Another nine cultural figures of Moldova to receive merit allowances

Another nine cultural figures will receive merit allowances. Their list today was approved by the National Commission for the Awarding of the Merit Allowance.

The decision was taken by individual secret ballot during a meeting chaired by  Culture Minister Cristian Jardan.

“The new beneficiaries were designated after, regrettably, over the last year more renowned cultural personalities who had been receiving the allowance passed away. Thus, this year the list is supplemented with another 15 places out of the 260 financed from the state budget,” said the Culture Ministry.

Each year, proposals for awarding the merit allowance are submitted to the Culture Ministry by creative unions. By 15 March, the seven Creative Unions had submitted 54 files. Following debates and the presentation of candidacies, it was decided that the vote would be secret, and that to get the allowance, candidates must be elected by a simple majority of the commission members.

As a result of the vote, 10 personalities from seven fields were designated, in recognition of their valuable contribution to the development and promotion of national culture.

They are:

• Nicolae Leahu – poet, publicist, literary critic and professor (Writers’ Union);

• Ghenadie Postolachi – poet, prose writer and screenwriter (Writers’ Union);

• Iurie Platon – visual artist, painter, ceramist and sculptor (Union of Fine  Artists of Moldova);

• Tamara Grecu – visual artist, ceramist (Union of Fine Artists of Moldova);

• Valeriu Cojocaru – People’s Artist, Master of Arts, soloist of the Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theatre (Musicians’ Union of Moldova);

• Maria Iliut – People’s Artist, folk music singer, founder and leader of the ethno-folkloric ensemble “Crenguța de iederă” (Musicians’ Union of Moldova);

• Sergiu Prodan – film director, screenwriter, film producer (Filmmakers’ Union of Moldova);

• Vladimir Andries – PhD in the study of arts and culturology, university professor, Master of Arts, violinist, conductor and musicologist (Union of Composers and Musicologists of Moldova);

• Valentina Calestru – Merited Artist, soloist of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre Maria Biesu (Theatre Union of Moldova);

• Silvia Saranuta – ethnographer, museum specialist, Merited Person (National Commission of Museums and Collections).

After the announcement of the results, Sergiu Prodan notified the Commission’s secretariat that he was honoured by the designation and thanked the Filmmakers’ Union and the Commission members for their appreciation, but that he would not accept the allowance. Under these conditions, nine places are to be granted, and for the remaining allowances a meeting has been scheduled for the early next June, in order to select new beneficiaries.

According to the law, the merit allowance is granted for life, from the state budget, to personalities who have reached the age of 60 and who have distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements in the culture field. The monthly amount of the allowance is equivalent to the average wage in the economy for the previous year, according to official data, and is tax exempt.