MOLDOVA: ART AND LITERATURE

Moldova has a very arts-rich history, and the arts are an important part of their culture. Their art is divided into several genres; one of them is called decorative arts, which includes handicrafts, pottery, ceramics, metalworking, traditional clothing making, etc. One art that they are particularly known for is their ceramics. Ceramic bowls and pots were used for preparing and cooking food and for food storage as well. Moldovan ceramics differs a little from other ceramics traditions in the fact that their ornamentation is made up of lines, dots, and circles like no one else does. Their choice of colors, ornamentation, and basic form sets their ceramics apart from the others. 

I think I need this.

They also have a strong tradition of woodcarving. Quite a bit of their woodcarving is for household objects such as tables, chairs, other pieces of furniture, utensils, and tools. But Moldovan woodcarvers are also known for carving the support pillars in their homes or porches. Just hope they don’t carve it too thin! 

I really need these, too.

For women, embroidery has long been an art that has been passed down generation to generation. And really, up until recent decades, there wasn’t a home where the woman didn’t decorate something with embroidery. Things like pillowcases, tablecloths, curtains, towels, and women’s blouses are examples of some of the objects women typically embroider. Some of the motifs include floral designs, animals (butterflies, chickens, ram horns), or other natural designs (rivers, trees, mountains). Many women also just embroider geometric or zig-zag designs as well. 

And this shirt, too. I think I need to start saving my money to go to Moldova.

Many Moldovan artists today work with a number of mediums from painting to sculpting to graphics and computer arts. Many of the top colleges and universities offer arts programs, and art galleries dot cities and towns across the country. 

by Mihai Grecu (1916-1998)

Literature in Moldova shares not only a common language but many literary traditions with Romania. The earliest works we know of go back to the Middle Ages to about the 10^th or 11^th centuries. During this time, written works were pretty much religious texts. And it was also written in what’s called Old Church Slavonic. The first book in Moldova to be published was Kazania, which was published in 1643. However, a translation of the Psalms into Romanian was published not long after this. 

The 15^th–17^th centuries saw quite a bit of changes to literature during this time. A prince by the name of Vasile Lupu established a university and several publishing houses, not to mention establishing some of the earliest laws in Moldavia. Later on, historical works and chronicles began to take hold, documenting the history of the land. 

This carries us into the 18^th century where secular works began to take a foothold. More dictionaries and language books also were produced during this time. Storytelling and lyric poetry was becoming more common, especially love stories and stories of social struggles. The first newspapers began being published during the 19^th century. 

During the Soviet years, writers were still producing works. Much of these works came in both prose and poetry forms and often discussed the revolution. During WWII, literature was still produced without hesitation in all genres: children’s lit, epic novels, essays, short stories, poetry, and other genres. There was also a rise in literature from Bessarabia and a slight rise in literature written in Gagauz, mostly available from the efforts of Mihail Ciachir who put together the first Gagauz dictionary and grammar book during the 1920s and 1930. In the early 1990s, another surge in Gagauz literature took place after independence.

 

Ion Druta

Today, Moldovan writers span all genres and styles. Some Moldovan authors of note include Ion Druta, Emilian Bukov, Leonid Corneanu, Samuil Lehttsir, Gheorghe Asachi, Ienachitsa Vacarescu, Demitrie Cantemir, and many more.

Up next: music and dance