Alexei (or Alexe) Mateevici (; March 27, 1888 – August 24, 1917) was one of the most prominent Romanian poets in
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
.
Biography
He was born in the town
Căinari
Căinari is a town in Căușeni District, Moldova. One village is administered by the town, Căinari station.
The town is located west of the district seat, Căușeni, and south of Chișinău.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister citi ...
, in Eastern
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
, which was part of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, now in the
Republic of Moldova
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. He grew up in
Zaim, Căușeni
Zaim commune in a Căușeni District, Moldova, located 7 km from the district seat Căușeni. It is composed of three villages: Marianca de Sus, Zaim and Zaim station.
Demographics
As of the 2014 Moldovan Census, it had a population of 4,2 ...
. He studied at the theological school of
Chișinău
Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
, and published his first poems (''Țăranii'' (''Peasants''), ''Eu cânt'' (''I sing''), ''Țara'' (''The Country'')) in the newspaper ''Basarabia'', where he also published two articles on Moldavian folklore. Mateevici later published several articles on religion in Moldavia.
Mateevici went on to study at the
Theological Academy of
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, from which he graduated in 1914. In that year he married Teodora Borisovna Novitski. He returned to Chișinău, and became a
Greek language
Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...
teacher at the theological school. In the summer of 1917 he wrote the lyrics for ''
Limba noastră
"" ("Our Language"; ) is the national anthem of Moldova. It has been used since 1994 and was officially adopted on 22 July 1995.
For a short period of time in the early 1990s, the national anthem of Moldova was "Deșteaptă-te, române!", whi ...
'' (''Our Language''), which has been the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
of
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
since 1994. He also volunteered as a World War One Romanian front prest, at Mărășești great battle.
He died a month later of
epidemic typhus, and was buried at the
Chișinău Central Cemetery
The Chișinău Central Cemetery ( ro, Cimitirul Central din Chișinău) is a cemetery located in the Sectorul Centru of Chișinău, Moldova, in the "triangle" of Alexei Mateevici, Vasile Alecsandri and Pantelimon Halippa. Founded in 1811, it i ...
. The street leading to the cemetery now bears his name.
Honours
*
, opened in 1933
[Mario-Ovidiu Oprea]
Parliamentary Debates
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References
External links
Museum Alexei Mateevici from Cainari
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mateevici, Alexei
1888 births
1917 deaths
People from Căușeni District
People from Bendersky Uyezd
Moldovan poets
Male poets
Romanian people of Moldovan descent
Romanian poets
Romanian male poets
Romanian nationalists
National anthem writers
Deaths from typhus
Eastern Orthodox Christians from Moldova
Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Poets from the Russian Empire
Moldovan male writers