President, Igor Dodon, presented today five awards "the Founder Bogdan" and came up with the initiative that February 2 to be placed on the list of official holidays as "the Statehood Day of the Land of Moldova". In addition, Dodon verbalized the initiative on the approval by law of the red flag with a Bull head, the flag of the "moldovenists".

President Dodon conferred today five awards "Bogdan the Founder". The orders were conferred to the former minister of education in Moldova and University professor, Valentin Beniuc; Vladimir Curbet, leader of the ensemble "Joc"; Gudumac Eva, pediatric surgeon, Doctor of Medicine; Viorel Mihai, writer, publicist, editor of the hebdomadal "the Week". Speaking of Viorel Mihail, Dodon said that he is "the master of the autochthonous word, spoken beautifully in the Moldovan language." The order was conferred as well to Leonid Talmaci, the first governor of the National Bank in Moldova, the person who, according to Dodon, managed to make the most stable MDL currency of the CIS countries.    

"The first historical data about Moldova come from 1359. This year we will celebrate 658 years. We have what to be proud of, we are a people with a history of centuries. On February 2, 1365 is the day when for the first time was officially recognized the statehood of the Land of Moldova. It is a historic date. I come with the initiative that on February 2 to be awarded personalities who have contributed to our country's statehood. I come with a proposal that the civil society and the academic world to examine two initiatives: that February 2 is inserted into the list of official holidays. One variant of the name would be "the Statehood Day of the Land of Moldova". The second initiative is the approval by law of the historical flag of Moldavia: the red flag with a Bull head," said President Igor Dodon during the ceremony of conferring the order.   

Editor's Note: The Order "Bogdan the Founder" was instituted in December 2008 by the communist government in order to be awarded for outstanding merits in the development and consolidation of Moldovan statehood.

The order is conferred, in particular, for "significant contribution to the national revival, to strengthen the civil peace, the establishment of concord and cohesion in society, harmonization of interethnic relations; for particularly fruitful activity to enhance the country's prestige at international level."

So far, the order was conferred twice. The first Knight of the "Bogdan the Founder" Order became, in 2009, the writer Ion Druţă. Then, President Voronin has decorated Druţă "in token of deep gratitude for his special contribution to the national revival, for merits in development of cultural relations with foreign countries and prodigious activity to increase Moldova's international prestige"

The second Knight became in 2011, the Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova Vladimir. He was decorated by the acting President, Marian Lupu, "for outstanding achievements in the work of spiritual and moral rebirth of society, contribution to the promotion of Christian Orthodox and refurbishing of worship".

We note that the former vice president of PPCD, Vlad Cubreacov, said in 2011 that the Metropolitan Vladimir holds the military rank of colonel and that there are serious grounds for being considered a security officer in the Soviet KGB.