In a context where the past is now less and less interesting, in which the great models are not true and eternal, I consider the scope given to the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Monica Lovinescu extremely important.

The credit goes mainly to the publisher Humanitas, its director, the philosopher Gabriel Liicanu, the national radio station, some magazines and cultural associations, partly also the Union of Writers. Unfortunately, as I said before, not the Romanian Academy. Which not only did not grant Monica Lovinescu and Virgil Yerunza the status of honorary members, as would be appropriate or posthumously, but also did not honor them. Tributes to what has been said immortal rather, merrily swooning and cynically heading towards Kostiantyn Beletsanu-Stolnichi, a long-time employee of Bezpeka.

The National Bank launched a jubilee coin on the market, academics, Ms. Raluka Tsurkan, the uninspired Minister of Culture, preferred to bow to the demonetized whistleblower Lawrence.

I will not write here and now how important Monica Lovinescu was to Romanian culture. I will only remind you that the annals of it on Free Europe and another written by Nicolae Manolescu in Literary Romania meant until 1989 not only recognition of value. But also a certification of the writer’s morality. Of course, neither Monica Lovinescu nor Mr. Manolescu was not infallible. Both will face waves of ingratitude after 1989.

In these lines, I want to say about a great absence. About unfair omission. The legendary director Free Europe, Noel Bernard. Without which there would be no shortwave The story is overNo Theses and antitheses in Paris. Of course, until 1967, both Monica Lovinescu and Virgil Jerunka could be heard on Radioul de la München. As Virgil Jerunka testified, for various reasons he also faced bans from Gice Ionescu, for some time also the director of the Romanian Service EUROPEfree. Returning to the management of the Romanian department in 1966, Noel Bernard took note of Monica Lovinescu’s proposal to replace “several time-limited broadcasts, ten minutes here, a quarter of an hour the other, with a program devoted to current cultural affairs in the country (easier to receive) and by another name Theses and antitheses in Paris for the connection with Western cultures (this is harder to admit). To convince an American station to devote 50 minutes to Paris news, you had to make it clear to the executives that Romanians are primarily attracted to France, and that Paris remains a great launching pad, a crossroads where all the literary and artistic currents and models of the West meet. We only talked for an hour. He was immediately convinced. He asked me for a memorandum with the main arguments. And shortly after that they were launched from an American station, which does not exist, like a French one. Theses and antitheses in Paris. And so on The story is over Virgil Yerunka”.

The above words belong to Monica Lovinescu and can be read in the book Director of our radio station Ioana Magura Bernard (Publishing old yard Bucharest, 2007). A sign that, among other qualities, Monica Lovinescu knew what gratitude meant. He knew that it was not easy at all, that during the years when France challenged America with the voice of General de Gaulle, American taxpayers’ money was used to let the Romanians know what was happening in In Villa Lumiisrepeatedly He was grateful to Bernard and Virgil Ierunk. It was he who wrote the only authorized obituary, which tells about the death of the legendary director Free Europe without Noel Bernard as o a mistake of fate.

In the movie War is on the wave path Alexander Solomon, Monica Lovinescu claims that she had only one weapon in her fight against communism. Microphone. He put this weapon at his disposal Free Europe and Noel Bernard. Security, the communist regime in Bucharest understood this and tried to deprive the journalist of this weapon. Rumors about her replacement were spread from the microphone, and they hoped to cause discord with the new directors. I am not talking about violent acts.

When in April 1992 the American leadership decided to end the Paris operations Free Europe, when Nicolae Stroescu-Stanișoara did not know or did not want to find a solution, this weapon disappeared. –

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