Romania celebrates 155 years since the birth of
the national poet Mihai Eminescu

On Saturday, January 15 th , 2005 , Romania celebrates 155 years since the birth of the national poet Mihai Eminescu , the most well known, appreciated and complex Romanian poet. Eminescu was born in Botosani , spent his childhood at his parent's house in Ipotesti and since he eight years old he started his studies in Cernauti , North Bucovina .

As critics put it “Mihai Eminescu is the Romanian national poet, with an overwhelming personality. As a poet he managed to synthesize national and international resources, with a rich imagination and a creative fantasy, through philosophical ascension and through a cosmic and mythological vision on man. Beside poetry, he experienced in the field of drama, but all his plays are just projects. He also wrote short stories, mostly in fantastic manner, which were shadowed by his poetry, and it is only nowadays that they regained their true recognition.”

On this occasion, the president of the Romanian Cultural Institute, Augustin Buzura , stated : ” Eminescu is extremely contemporary and everybody reading its work has a lot to learn. (…) He created a language and a unique way to see the past and the future.” Buzura also mentioned that one of the Institute's projects for this year is the editing in the United States of a CD with Eminescu's lyrics in the interpretation of well known American actors.

For more information on Mihai Eminescu's life and work, please click here