At the start of the year 2021, an initiative committee made of representatives of Romanian youth, Romanian culture and Romanian spirituality convened at Putna Monastery and decided to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the First Putna Celebration of Romanians from All Over the World and the First Congress of Romanian Students. These historic events took place on the 15th of August 1871, at the initiative and through the involvement of the youth leaders of the time, who would later become outstanding Romanian cultural personalities: Mihai Eminescu, Ioan Slavici, Nicolae Teclu, Ciprian Porumbescu a.o. The 1871 Putna Celebration reunited Romanians from all over the world and it essentially defined the ideal of national unity, which would be realized decades later.
The 2021 Putna Celebration was designed in terms of the continuity of this ideal: “the unity in thought and feeling of all Romanians” regardless of where they live – either in Romania or in another corner of the world.
Placed under the spiritual and cultural patronage of the Romanian Patriarchate and the Romanian Academy, the event aimed to become a turning point in affirming and consolidating the unity of Romanians from the country and from abroad and strengthening brotherly ties, loving communion and “together-working” for the common good of the Romanian people.
Prepared for half a year, the celebration opened on the 14th of August 2021, at 10:00, when Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, the Abbot of Putna Monastery, welcomed the students. At 13:00, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, arrived at Putna Monastery to take part in the anniversary celebrations. In his welcoming address, His Beatitude said that the 1871 Putna Celebration represented a new stage in the awareness of the need for unity in thought and feeling of all Romanians, both from the country and from the diaspora: “Today is a great day, followed by other even greater days, because today the anniversary celebrations of the great event of 1871 begin. The coincidence is obvious. In 1871, the Putna Assembly and the Congress of Students were held on a weekend. They began on Saturday, the 14th of August 1871, continued on Sunday, the 15th of August 1871, and ended on Monday, the 16th of August 1871. So this blessed coincidence shows us that God works surprisingly, working miracles to show His love toward those who lovingly respond to His call”.
The day continued with the Patriarch visiting the monastery, the museum and the anniversary exhibition hosted by the monastery’s “Metropolitan Jacob of Putna” Cultural Center. The guide of the exhibition was writer Adrian Alui Gheorghe. Ioan-Aurel Pop, the President of the Romanian Academy, and other people of culture were also present. At the end of the evening, the young people participated in the Vigil service for the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which included the Lamentation of the Mother of God hymn. The service was officiated by His Grace Damascene of Dorna, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, with a synaxis of priests and deacons.
The Sunday began with the Holy Liturgy, which included the blessing of the anniversary candle and of the effigies of the former Putna Celebrations organizers. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Ioan-Aurel Pop, the President of the Romanian Academy, had a message for all Romanians. He said that there could be no better place than Putna for such a gathering, the place where Stephen the Great, the greatest Romanian ruler, is buried. He also urged those present to remember the deeds and thoughts of the participants in the celebrations held 150 years before. The distinguished man of culture noted that in today's secularized Europe, the Romanians' homeland must be faith, and the Church is together with the Romanian nation as one.
“Today, 150 years later, it is fitting that we bow before the memory of those nation builders. We should rise and follow their example. In today's secularized, disoriented European society, in which all the great values of mankind are questioned, we should humbly follow our rite. Let us follow the example of the great scholars of Putna, from Vasile Alecsandri to Mihai Eminescu.” (Acad. Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy)
During the day, the youth took part in various activities, including a concert organized by the Bucovina Cultural Center in the monastery parking lot. In the evening, a Vigil was officiated for the feast of the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs and for the holy founders of Putna Monastery. Monday's Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Ignatius, Bishop of Huși, His Grace Veniamin, Bishop of South Bessarabia, with a synaxis of priests and deacons. After the Divine Liturgy, a Commemoration service was officiated in memory of the Putna Monastery founders and of the organizers and participants of the 1871 Putna Celebration. His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bukovina, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuți, His Grace Damascene, Auxiliary Bishop of the Suceava and Rădăuți, joined the synaxis for the Commemoration service. At the end, the winners of the Putna 150 Celebration competitions were awarded and Cosmin Țugui, the winner of the Speech contest, delivered his winning speech.
“The Beginning of an Ideal” movie was launched on the same day. Directed by Diana Paul, edited and filmed by videographers Ovidiu Ciobanu and Cristian Țuglea, it depicted moments from the 1871 Putna Celebration. The cast included young people involved in the 2021 Putna Celebration.
The Anniversary Student Congress brought together 650 young people and started at 16:00 at the “Metropolitan Jacob of Putna” Cultural Center. It was moderated by Emanuel Buta, Secretary of the “150. Continuity of an Ideal” Putna Celebration. The event started with words addressed to the youth by the Patriarch of Romania and the President of the Romanian Academy, followed by their dialogue with the young people about identity and ideals.
“When faith weakens in society and when people's spiritual horizon narrows and everything is reduced to biological and earthly existence, there is a great need to remember the words of the Savior, Who says: The one who believes in me will live, even though they die (John 11:25). So faith is the source of eternal life. When we are asked: Why do you believe in God? we answer: Because I am determined to live forever.” († Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church)
Acad. Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy, added: “You should know that, if we stray from the quality of being Romanian and, sometimes, also Christian, we get completely lost and even lose ourselves. If we do not like the word identity, we lose our place in this world. God gave each of us a purpose. That is why I am glad we have the opportunity to talk and, even if some will consider us conservative, traditionalist, primitive and who knows what else, please think about these things, and smell the grass growing before your eyes. The freshly-mown hay, even if it is mown with a machine and no longer with a scythe, smells nowhere like it does here, in Putna, nor does the taste of the cabbage rolls made here, nor the air we breathe [are the same elsewhere].”
The event ended with messages from the representatives of the student associations from across the country and from the diaspora participating in the celebrations and the drafting a Final Declaration of the Anniversary Student Congress, signed by all those present.
The day ended after sunset, when the students formed on the Hill of the Cross, torches in hands, the number “150”. A torchlight singing retreat followed up to the monastery, where they were welcomed by His Grace Ignatius, Abbot Melchisedec Velnic and the monastic community. In the end, they all gathered around a bonfire lit near the monastery, where they had a picnic dinner.
The “150. Continuity of an Ideal” Putna Celebration was followed, on the 17th of August, by the “Eminescu and Putna” Symposium. Prominent guests attended the scientific event, including poet Ana Blandiana, member of the Romanian Academy, Acad. Alexandru Zub, who was once imprisoned by the communist regime after he organized the 1957 Putna Celebration, art critic Mircea Oliv, writer Adrian Alui Gheorghe, a.o. The participants presented papers about Mihai Eminescu, the Romanian national poet, about his spiritual connection with the monastery, which he called “the Jerusalem of the Romanian nation”, and about the cultural context of his time. Painters Horea Paștina and Dacian Andoni contributed artworks to an anniversary art exhibition.
