Acum 200 de ani, pe 16 mai 1812, se semna la Bucureşti, la Hanul lui Manuc, Tratatul de la Bucureşti între Imperiul Ţarist şi Imperiul Otoman, prin care teritoriile Principatului Moldovei între Prut şi Nistru erau cedate Rusiei. Astfel, graniţa Rusiei venea de pe fluviul Nistru pe micul râu Prut, tăind Moldova în două. Rusia căpăta teritorii pierdute de Moldova în perioada lui Ştefan cel Mare şi Petru Rareş (Chilia, Cetatea Albă, Tighina) dar şi teritorii cedate de otomani peste capul unui principat vasal, dar autonom. Drama Basarabiei avea să înceapă.
Unirea de la 1859 dintre Moldova şi Ţara Românească s-a făcut fără Basarabia. Din ultimii 200 de ani, doar 25 de ani a mai fost reunită Basarabia cu patria mamă (1918-1940 şi 1941-1944). Românii au avut de îndurat un dur proces de deznaţionalizare în perioada ţaristă şi persecuţii foarte grave în perioada sovietică. Odată cu destrămarea Uniunii Sovietice în 1991, Republica Moldova a devenit independentă cu graniţele trasate de tovarăşul Stalin, fără Bugeac – partea de sud, şi fără partea de nord cu cetatea Hotin, dar în plus cu regiunea separatistă Transnistria, de unde i s-a tras şi un război civil.
Ajunge introducerea istorică. Cum am ajuns eu la Chişinău?
Prima dată am descoperit oraşul într-o vară caniculară, în 2007, cu ocazia unei nunţi. O caniculă apăsătoare. Îmi aduc aminte un oraş luminos, plin de verdeaţă, aerisit, dar parcă apăsat de ceva. Vorbeam româna ca un privilegiu şi parcă cu mirare primeam răspuns (dar au fost şi excepţii când mi s-a răspuns mai mult în rusă). Am vizitat minunata catedrală din centru, construită în stil pur neoclasic şi muzeul de istorie. Am găsit că exponatele erau cu mult insuficiente pentru a înţelege istoria Basarabiei şi sper că s-a remediat acest aspect între timp. Am admirat, bineînţeles, statuia lui Ştefan cel Mare, simbolul absolut al oraşului. Realizată de sculptorul Alexandru Plămădeală în anii '20, a avut soarta Basarabiei: una aspră şi până la urmă, sperăm şi pentru Basarabia, una luminoasă: mutată, demontată, demolată, deportată, disimulată, astăzi domină oraşul şi conştiinţele locuitorilor săi. Ştefan cel Mare învingătorul prin excelenţă şi "măreaţă umbră" a României (nu doar a Moldovei, cum ar dori unii să acrediteze). Statuie foarte capricioasă pentru fotografi, însă: poate fi pozată bine doar la primele ore ale dimineţii. Dupămasa soarele bate din spate şi zădărniceşte orice tentativă. Nu am reuşit niciodată să îi fac o poză bună şi am văzut şi la prieteni multe poze ratate, dar nu am rezistat tentaţiei să pun între timp o poză luată de pe net (sursa Direcţia Construcţii Capitale - Primăria Municipiului Chişinău http://www.dcc.md/).
În 2010 m-am întors, cu ocazia sărbătorii de 27 martie (unirea din 1918). Am făcut mai multe poze de data aceasta. Am căutat să mă aventurez dincolo de bulevardul principal, Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt. Am descoperit şarmul străduţelor ticsite de copaci, cu case tipice oraşului, asimetrice, aşa cum nu mai văzusem în altă parte. Venisem la manifestaţia unionistă şi am cunoscut mai mulţi români. Schimbările din 2009 (plecarea comuniştilor) se traducea pentru românii de la vest de Prut printr-o mai mare libertate de a vizita fraţii, de a simţi că a vorbi româna nu este un privilegiu ci o normalitate, că graniţele din alte vremuri, cu stres şi nervi, sunt anormale. Am cumpărat cartea de istorie a Moldovei de Vasile Stati doar ca să înţeleg mai bine cum istoria poate fi manipulată cu tupeu şi ce minciuni au trebuit să îndure generaţii de români peste Prut.
