April 2016 marked 150 years since the establishment of the highest forum of reflection and intellectual, literary and artistic creativity of the Romanian people – the Romanian Academy.
By its activity, Romfilatelia has joined this great anniversary of the Romanian Academy, the stamp registering in the philatelic heritage a special project of culture and history.
The festive actions dedicated to the most appreciated Romanian institution of culture, history and science have thus included the launching of the anniversary philatelic project Romanian Academy, 150 years, event which took place on Monday, April 4th, 2016, starting with 17:00 hours, in the lobby of the Romanian Athenaeum.
A symbol of the national culture, the Romanian Athenaeum reunited honourable guests from the national and international academic environment, representatives of the Romanian Government, of the National Bank of Romania, as well as important guests from the cultural, diplomatic, economic, and religious life of the Romanian society.
The festivity was opened with the speeches of Dacian Ciolos, the Romanian Prime Minister, and Acad. Ionel Valentin Vlad, the president of the Romanian Academy.
The philatelic moment followed the anniversary concert held by “George Enescu” Philharmonic, among the participants who saluted the action of Romfilatelia and who appreciated the philatelic issue being: Dr. Günter Stock, president of the European Federation of Academies, Acad. Ionel Valentin Vlad, Acad. Ionel Haiduc, Acad. Florin Gheorghe Filip, president of the Information Science and Technology Department within the Academy, Acad. Razvan Theodorescu, president of the Arts, Arhitecture and Visual Department of the Romanian Academy, PhD Ioan-Aurel Pop, rector of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Dr. Napoleon Pop, counselor within the National Bank of Romania, Acad. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, Acad. Mircia Dumitrescu and other important guests.
The elements of the issue – the stamp, perforated souvenir sheet and first day cover, ilustrating the building of the Romanian Academy, with the façade and ornamental details – were revealed to the public on the philatelic panel, the guests being invited to symbolically mark the introduction into circulation of the project by signing the anniversary panel.
In the end of the philatelic moment, Acad. Ionel Valentin Vlad, Acad. Ionel Haiduc and Acad. Florin Gheorghe Filip dated the elements of the anniversary project with the traditional first day of the issue philatelic postmark, thus emphasizing the symbolism and importance of this anniversary in the national culture.
The festivity continued with the exhibition “A century and a half of academic life in Romania”, held also in the lobby of the Romanian Athenaeum, and ended with a reception honouring the guests.
In the context of the philatelic anniversary, Romfilatelia and the National Bank of Romania have honoured the Romanian Academy through a special product, representative for the activity of both institutions – a collection album which gathered in its pages historic photos of this forum and its members, stamps issued between 1939-2005, illustrating exceptional Romanians, from the founders of the Academy to genius representatives from various fields, as well as a silver jubilee medal.
Romfilatelia, by its mission of treasuring the Romanian postage stamps, has over time become an important messenger of the national values, by continuously sustaining the projects promoting our country’s culture, and through the stamp issue dedicated to the Romanian Academy, the Romanian philatelic heritage won a valuable topic and marked an important anniversary of this prestigious national institution.
