The Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance, the flagship project of the Civic Academy Foundation, was awarded the commemorative medal Centenary of the Great Union by the President of Romania. This recognition serves an appreciation for ‘the effort made to preserve and promote the memory of the events and individuals that partook in the realisation of national unity and the establishment of the modern Romanian state, contributing to the defence and perpetuation of the values in the name of which the Great Union was achieved’.
Delayed by the pandemic, the awarding ceremony of the prestigious distinction was held on 17 March 2022 in the conference room of the Bucharest office of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance, and was presided over by architect Sergiu Nistor, presidential advisor.
In his speech, Mr Nistor stated that the decision to award the commemorative medal ‘Centenary of the Great Union’ to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism was evident, due to the fact that Sighet is a symbolic location where many of those instrumental in the realisation of the Great Union met their destinies. The presidential advisor concluded: “I was delighted that the Sighet Memorial is the first site in Romania, and as of yet the only one, to receive the European Heritage Label – an acknowledgment that is truly well-deserved. I am also pleased to see you surrounded by young people because if we do not engage with the younger generation, showcasing the hardships that underpin our present freedom, we would be neglecting our civic duty.”
Mrs Ana Blandiana, President of the Civic Academy Foundation, expressed gratitude for the medal and remarked that it seems entirely fitting to her that the Centenary anniversary be associated with the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. In Sighet, she noted, those who played a pivotal role in uniting the country were punished for their contributions and were transformed from heroes into victims.
‘We must not forget and remember again and again that we are not only the descendants of the founding fathers of the Romanian nation but also the descendants of those who martyred them, punishing them for not being indifferent, for loving their country, for devoting their whole lives to the creation of Romania as a European and modern state. It is our duty to expel this unimaginable and unjustifiable crime in the rational logic of history. The Sighet Memorial stands on a piece of land with the richest historical density, embodying the two histories we lived through. The medal awarded to the Sighet Memorial underlines this reality, which we must not forget’, concluded Ana Blandiana.
