Unveiling of Rebreanu’s bust postponed

The bust of Liviu Rebreanu was to be unveiled on the Alley of Classical Writers on November 27, on the writer’s birthday, but the Chisinau officials say the event will be probably put off. The controversies over the placement of Rebreanu’s bust given by a Romanian cultural society started in 2003. This week, the Government decided that the bust will be placed on the Alley of Classical Writers, Info-Prim Neo reports. “I believe the bust will not be installed by November 27. There are certain bureaucratic problems. The mayor of Chisinau has not yet ordered transferring money to the Constructions Division, which is to carry out the related works,” said Ianus Turcanu, deputy head of the Chisinau Culture Division. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Grigore Rotaru, technical director of the Constructions Division, said he found out about the placement of the bust from the president of the Writers Union Mihai Cimpoi, but received no ordinance from the mayor or the Architecture Division. “There is no decision and we do not know what works we should perform,” he said, advising the Agency’s reporter to contact the General Division of Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations. The chief architect of Chisinau Vlad Modarca and deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu could not be found for comment. Academician Mihai Cimpoi said the Writers Union filed multiple applications, asking that the bust be placed. “The former Government refused, saying Liviu Rebreanu was not from Moldova,” he said, adding that he asked the Ministry of Culture to unveil the bust on December 12, given the technical problems that appeared. Liviu Rebreanu (November 27, 1885—September 1, 1944) was a Romanian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and journalist. His most famous novels are “Ion”, “Padurea Spanzuratilor” (“The Forest of the Hanged”) and “Ciuleandra”.