silence,” which holds soil brought from the graves of major Romanian literary classics, as well as from the graves of the poet’s parents.
Although he lived for only 29 years, Alexei Mateevici left behind a valuable cultural legacy. Today, the house in Cainari where he was born and the one in Zaim where he grew up together tell the story of a man who transformed his love for the Romanian language into a symbol of national identity.