Anul acesta m-am întors, doar 24 de ore, pentru manifestaţia de comemorare a 200 de ani de la răpirea Basarabiei. Drumuri impecabile prin România (cele din Vaslui reparate) şi Basarabia au făcut drumul de 6 ore o plăcere (cert, avem nevoie de o autostradă, dar s-a ameliorat între timp drumul naţional). Mai mult, în Basarabia am fost impresionat de amploarea primăverii: drumul Leuşeni-Chişinău era bordat de nuci, pini, stejari, de fel de fel de copaci frumoşi, sau direct de pădure. O desfătare pentru ochii săturaţi de asflat şi margine de drum anostă. Drumul e pe culmea dealurilor şi deseori vezi până departe Moldova din poveşti, Moldova lui Cantemir. Chişinăul: o pădure urbană. Copacii striviţi de caniculă de la prima vizită sau încă desfrunziţi de la a doua, acum dominau orice privelişte cu verdele lor proaspăt de mai. Copaci peste tot. Copaci pe bulevardul Ştefan cel Mare. Copaci pe străduţe. Bineînţeles, copaci în cele două parcuri centrale, dacă mai era nevoie, aş spune în glumă.
Să nu aveţi impresia despre Chişinău că este un oraş mizer, un burg neimportant, sărac. Chişinăul, nu Timişoara, Iaşi sau Cluj, este al doilea oraş al României! Este un oraş construit în plan grilă, (ca New Yorkul) iar armonia sa arhitecturală şi peisagistică fac să pălească multe oraşe româneşti! Bulevardul Ştefan cel Mare se mândreşte cu clădiri impunătoare, antebelice sau construite după război într-un stil socialist clasic de bună calitate (la Bucureşti exemplul cel mai bun în acest stil este Casa Presei Libere). Pe străduţe mai găsiţi adevărate palate, precum Muzeul de Istorie şi Arheologie, Muzeul de Etnografie sau Muzeul de Arte, pentru a da doar puţinele exemple ştiute de mine, sau multe exemple de căsuţe în arhitectura locală de secol 19.
Nu cunosc Chişinăul suficient ca să scriu despre el aşa cum mi-aş dori, despre fiecare obiectiv, şi îmi doresc cât mai curând să vă pot scrie despre locuri precum Orhei, Soroca sau Tighina. Dar vreau să vă spun că am avut bucuria de a participa la o măreaţă manifestaţie a românilor, români care găsesc absurd să trăiască acelaşi popor în două ţări diferite, care doresc să se bucure de aceleaşi drepturi, care îşi doresc să poată trăi demni şi liberi pentru că libertatea este preţioasă pentru orice om şi vremurile când ea era refuzată trebuie să aparţină doar trecutului. Ce s-a întâmplat zilele astea la Chişinău se mai regăseşte doar în cartea de istorie, şi istorie sperăm să scriem cât mai curând, generaţia noastră, pentru binele generaţiilor viitoare şi spre alinarea generaţiilor care au trecut.
Basarabia vă aşteaptă să o descoperiţi, nu aveţi nevoie de dicţionar!
Chişinău, mourning after 200 years
In 1812, 200 years ago, the Treaty of Bucharest was signed between the Russian and the Ottoman empires. The latter, defeated yet again, ceded to the former what came to be known as Bessarabia, the part of the Principality of Moldova between the Prut and Dniestr rivers. The vassal state and its Romanian population were not asked for their opinion, half of the country was simply torn away. Bessarabia's tragedy was starting.
In 1859 the union between Wallachia and Moldova was made without Bessarabia. In the last 200 years, it was reunited with Romania only for 25 years (1918-1940 and 1941-1944). Romanians in Bessarabia had to cope with a tough russification policy in Tsarist Russia and outright violent persecution in the Soviet era. In 1991 the Republic of Moldova became independant with its borders as they were traced by Stalin, without the north (Hotin area) and the south (Bugeac) and its access to the sea, but with the addition of Transnistria - a region accross the Dniestr which sparked a civil in 1992 and which escapes central authority ever since.
