In his book Revelations about George Enescu (Bucharest, “Minerva” publishing house. [-Editura R.A.I.]1996 [de fapt ianuarie 1997]page 97-98), Ilie Kogelnicanu – a friend of Enescu, the son of his beloved lifelong friend Ninetta/Nineta (Elena) Duka – wrote about Romeo Dragic:

“I remember that I was there two or three times [în casa mică din spatele Palatului Cantacuzino din Calea Victoriei 141, unde se mutase Drăghici după 1949, în locul Mariei Odobescu, așa cum ar fi vrut Maruca Enescu și Elena Duca]. Dragici showed me the letters old received by Enescu, on which he put an oval stamp in ink: “Romeo Dragici Collection”. Enescu would never have allowed it, never given the letters to Dragic or anyone else. […] After Enescu’s death in 1955, Dragic became an important figure. You didn’t get to him easily. You couldn’t access all of Enescu’s documents that he had there. He became arrogant and authoritarian” (I.K.’s italics).

During the scientific internship, conferences and debates in Botoshani, Ipoteshti, Dorohoi and Livni (January 14-18, 2024), which were held by Eugene Chiurtin on the occasion of participation in the presentation of the national Eminescu prize to master Gabriel Bebesele (Botoshani, 15.01.2024), for with the support of the Ipoteshti Memorial (director Ala Saynenko) and with the consent of the Museum of Botosani District (director Aurel Melnichuk), in the context of a dialogue about the twelve musical manuscripts of Enescu, which, as indicated, exist in the Dear Fund and the Liveni Foundation Enescu’s new thematic catalog Liliana Firka’s Clemence (2010, second edition in preparation), museographer Lidia Alexi from the Enescu Memorial Museum in Dorohoi informed Eugene Churtin unpublished, undeciphered letter of Romeo Dragici, which is kept in the documentary fund from Dorogo in the form in which it was left by the previous museum curator of the Enescu house in Dorogo, Peter Diaconescu (1946-2020) – the recipient of the letter himself. The partial decipherment and significance of the find were made on the same day (January 16, 2024), the credit for the preservation and transmission of this unique private document belongs to Lydia Oleksiy, to whom the co-author is extremely grateful. Therefore, we publish together here – for the benefit of those who study the work and life of Enescu, as well as those who are engaged in

a moving cultural trinity of unique national significance – a quick full edition with minimal commentary so far.

Romeo Dragici to Peter Diaconescu, letter dated May 14, 1980.

envelope. The standard postal envelope, reinforced from the inside with black protective tabs (against light decoding), has not been completely preserved. The envelope is completely preserved, but partially torn (when opened?) at the top left. Two postage stamps in Bucharest, both dated 14.05.1980. Stamp of Dorogo, more difficult to decipher, dated 05/17/1980. Straight side, top right: two stamps, one 1.20 lei, the other 55 bans.

letter. The folded A5 page is numbered by us here as 1 (incipit recto/front side), 2 (back side of the first page), 3 (back of the second tab resulting from folding) and 4 (back side Ibid). A letter written in random order, with extra lines placed vertically to the right (pages 1 and 3), flipped horizontally (page 1), or added horizontally at the bottom (page 2). Thus, a total of 51 lines [16+10+12+13]. The channel was probably very fast and partly incoherent, it is difficult or even very difficult to decipher in different parts. The context explains the spelling. The sender Dragic was 89 years old at that time (as he mentions in the text), and according to some secondary and tertiary sources, as well as some oral data of those who knew him personally (transmitted in 2021-2024 to Yevhen Churtin), he already was almost blind. The recipient Peter (Petrus) Diaconescu was 34 years old at the time. Underlines made by Dragic have two, three and even four lines. I pointed out [?] parts where there seems to be some ambiguity. Crochet finish […] belong to the publishers.

The text of the original document.

[Plic recto]

Dear Romeo

Calea Victoriei 141

71101 Glad[eș]IT

[Plic verso]

Goods[ăș]in

Professor museographer

Peter Diaconescu

Brazi Street No. 4

6850 Dorohoysky district. Botoshan

[Scrisoarea, în reconstituirea logică a textului: paginile 1 → 4 → 2 → 3. De asemenea, la 1: rânduri completate orizontal răsturnat sus | la 2: scris vertical ulterior | la 3: scris vertical, cu rânduri orizontale răsturnate, adăugate ulterior sus.]

May 14 [1]980
Comrade Diaconescu,

I’m tired of talking.

I asked you in a letter [?] sent comrade[arășul] Dig up give it to me Immediately, the material was entrusted for sale for almost a year. What a mistake I made [4] take my word for it.

If you do not send me, I shall be obliged to complain to Com. Minister Susana Gadea, whom I see when I want, and to whom I have informed of my trouble.

You are running an institution created exclusively Iand please honor him as a[u] your predecessors did it comrade.[arășii] [Ioan] Balan and Maria Bunya. What can I tell you in enche[i]era, [e] that I am more than outraged by your behavior [1: șase rânduri orizontale răsturnate sus] carried with me, which I did not think [cuvânt indescifrabil] your gratitude will be different. I am forced[,] with everything [cuvânt indescifrabil] I am saying, [cuvânt indescifrabil] do [două cuvinte indescifrabile] my right

[3] I am very sick and I need money, not promises. You trusted me [?] what [o] will take place [?] – it was in August last year – I will have money. Since the material cannot be entered into the inventory, not paid for, according to the current law I have the right to withdraw the offer [2] purchase and ask that it be returned to me in a registered return envelope. I call upon you and please believe that you have brought me [?] for depression, to send stamped material, which Derzarchiv will take for double the price. I gave it to you in memory of the Master. [2, scris vertical] At the age of 89, I did not believe that I would be treated like this. i stayed [cuvânt indescifrabil] a friend of master Enescu.

[1, un rând vertical dreapta] I hope at least once have the delicacy to answer me[.]

[3, un rând vertical] I am outraged, outraged, outraged. R. Dragichi

comment.

In 1980, the stamp of a simple letter envelope cost 55 lei to send to the same county, and the price of 1.75 lei was the price for a letter weighing a maximum of 20 grams in 1980. and the maximum distance between districts, such as Bucharest-Dorogoi. Dragici does not send a letter recommended, but use an envelope of higher quality than the one marked, printed by the Post Office of the SSR at that time, with a minimum of 55 money. Both specify two addresses PERSONALnon-institutional (premises of the Enescu Museum in Bucharest and the Enescu Museum in Dorohoi), as well as the opaque type of the envelope, as well as the repeated opaque mention of the object of the agreement – “MATERIAL” are clear instructions, despite the energetic tone and express mention moneyhowever, Dragic took last precautions in a No to say directly and completely what for thus transferred from the ownership of Enescu.

Why is the appeal to the Dear one symptomatic? As you know, Dragici was from Botošan and also the main person responsible for the creation of Enescu Regional Museums. Documentary sources for these Enescu museums have already been published: see Memory of Botoshan archives. George Enescu, edition of documents compiled by Sergiu Balanović, Gheorghe-Florin Štyrbacsi, Rodika Krakane and Lidia Alexi, Iasi, Pim Publishing House, 2016 (see in particular pp. 53, 59, 65, 79, 100-101, 129, 135 and 142 – 144). _ Read the rest of the article and comment on Contributors.ro