National Culture Day - A Friendship for Eternity

As every year, on January 15th, the Romanian stamp marks the National Culture Day.

This year’s issue, with the generic theme A Friendship for Eternity, consisting of 2 stamps, 1 First Day Cover and a philatelic folder with special product in a limited edition, will be introduced into circulation by Romfilatelia, on Monday, January 15th.

The most beautiful friendship in the Romanian literature, experienced by two personalities remaining in the Romanian cultural treasury, has Mihai Eminescu and Ion Creangă as protagonists.

Appointed school inspector in Iași, at the direct intervention of Titu Maiorescu, the poet Mihai Eminescu met the joker storyteller during an inspection at School number 2 in Păcurari, where Creangă was a teacher. They became friends in a short time, the poet being impressed by Creangă’s humour, the way he spoke the stories, proverbs and sayings of the people, by the sharpness of his mind.

At that time, Ion Creangă did not devote himself to writing, but there are enough arguments to support the idea that Eminescu gave him impetus to take up the pen.

As a matter of fact, the introduction of the storyteller into Junimea’s circle and the presentation in its plenary session of his first writing, namely the story “The Mother with Three Daughters-In-Law (Soacra cu trei nurori)”, amply prove the role of the great poet in launching Ion Creangă into the world of writing.

For every story written, like “Harap Alb”, Creangă asked Eminescu for his opinion. He refused to correct him, saying: “Leave it, Creangă, you will read at Junimea, you don’t need to be corrected by anyone”.

After Eminescu was unfairly dismissed from the position of school inspector, his good friend offered him a long period of lodging at his hovel (Bojdeuca) in Țicău. However, the poet could not stand the idea of being a burden and decided to go to Bucharest.

Creangă was left without a friend and, at the same time, without a man full of learning. Although he always kept in touch with the great poet, his absence was hard to bear. The letters addressed to him reveal the state of the storyteller: “You also left Iași, leaving a lot of disgust and bitterness in my soul. May God grant that it is better over there, but I don’t think so... I am writing this letter to you in the veranda where we have sat so many times, where you, looking at the sky full of wonders, told me so many really beautiful things...”.

In another letter, Creangă interrogated him: “What about Bucharest, have you completely forgotten about our desolate Iaşi?... Veronica was at my place today and told me that you are doing the same with her as with me. Why? What harm have we done to you?... For Christmas we are waiting for you to come... Come, brother Mihai, come, because without you I am a stranger!!!”

Upon hearing the news that Eminescu was ill, Creangă suffered several epileptic seizures, and the poet’s death was a devastating blow. In December, the year of the poet’s death, the great storyteller whose writings can be found, translated, in the literary works of the world, also passed away. It should be noted that in the same year, on August 4th, 1889, overcome by pain, the life-long muse of the great poet, Veronica Micle, met her end at the Văratec Monastery.

The postage stamps of the issue with the face values of Lei 10.00 and Lei 13.00 illustrate “in tandem” well-known portraits of the two great representatives of the Romanian literature, as a symbol of a strong soul connection. The alternative reproduction of the two portraits in the manner of “foreground and background” suggestively illustrates the close friendship between the two.

The special philatelic block adds to the images of the postage stamps those of the Humulești and Ipotești Memorial Houses, along with a defining text of friendship belonging to A. D. Xenopol.

Romfilatelia thanks the representatives of the Romanian Academy Library and the National Museum of Romanian Literature for the documentary support given to the development of this postage stamp issue.

PRODUSE SPECIALE / SPECIAL PRODUCTS:

Mapa filatelică este echipată cu blocul filatelic special de două timbre nedantelate al emisiunii, având aplicate în folio aur semnăturile lui Mihai Eminescu și Ion Creangă. Blocul filatelic special este numerotat de la 001 la 261. / The philatelic folder is equipped with the special philatelic block of two imperforated stamps of the issue having imprinted in gold foiling the signatures of Mihai Eminescu and Ion Creangă. The special philatelic block is numbered from 001 to 261.