AXIS LIBRI 1 5 issue, 2nd year, December, 2009 AXIS LIBRI NICOLAE BREBAN On the Betrayal of criticism The shock of freedom brought me, here, with this text, to another metaphor, the metaphor of the Ghost of the present, suggesting, with that apparent indecision and an increased power of suggestion, the reality of the two decades that we all live in since ’89. Free at last, that is, taking advantage more or less in an appropriate way of the social liberties’ real privileges: the free, secret and universal right to vote, the right of free association, expression and travel, in short the right to be happy and lucky as human beings! What we do with all these is, of course, a consequence of the will, the wake lucidity, the leaders we choose and our mental and civic reflexes that we formed under the ruling of the communists that, many still, flow unlimited from history. This shock or the image, the presence of this ghost prevents us (and I am afraid that this will still be a problem for a while) to fully enjoy, as we would have wanted, our present and that of the community’s that we are a part of and gave us life. 2 AXIS LIBRI 5 issue, 2nd year, December, 2009 Editorial The dynamics of the cultural life it is painful that all kinds of events of a dubitable quality appear at the same time as highly valued manifestations. It is the price paid to a transition from the centralized system to a new society, under the rules of democracy, of freedom of creation and free initiative. Nevertheless, the progressive tendencies that Romania tries to enforce to itself, preannounce an obvious tie to the western culture. The efforts made in this respect, more or less sustained, to integrate ourselves into a great family like Europe and to make whole the community of ‘the old world’ come into being. The European model that we adhere to implies the keeping of certain rules that are unanimously accepted, universally valid and do not contradict the national dignity, to create the ‘universality in diversity’. Unfortunately, even twenty years of freedom later, The history of the human kind was crossed we witness manifestations that identify us more by all kinds of economical, political, ideological, with the specific and mentalities from the EAST industrial etc crisis that marked the evolution of more than the WEST. True, there are factors that the society. From Antiquity to the present day such motivate this affinity for the Orient: the deficit of phenomena came one after the other and ended by the educational system, the unfavorable pecuniary changing profoundly all levels of community. There status or the inability of some of distinguishing and are similarities between the characteristics of these appreciating value. That is why we need projects, moments of regression that manifest themselves programmes, well prepared and organized activities cyclically and it is very interesting to find answers and not complaints or theories of fatality. related to possible homologies, their dynamics, but With the sustained support of the local especially the transformations they generated and authorities, the staff of the „V.A. Urechia” Library they way they were reflected into the culture that is placing its activity on a coherent strategy of met a course of ups and downs keeping unaltered the needs for reading and documentation of the the hope for fulfillment and accomplishment of the people of Galaţi, and the increase in the level of the human being. inhabitants’ culture in collaboration with the other Although there is a mixture of the economical cultural and educational institutions, associations, with the social and cultural crisis, their frequency foundation. Under the name of „AXIS LIBRI”, and amplitude is different, as the depth of the effects already a brand, The Cultural Magazine, The Book they propagate. In recession intervals, the cultural Fair, The Publishing House-Literary salon enjoy history met numerous moments of maximum audiences and praises. spiritual explosion marking real revolutions through The good results, as well as the extremely their consequences in the plan of the mentalities helpful receptivity of the administrative forum and the new forms of manifestation. give us the right to look forward with optimism, We are ‘contemporaries’ with a global crisis even in these times of crisis, because wonderful that overlapped a general Romanian crisis: political, quality things can be done with a staff dedicated financial, and economical and that of the values to their profession that manages everything with and the cultural one. In the case of the last one, effectiveness and responsibility. Prof. Zanfir Ilie, Manager Galați, November 2009 of the „V.A. Urechia” Library, Galaţi 3 5 issue, 2nd year, December, 2009 AXIS LIBRI The URECHIA Year – 175 years since his birth VASILE ALEXANDRESCU URECHIA Bio-bibliographical chart V.A.Urechia -historian, writer, playwright- (since the 31st of July, 1864) and Ministry of Cults and Public 27.02.1834 - 22.11.1901 Instruction under the lead of