The National Anthem Day of Romania will be celebrated for the first time in Chișinău. On Friday, July 28, 2023, at the National Museum of History of Moldova, a thematic concert will take place, featuring the melodies that served as the national anthem of Romania throughout several centuries:
- “Triumphant March and the Reception of the Flag and His Majesty the Ruling Prince” – the first national anthem of Romania, adopted in 1862 during the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
- “Trăiască Regele” (Long Live the King) – the official anthem from 1884 and the longest-serving national anthem of Romania, played officially for 63 years.
- “Zdrobite Cătușele” (Shattered Shackles) – one of the national anthems during the communist period, used between 1948 and 1953.
- “Te slăvim, România” (We Hail You, Romania) – adopted in 1953, with lyrics written by Eugen Frunză and Dan Deşliu, set to music by Matei Socor.
- “Trei Culori” (Three Colors) – became the national anthem in 1977, composed by Ciprian Porumbescu, with lyrics believed to be modified by Nicolae Ceauşescu to reflect communist slogans.
- “Deșteaptă-te Române!” (Awaken Thee, Romanian!) – became the national anthem in 1991 and remains Romania’s symbol to the present day. From 1991 to 1993, it was also the national anthem of the Republic of Moldova.
The musical pieces will be performed by the “Corul Marii Uniri” (The Choir of the Great Union), a male choral ensemble from Iași, consisting of 24 members, under the direction of maestro Andrei Fermeșanu, manager and soloist of the Romanian National Opera in Iași.
Event schedule:
17:00 – Press conference, Sala Marii Uniri Speakers:
- Andrei Fermeșanu, manager and soloist of the Romanian National Opera in Iași
- Prof. univ. dr. Adrian Cioroianu, General Manager of the National Library of Romania
- Dr. Eugen Sava, Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova
- Lia Anton, president of the YUFest Association, event organizer
17:30-18:00 – Arrival of guests 18:00-18:30 – Event opening 18:30-20:00 – “Corul Marii Uniri” Concert 20:00-20:30 – Reception with tasting of local wines
The event will be moderated by Aura Revenco. Additionally, Professor Adrian Cioroianu, the General Manager of the National Library of Romania, will present a brief history of Romania’s six national anthems.
The event is organized by the YUFest Association, funded by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova, and in partnership with the National Museum of History of Moldova, as part of the project “National Anthem, the Symbol of Romanian Unity!” The aim is to preserve, develop, and affirm the Romanian ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities in the Republic of Moldova, as well as to strengthen the connections between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
Event partners: Romanian National Opera Iași, Iași City Hall, National Athenaeum of Iași, and the National Museum of History of Moldova.
The thematic concert will be broadcast live by RLIVE TV, Iași TV Life, Bucovina TV, and also on the online platforms realitatea.md, rlive.md, bani.md, moldovalive.md, rupor.md, and Facebook pages.
Brief history:
Forbidden for nearly half a century, the patriotic song “Awaken Thee, Romanian!” was consecrated immediately after December 1989, becoming Romania’s National Anthem through the 1991 Constitution.
On July 29, 1848, “Awaken Thee, Romanian!” was sung for the first time in Zăvoi Park, Râmnicu Vâlcea. The lyrics of the song belong to the poem “Resonance” by Andrei Mureșanu, published in the June-July 1848 issue of the supplement “Foaie pentru minte, inimă și literatură,” while the musical line was inspired by a melody collected by Anton Pann. The profoundly patriotic and national content of the lyrics led Nicolae Bălcescu to call this anthem “a true Romanian Marseillaise.” According to Law No. 99/1998, July 29th was proclaimed as the National Anthem Day of Romania.
“Awaken Thee, Romanian!” was also the first anthem of the Moldavian Democratic Republic from 1917 to 1918 and later the anthem of the Republic of Moldova from 1991 to 1994, adopted along with the Declaration of Independence and the national flag.