Alexei Mateevici

Alexei Mateevici
Born	(1888-03-27)March 27, 1888 Căinari, Bessarabia, Russian Empire
Died	August 24, 1917(1917-08-24) (aged 29) Chișinău, Moldavian Democratic Republic
Resting place	Chișinău Central Cemetery
Occupation	Greek language teacher
Language	Romanian
Alma mater	Theological Academy of Kiev
Notable works	Limba noastră (Our Language)
Spouse	Teodora Borisovna Novitski

Alexei (or Alexe) Mateevici (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsej mateˈevitʃʲ, aˈlekse -]; March 27, 1888 – August 24, 1917) was one of the most prominent Romanian poets in Bessarabia.

Biography

He was born in the town Căinari, in Eastern Bessarabia, which was part of the Russian Empire, now in the Republic of Moldova. He grew up in Zaim, Căușeni. He studied at the theological school of Chișinău, 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, from which he graduated in 1914. In that year he married Teodora Borisovna Novitski. He returned to Chișinău, and became a Greek language teacher at the theological school. In the summer of 1917 he wrote the lyrics for Limba noastră (Our Language), which has been the national anthem of Moldova since 1994. He also volunteered as a World War One Romanian front prest, at Mărășești great battle.

Mateevici on a 1998 stamp from Moldova; in the background are written quatrains from Limba noastră

He died a month later of epidemic typhus, and was buried at the Chișinău Central Cemetery. The street leading to the cemetery now bears his name.

Bust of Mateevici in the Alley of Classics, in Chișinău

Honours

• Monument to Simion Murafa, Alexei Mateevici and Andrei Hodorogea, opened in 1933

Presence in English Language Anthologies

• Testament - 400 Years of Romanian Poetry - 400 de ani de poezie românească - bilingual edition - Daniel Ioniță (editor and principal translator) with Daniel Reynaud, Adriana Paul & Eva Foster - Editura Minerva, 2019 - ISBN 978-973-21-1070-6
• Romanian Poetry from its Origins to the Present - bilingual edition English/Romanian - Daniel Ioniță (editor and principal translator) with Daniel Reynaud, Adriana Paul and Eva Foster - Australian-Romanian Academy Publishing - 2020 - ISBN 978-0-9953502-8-1 ; LCCN - 202090783

External links

• Museum Alexei Mateevici from Cainari