Dimitrie Brătianu (10th of April, Piatra Neamţ Bucureşti 1881 – the 31st of July, 1882). Historian, animator of the cultural life and writer, „As someone who was very Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia never gave up the teaching agitated for the wellness and vocation and he taught till the end of his life at the Department the greatness of the Romanian people, Urechia was sublime, of Romanian History and Romanian Literature of the Iaşi no one could ever replace him, University in Bucharest (31st of July, 1864 - 1901). nothing will surpass him in our Involved in the political life, V.A. Urechia was a national history and he will stand forever as an archangel member of the Chamber of Representatives as a representative of the enthusiasm in the memory of all Romanians.” (Bogdan Petriceicu Haşdeu, 1901) of the Tutova county (since 1866), vice president of the Romanian Senate (1901) and also Representative and Senator of Covurlui (since 1869), function that he detained till he died, Son of the Court Victualler Alexandru Popovici and in Galaţi. Euphrosina Photinia, Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia begun Fighter for the completion of the national union and his education in the private school of the Boyar Dumitrache the cultivation of national consciousness, a „sublime agitator Stan’s houses from Piatra Neamţ and continued it in the for the wellness and the greatness of the Romanian people”, private boarding house of the Swiss Bailiff from Oşlobeni. He as Bogdan Petriceicu Haşdeu wrote about him, V.A. Urechia attended then the „Trei Ierarhi” Preparatory School from Iaşi founded and managed many cultural institutions as the becoming, later, in 1844 the beneficiary of a scholarship of Transylvania Society, The Macedo-Romanian Society and the The Mihăileanu Academy in Iaşi. When he registered into the League for the cultural Unity of all Romanians (1893 - 1897). Academy he gave up his christian name, Popovici, in favour Founder – member of the Romanian Literary Society (1st of of Alexandrescu, after his father’s first name. Much later, he April, 1866), the future Romanian Academy (30th of March, assumed the name of Urechia, when he found out from the 1879) and its General Secretary (1872 – 1873, 1881 - 1894) was family papers that his origins laid in the family of the great vice president and then president of its historical department Moldavian chronicler. (since 1892), president of the literary department (since 1888) Between the years 1855 and 1857 he benefits from a and vice president of the same department (1888 – 1894, 1892 scholarship to Paris, given to him by the „Society for the help – 1895, 1898 - 1901). He was also a correspondent member of Romanian Young Men to Study”. In Paris, he gets first his of the Spanish Academy and the Ethnographical Institute of Bachelor’s degree in philosophy (18th of August, 1856) and Paris. He edited many publications, among which there are: then becomes a student of the Faculty of Letters and attends at „The National Assembly”, „The Almanac of the Cults”, „The the same the courses of the Philosophy and letters in Sorbonne. General Year-Book of the Public Instruction”, „The Romanian There is also the place where he edited the Romanian language Athenaeum”, „Dacia”, „The Public Instruction”, „The Aurochs magazine „The Opinion” (1856) and collaborated at the same and the Eagle”. time with great French dailies like: „Le Constitutionnel”, Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia contributed to the spreading „Gazette de France”, „La Patrie”, „Le Siécle”. In Paris he got of the Romanian culture initiating or sponsoring essential married to Françoise Joséphiné Dominique Plano, daughter institutions as The Romanian Athenaeum, The University, The of Doctor de Plano (physician of Queen Izabel of Spain) but Romanian Academy, The Antiquity Museum, The National she shortly after died, in 1858. Theatre, and The Romanian Academy. Not in the least, V.A. Once returned home, he starts his career as an Urechia founded, on the 7th of December, 1889, „the deposit assessor at the second section of the Iaşi Court House. He later of national culture” that bears his name, donating his valuable becomes a teacher Romanian literature and Latin language at personal library to the people of Galaţi and editing the the superior gymnasium classes and then Universal History „bulletin of the Urechia Foundation”, the first publication of a teacher and Literature at the college classes in what was later public library (1901). to become the Iaşi University (1858 – 1864). In 1859 he is a All along his life, V.A. Urechia had a rich journalistic manager in the Ministry of Cults and Public Instruction of activity, collaborating with numerous publications as: „The Moldavia and later ad-interim Ministry of the Department Aurochs/Zimbrul”, „The Romanian/Românul”, „The Danube of Cults and Public Instruction in the government of Mihail Star/Steaua Dunării”, „The Family/Familia”, „Bucharest Kogălniceanu (1859 - 1860).