National Culture Day at the County Library

G.T. Kirileanu County Library Neamț is organising numerous events to celebrate National Culture Day on Monday, 15 January 2024, marking 174 years since the birth of Mihai Eminescu.

At the main library, the celebrations will begin at 12:00 with flowers laid at the bust of the national poet on the library esplanade, and will continue in Cupola Hall with an address by Mihaela Mereuță, manager of G.T. Kirileanu County Library Neamț.

This will be followed by a recital of lieder by Liceul de Arte “Victor Brauner” Piatra Neamț. Classical singing students Ioana Neagu-Gavril, Paula Scurtu, Luiza Ariton, Laura Bradu, Ștefan Apetrei, Roberta Borcea, Flaviana Lica and the BelCanto Group will perform under the guidance of teachers Olguța Toma, Narcisa Pavel, Cristina Ilie and Alexandra Costin. Teacher Adrian Stroici will play the piano.

Works by Mihai Agape, Parasca Agape, Dumitru Bezem, Dumitru Bostan sr., Dumitru Bostan jr., Dan Cepoi, Gheorghe Diaconu (Pif), Constantin Filimon, Lucian Gogu-Craiu, Radu Cristian Macavei, Teodor Varahil Moraru, Cristina Petrariu, Ioan Popei, Ștefan Potop, Ioan Roșca, Gheorghe Vadana and Petru Vamanu are already displayed on the walls of Cupola Hall, many of them from the private collections of Mihael Balint, Ileana Crăciun, and Tincuța and Emil Neagoie. Lucian Strochi will introduce the exhibition. It can be visited during the library's opening hours until 31 January.

Writers Lucian Strochi and Vasile Baghiu will then give talks entitled “Eminescu, Our Contemporary” and “Eminescu and the Role of the Poet”, respectively.

After a break for pies provided by the Neagoie family, the audience in the Cupola Hall will join those gathered on the library esplanade, where the “Costache Lupu” Equestrian Sports Club Association and the “Eu cred” folk group, led by Marius Coșerariu, will present “Luceafărul”, a performance combining literature, art, music and horsemanship. On the outdoor stage, on horseback, in a carriage or beside it, the performers will be Radu Costin – the Demiurge; Lucian Aprofirei – Luceafărul, the young voivode; Codruț Onțanu – Luceafărul, the demon; Viorel Ailincuței – Luceafărul, Hyperion; Adelina Berariu – the Emperor's Daughter; Miruna Bilan – Cătălina; Andrei Ropotoaia – Cătălin; Mihai Sava, Matei Mihăilă and Costache Lupu. At the end, ACSE “Costache Lupu” will offer a cup of hot tea.

Activities to celebrate the occasion will also take place at every branch and department of G.T. Kirileanu County Library Neamț.

The Children's Books Section & “Ion Creangă” Toy Library will therefore host poetry sessions and exhibitions of publications and children's drawings under the title “As a Boy, I Roamed the Forests…”. There will also be a meeting as part of the educational project “Eminescu, the Guiding Star of Romanian Poetry”, run in partnership with C.S.E.I “Alexandru Roșca” Piatra Neamț and Secondary School no.11 Piatra Neamț.

To mark National Culture Day, the “Dumitru Almaș” Dărmănești Branch will also host exhibitions of books by major figures in Romanian culture, as well as the exhibition “Luceafărul poeziei românești”, featuring works by Mihai Eminescu.

At the Foreign Books Branch, pupils in years VIII-XI at the Sports High School Piatra Neamț will give a recital entitled “Exploring Eminescu's Genius through Song and Verse” in various foreign languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, English and Arabic), with a musical introduction by the choir of pupils from classes X A and X B. The pupils are coordinated by teachers Elena Preoteasa, Cătălina Guzu and Mihaela Minuț.

There will also be an exhibition of publications featuring translations of Eminescu's work in various bilingual editions.

The “Mihail Sadoveanu” Adult Books Department is organising an exhibition of publications in the exhibition space on the ground floor of Building A and will publish online a poetry recital performed by pupils from colleges in Neamț.

The “Vasile Conta” Mărăței Branch will present the publications exhibition “Mihai Eminescu – Poet, Prose Writer, Journalist; the Most Important Poetic Voice in Romanian Literature” in its display case, along with the art exhibition “Mihai Eminescu – A World Given to Us” on its exhibition board, featuring works by pupils in years V-VIII at Secondary School no. 2 Piatra Neamț, guided by art teacher Elena Ispas.

The Speranța Reading and Lending Point will host two exhibitions, one of books about Eminescu and another of paintings, entitled “Instantanee plastice”, in partnership with pupils guided by teacher Cristina Petrariu from the Arte.Ro Cultural Association and the Children's Palace Piatra Neamț.

Visitors will also be able to view an exhibition of facsimiles of Eminescu's manuscripts and bibliophile editions of his works from the special collections of G.T. Kirileanu County Library Neamț, in the exhibition space on the ground floor of Building A.