Nu desfiintati Muzeul Taranului Roman! Apel la solidaritate

Sprijinim apelul adresat Prim-Ministrului Romaniei, Victor Ponta, de a nu desfiinta Muzeul Taranului Roman (MTR).

Iata textul scrisorii deschise, semnata de Directorul MTR, Virgil Nitulescu:

"Stimate Domnule Prim-Ministru,

Am fost informat cu privire la existenta unui proiect de hotarare a Guvernului care ar face ca, intr-o prima etapa, Muzeul National de Istorie Naturala 'Grigore Antipa' sa treaca in subordinea Ministerului Mediului si Schimbarilor Climatice si imobilul din Soseaua Kiseleff nr. 3, care adaposteste Muzeul National al Taranului Roman, in administrarea Muzeului National de Istorie Naturala 'Grigore Antipa'. In etapa urmatoare, din cate am inteles, ar urma ca, in termen de 90 de zile, Muzeul nostru sa fie unificat cu Muzeul National al Satului 'Dimitrie Gusti', pierzandu-si asadar, personalitatea juridica, iar toate bunurile culturale care sunt adapostite in cladirea noastra si expozitia permanenta sa fie gazduite in imobilul muzeului in aer liber din Parcul Herastrau.

Va rog sa imi permiteti, domnule Prim-Ministru, sa expun foarte pe scurt motivele pentru care o asemenea decizie ar fi total inoportuna. Nu am sa discut, aici, situatia colegilor nostri din Muzeul 'Antipa'. Muzeul nostru, care a fost infiintat in anul 1906, sub patronajul Regelui Carol I (al carui nume l-a si purtat, din 1915, pana in 1948) a fost gazduit in cladirea in care se afla acum, de la bun inceput. Cladirea, proiectata, initial, de arhitectul Nicolae Ghica - Budesti si terminata de arhitectul Grigore Ionescu (si care, acum, este monument istoric de importanta nationala), a fost gandita, din capul locului, pentru a gazdui 'Muzeul de Arta Nationala', initiat de marele nostru muzeolog, istoric de arta si etnolog, Alexandru Tzigara - Samurcas. Din pacate, cel mai mare muzeu al Romaniei, asa cum era in acel moment, a fost evacuat din cladire in 1953, pentru a gazdui Muzeul Lenin - Stalin, devenit, mai tarziu, Muzeul de istorie a Partidului Comunist, care a fiintat, pana in decembrie 1989 in aceasta cladire.

Intre timp, Muzeul (rebotezat 'de Arta Populara') a fost, gazduit de Palatul Stirbey, de pe Calea Victoriei, pana in anul 1978, cand, prin decizia directa a lui Nicolae Ceausescu, a fost desfiintat, prin unificare cu Muzeul Satului. Intregul patrimoniu al muzeului a fost inghesuit in niste conditii absolut improprii, Muzeul Satului, ca muzeu in aer liber, nefiind pregatit, in nici un fel, sa primeasca acest patrimoniu si sa il ingrijeasca.

La inceputul lunii februarie a anului 1990, dupa desfiiintarea fostului muzeu al Partidului Comunist, Muzeul nostru s-a intors in sediul care ii era destinat. Pentru patrimoniul sau, care numara peste 90.000 de obiecte, s-au construit depozite speciale adecvate patrimoniului etnologic, potrivit standardelor internationale. Totodata, intr-un timp foarte scurt, o echipa exceptionala de etnologi, sociologi si artisti, condusa de marele pictor Horia Bernea, a realizat o expozitie permanenta remarcabila, fapt care a fost recompensat cu cel mai important premiu in domeniul muzeelor, din Europa. Astfel, in 1996, Muzeul Taranului a primit Premiul pentru Muzeul European al Anului, ramanand, pana in ziua de astazi, singura institutie muzeala din Romania care a primit aceasta distinctie.

Daca s-ar da curs proiectului de hotarare a Guvernului (care, oricum, in acest moment, nu respecta, in opina noastra) prevederile Legii muzeelor si colectiilor nr. 311/2003 republicata, art. 18 si 34 si care nu a fost publicata pe pagina de internet a ministerului initiator,
- s-ar desfiinta o institutie fundamentala pentru spiritualitatea romaneasca, greseala pe care a facut-o (atunci, cu vadita intentie) numai regimul comunist,
- s-ar distruge o expozitie permanenta care a fost unanim apreciata de specialisti si de ghidurile turistice publicate in intreaga lume (va putem pune la dispozitie aceste detalii),
- ar fi lasat fara adapost un patrimoniu de exceptie (pentru ca Muzeul Satului nu dispune de spatii suplimentare de depozitare pentru a putea primi si obiectele pe care le gestioneaza Muzeul Taranului),
- Muzeul 'Antipa' ar primi un spatiu, oricum, inadecvat nevoilor sale,
- un numar imens de persoane care apreciaza Muzeul National al Taranului Roman (nu numai cei care fac parte din elita intelectuala a tarii, de la membrii Academiei Romane, profesorii universitari, artistii etc.), precum si publicul obisnuit al muzeului, de la elevi si studenti, pana la rezidentii straini in Romania, inclusiv, diplomatii, vor fi extrem de nemultumite de o asemenea masura, care va elimina din viata publica a Capitalei un loc de cultura ce are o semnificatie aparte pentru cel putin cateva sute de mii de oameni (nu doar vizitatorii obisnuiti ai muzeului, asadar), care vin la Muzeul Taranului pentru a lua parte la manifestari culturale dintre cele mai diverse: expozitii temporare, concerte, festivaluri de teatru si film, lansari de carte, conferinte etc.