Enough with history, what brought me to Chişinău ?
I discovered the city during a summer heat wave, in 2007, attending a wedding. I remember a bright city, very green and with large spaces but still stuffy somehow . I was speaking Romanian like it was some kind of privilege and was surprised to be anwered back. There were occasions when I was answered in Russian. I visited the wonderful city cathedral, built in neoclassic style, and the history museum. I found the exhibits totally inadequate to understand the country's history and I hope this was addressed in the meantime. I admired the statue of Stephen the Great, which is the undisputed symbol of the city. It was made by sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală in the 1920s and it had Bessarabia's fate - a harsh one, but finally a bright one: it was several times moved, disassembled, demolished, deported or hidden away. Today it dominates from its spot the main boulevard, the way it dominated the councioussness of the people. Stepehn the Great is a major figure in national history for all Romanians, not only for Romanians in historical Moldova. I'd like to mention that this statue is very whimsical when it comes to taking pictures of it: you'd better wake up and try early in the morning for in the afternoon the sun shines from behind it for the rest of the day. I wanted to show you a picture of this exceptional symbol so I took a good one from the internet (source - http://www.dcc.md/).
In 2010 I was back in Chişinău to celebrate 92 years since the union with Romania (March 27th 1918). I made more pictures this time. I wanted to discover the city beyond the main boulevard (named Stephen the Great, of course). I discovered the charm of the small streets full of trees, with small asymetrical 19th century houses, the kind I had not seen before. I came to a unionist rally and I met many Romanians with whom I remained in contact. The changes which occured in 2009 (the ousting of the communists) meant greater freedom to visit Moldova and greater confidence to use Romanian on the street in ordinary conversation or to ask directions. Crossing the border was easier, with no hassle. I bought a communist history book especially to see what the population accross the Prut was dealing with, in terms of manipulations and lies.
This year I came back for 24 hours for the rally comemorating the theft of Bessarabia in 1812. The roads were almost impeccable in Romania and Moldova. The 6 hour trip was a pleasure even without highway, because of the beautiful scenery. Spring was glorious on the Leuşeni-Chişinău road: tree alignments or forrest all along. The road follows hill crests and the view is splendid till far. Chişinău itself is an urban forrest. The trees I saw on the two previous trips, either battered by the heatwave or unleafed, now boasted a fresh May green. They are everywhere, on boulevards and all over small streets alike.
Don't think that because Moldova is a poor country (objectively, it is one of the poorest in Europe) that its capital is a miserable small town. No, in fact it is for us Romanians our second most important city. It has a grid type plan (like New York) and is beautiful in both architecture and landscape. Stepehen the Great Boulevard has many grand buildings, 19th century or rebuilt after World War 2 in socialist style (with good taste, I might add). There are several palaces in the centre, most of which host public authorities: The History and Archeology Museum, The Ethnography Museum and The Art Museum, to give but a few examples.
I do not know Chişinău well enough to write about it the way I would like to, and I want to be able to write about other wonderfull places in Bessarabia, like Orhei, Soroca or Tighina as soon as possible. However, I really wanted to share the fact that I participated to a great event of solidarity and remembrance by Romanians from the left and the right bank of the Prut, people who find it absurd for one people to live in two countries, who want to enojoy the same rights and who above all want freedom and dignity, things they have often been deprived of. One can read about such events in history books, but history is made every day by those who are not afraid to dream and to act, and to righten a historical wrong.
Chişinău, mourning after 200 years
In 1812, 200 years ago, the Treaty of Bucharest was signed between the Russian and the Ottoman empires. The latter, defeated yet again, ceded to the former what came to be known as Bessarabia, the part of the Principality of Moldova between the Prut and Dniestr rivers. The vassal state and its Romanian population were not asked for their opinion, half of the country was simply torn away. Bessarabia's tragedy was starting.
