MoldovaCulture
Moldova's cultural tradition has been influenced
primarily by
the Romanian origin of its majority population and cannot
be
understood outside of the development of classical
Romanian
culture, in which it played a significant role.
The roots of Romanian culture reach back to the second
century A.D., the period of Roman colonization in Dacia.
During
the centuries following the Roman withdrawal in A.D. 271,
the
population of the region was influenced by contact with
the
Byzantine Empire, neighboring Slavic and Magyar
populations, and
later the Ottoman Turks. Beginning in the nineteenth
century, a
strong West European (particularly French) influence came
to be
evident in Romanian literature and the arts. The resulting
mélange has produced a rich cultural tradition. Although
foreign
contacts were an inevitable consequence of the region's
geography, their influence only served to enhance a vital
and
resilient popular culture.
The regional population had come to identify itself
widely as
"Moldovan" by the fourteenth century but continued to
maintain
close cultural links with other Romanian groups. The
eastern
Moldovans, however, those inhabiting Bessarabia and
Transnistria,
were also influenced by Slavic culture from neighboring
Ukraine.
During the periods 1812-1917 and 1944-89, the eastern
Moldovans
were influenced by Russian and Soviet administrative
control as
well and by ethnic Russian immigration.
Bessarabia was one of the least-developed and
least-educated
European regions of the Russian Empire. In 1930 its
literacy rate
was only 40 percent, according to a Romanian census.
Although
Soviet authorities promoted education (not the least to
spread
communist ideology), they also did everything they could
to break
the region's cultural ties with Romania. With many ethnic
Romanian intellectuals either fleeing, being killed, or
being
deported both during and after World War II, Bessarabia's
cultural and educational situation worsened.
To fill the gap, Soviet authorities developed urban
cultural
and scientific centers and institutions that were
subsequently
filled with Russians and with other non-Romanian ethnic
groups,
but this culture was superimposed and alien. Urban culture
came
from Moscow; the rural ethnic Romanian population was
allowed to
express itself only in folklore or folk art.
Although the folk arts flourished, similarities with
Romanian
culture were hidden. Music and dance, particularly
encouraged by
Soviet authorities, were made into a showcase but were
subtly
distorted to hide their Romanian origins. An example is
the
national folk costume, in which the traditional Romanian
moccasin
(opinca) was replaced by the Russian boot.
Moldova's folk culture is extremely rich, and the
ancient
folk ballad, the "Miorita," plays a central role in the
traditional culture. Folk traditions, including ceramics
and
weaving, continue to be practiced in rural areas. The folk
culture tradition is promoted at the national level and is
represented by, among other groups, the republic's dance
company,
Joc, and by the folk choir, Doina.
The first Moldovan books (religious texts) appeared in
the
mid-seventeenth century. Prominent figures in Moldova's
cultural
development include prince and scholar Dimitrie Cantemir
(1673-
1723), historian and philologist Bogdan P. Hasdeu
(1836-1907),
author Ion Creanga (1837-89), and poet Mihai Eminescu
(1850-89).
Prominent modern writers include Vladimir Besleaga,
Pavel
Botu, Aureliu Busioc, Nicolae Dabija, Ion Druta, and
Grigore
Vieru. In 1991 a total of 520 books were published in
Moldova, of
which 402 were in Romanian, 108 in Russian, eight in
Gagauz, and
two in Bulgarian.
In the early 1990s, Moldova had twelve professional
theaters.
All performed in Romanian except the A.P. Chekhov Russian
Drama
Theater in Chisinau and the Russian Drama and Comedy
Theater in
Tiraspol, both of which performed solely in Russian, and
the
Licurici Republic Puppet Theater (in Chisinau), which
performed
in both Romanian and Russian. Members of ethnic minorities
manage
a number of folklore groups and amateur theaters
throughout the
country.
Data as of June 1995
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