CultMin Gheorghiu: Making sure our children remember those who wrote history, our duty

Culture Minister Bogdan Gheorghiu said on Wednesday that the duty of the public institutions and administrations is to make sure that the names of those who made history and sketched up Romania's national destiny will not be forgotten by children, adding that a Romania of culture is a country of partnerships, increased tolerance and acceptance. 

"National Culture Day is a moment of reflection and dialogue to highlight the impact that culture and creative arts have on the daily lives of Romanians and Romania. Today we celebrate the 170th birth anniversary of poet Mihai Eminescu, and it is our duty, of the public institutions and administrations, of the local communities, and of the civil society to make sure that our children do not forget the names of those who made history and sketched up our national destiny," Gheorghiu told a celebratory session called "European synchronicities of the Romanian culture" dedicated to Culture Day. 

He pointed out that "there is a fragile link between the goals of high culture and the reality of urban and rural areas." 

"The way we have chosen to promote culture in recent years does not reach the last Romanian. (...) The figures of the barometer regarding the consumption of culture show that we still have much to do, that we cannot nonchalantly hide under the rug the effects or the absence of concrete actions. That is why I have chosen to get myself actively involved in each county and to have Mihai Eminescu as a guide, a flame for the Romanian culture and a boost, so that everywhere people do not forget what a library means or how a museum can help you understand history. Cities like Suceava, Sibiu, Iasi, Arad, Oradea, Buzau, Severin and many others have chosen to send a strong message in support of culture in unison and I am glad that the move was made possible by the involvement of the Ministry of Culture," said Gheorghiu. 

He added that he wants Culture Day "to represent more than just a date," but "rather a beacon for Romania, a start of every year by which we prioritise leisure activities as healthy and constructive as possible, because we do it for all of us and for future generations." 

"Visiting a gallery or a museum, reading a book, watching a play or a feature film have benefits. We must be aware that a Romania of culture is a Romania of partnerships, increased tolerance and acceptance," said Gheorghiu.