In 1859 the union between Wallachia and Moldova was made without Bessarabia. In the last 200 years, it was reunited with Romania only for 25 years (1918-1940 and 1941-1944). Romanians in Bessarabia had to cope with a tough russification policy in Tsarist Russia and outright violent persecution in the Soviet era. In 1991 the Republic of Moldova became independant with its borders as they were traced by Stalin, without the north (Hotin area) and the south (Bugeac) and its access to the sea, but with the addition of Transnistria - a region accross the Dniestr which sparked a civil in 1992 and which escapes central authority ever since.
Enough with history, what brought me to Chişinău ?
I discovered the city during a summer heat wave, in 2007, attending a wedding. I remember a bright city, very green and with large spaces but still stuffy somehow . I was speaking Romanian like it was some kind of privilege and was surprised to be anwered back. There were occasions when I was answered in Russian. I visited the wonderful city cathedral, built in neoclassic style, and the history museum. I found the exhibits totally inadequate to understand the country's history and I hope this was addressed in the meantime. I admired the statue of Stephen the Great, which is the undisputed symbol of the city. It was made by sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală in the 1920s and it had Bessarabia's fate - a harsh one, but finally a bright one: it was several times moved, disassembled, demolished, deported or hidden away. Today it dominates from its spot the main boulevard, the way it dominated the councioussness of the people. Stepehn the Great is a major figure in national history for all Romanians, not only for Romanians in historical Moldova. I'd like to mention that this statue is very whimsical when it comes to taking pictures of it: you'd better wake up and try early in the morning for in the afternoon the sun shines from behind it for the rest of the day. I wanted to show you a picture of this exceptional symbol so I took a good one from the internet (source - http://www.dcc.md/).
In 2010 I was back in Chişinău to celebrate 92 years since the union with Romania (March 27th 1918). I made more pictures this time. I wanted to discover the city beyond the main boulevard (named Stephen the Great, of course). I discovered the charm of the small streets full of trees, with small asymetrical 19th century houses, the kind I had not seen before. I came to a unionist rally and I met many Romanians with whom I remained in contact. The changes which occured in 2009 (the ousting of the communists) meant greater freedom to visit Moldova and greater confidence to use Romanian on the street in ordinary conversation or to ask directions. Crossing the border was easier, with no hassle. I bought a communist history book especially to see what the population accross the Prut was dealing with, in terms of manipulations and lies.
This year I came back for 24 hours for the rally comemorating the theft of Bessarabia in 1812. The roads were almost impeccable in Romania and Moldova. The 6 hour trip was a pleasure even without highway, because of the beautiful scenery. Spring was glorious on the Leuşeni-Chişinău road: tree alignments or forrest all along. The road follows hill crests and the view is splendid till far. Chişinău itself is an urban forrest. The trees I saw on the two previous trips, either battered by the heatwave or unleafed, now boasted a fresh May green. They are everywhere, on boulevards and all over small streets alike.
Don't think that because Moldova is a poor country (objectively, it is one of the poorest in Europe) that its capital is a miserable small town. No, in fact it is for us Romanians our second most important city. It has a grid type plan (like New York) and is beautiful in both architecture and landscape. Stepehen the Great Boulevard has many grand buildings, 19th century or rebuilt after World War 2 in socialist style (with good taste, I might add). There are several palaces in the centre, most of which host public authorities: The History and Archeology Museum, The Ethnography Museum and The Art Museum, to give but a few examples.
I do not know Chişinău well enough to write about it the way I would like to, and I want to be able to write about other wonderfull places in Bessarabia, like Orhei, Soroca or Tighina as soon as possible. However, I really wanted to share the fact that I participated to a great event of solidarity and remembrance by Romanians from the left and the right bank of the Prut, people who find it absurd for one people to live in two countries, who want to enojoy the same rights and who above all want freedom and dignity, things they have often been deprived of. One can read about such events in history books, but history is made every day by those who are not afraid to dream and to act, and to righten a historical wrong.
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