Stimate Domnule Prim-Ministru,

Va asigur ca pozitia pe care o exprim in aceasta scrisoare deschisa este conforma cu cea a intregului personal al Muzeului si ca ea va ramane aceeasi, indiferent cine se va afla la conducerea institutiei in viitor.

Sper ca prin decizia pe care o veti lua, de a nu da curs initiativei de desfiintare a Muzeului National al Taranului Roman, veti dovedi ca ascultati vocea ratiunii, respectand dreptul fundamental la cultura al cetatenilor si punand pret pe identitatea culturala a romanilor.

Cu deosebit respect,

Dr. Virgil Stefan NITULESCU
Directorul general al Muzeului National al Taranului Roman

Do not dismantle the Romanian Peasant Museum ! Call for solidarity

We support the appeal sent to Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta not to dismantle The Romanian Peasant Museum (MTR)

Here is the text of the open letter, signed by the MTR Director, Virgil Nitulescu:

"Dear Mr Prime Minister,

I have learned about the existence of a draft Government decision which is meant, in the first stage, to put the Natural History Museum Grigore Antipa under the subordination of the Ministry of Environment and Clime Change, and the building on Kiseleff Road 3 which currently houses the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant under the administration of the National Museum of Natural History Grigore Antipa. The next stage, as far as I understand, would be for our Museum to be unified, within 90 days, with the National Village Museum ‘Dimitrie Gusti’. This would mean the loss of our juridical entity, and all the cultural artifacts currently in our establishment plus the permanent exhibition moved to the open air museum building in Herastrau Park.

Please allow me, Mr. Prime Minister, to briefly explain the reasons why such a decision would be totally inappropriate. I shall not discuss the situation of our colleagues in the Antipa Museum here. Our museum, which was created in 1906 under the patronage of King Carol I (whose name it had, from 1915 until 1948), was housed in the current building one finds it today from the very beginning. The building, initially designed by architect Nicolae Ghica-Budesti and completed by architect Grigore Ionescu (and now a historic monument of national importance), was conceived, from the very start, to house “The National Art Museum”, initiated by our great museologist, art historian and ethnologue, Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcas. Unfortunately, Romania’s biggest museum as it was at the time, was evacuated from its home in 1953 to make space for the Lenin-Stalin Museum. This later became the History Museum of the Communist Party, in existence until 1989.

Meanwhile, the Museum (renamed “Museum of Folk Art”) was found at the Stirbey Palace on Calea Victoriei until 1978, when it was dismantled through a direct decision of Nicolae Ceausescu, and merged with the Village Museum.
The entire patrimony of the museum was crowded into the Village Museum in improper conditions. The Village Museum was open air, and not prepared in any way to receive and maintain such patrimony.

Early in February 1990, after the former Communist Party museum was dismantled, our Museum returned to its initial headquarters. Special deposits were built for its patrimony, which numbers more than 90,000 items, adequate for the ethnological patrimony in keeping with international standards. Furthermore, over a short period of time an exceptional team of ethnologists, sociologists and artists led by the great painter Horia Bernea, put together a remarkable permanent exhibition which won the most prestigious award for museums in Europe. Indeed, in 1996, the Peasant Museum received the Prize for the European Museum of the Year, and is, to date, the only museum in Romania to have such a distinction.

If you should continue with the draft Government decision  which does not, in our opinion, observe the provisions of the Law of museums and collections no.311/2003 republished, art. 18 and 34 in any case, and was not published on the internet page of the initiating ministry, it would: destroy a permanent exhibition unanimously respected by specialists and travel guides published around the world (details available should you require them); leave an exceptional patrimony (due to the Village Museum lack of space for the additional reception of the artifacts managed by the Peasant Museum) homeless; The Antipa Museum would have an inadequate space for its needs; a vast number of people who value the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant (not only Romania’s intellectual elite from Romanian Academy members, academics, artists, but the general public from students to expats and diplomats in Romania too) would be deeply unhappy with such measures that would effectively eliminate a culture site from the cultural life of the Capital. It is of special significance for at least a few hundred thousand (therefore, not only regular visitors) who come to the Peasant Museum to attend a myriad of cultural events: temporary exhibitions, concerts, theatre and film festivals, book launches, conferences, etc.

Mr Prime Minister, I assure you that the position expressed in this open letter is shared by the entire staff of the Museum and will not alter, no matter who lead it in the future.

I hope that through the decision taken, ie. not to go ahead with the initiative to dismantle the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, you will show that you are able to listen to the voice of reason, respect the fundamental right of of culture for citizens, and value the cultural identity of Romanians.

With great respect,

Dr.Virgil Stefan NITULESCU,

General Manager of the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant

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