{"id":572835,"date":"2026-05-22T14:12:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T11:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=572835"},"modified":"2026-05-22T14:12:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T11:12:11","slug":"romania-heroes-day-tomb-unknown-soldier-bucharest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/romania-heroes-day-tomb-unknown-soldier-bucharest\/","title":{"rendered":"Romania commemorates national heroes with military ceremony in Bucharest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Romania\u2019s national heroes were commemorated on Thursday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Carol Park in Bucharest. The military ceremony included the reading of the names of several Romanian servicemen who fell in the line of duty throughout history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The event began with the national anthem, followed by a memorial service officiated by a group of priests led by Fr Ciprian Ioni\u021b\u0103, Patriarchal Adviser at the Social-Philanthropic Sector of the Patriarchal Administration.<\/p>\n

President Nicu\u0219or Dan was represented at the ceremony by Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, Presidential Adviser for National Security, who delivered the president\u2019s message<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cA nation builds its future insofar as it understands how to honour its past. Thus, the sacrifice of those who fought against dictatorship during the December 1989 Revolution remains inscribed in the history of our national becoming,\u201d President Nicu\u0219or Dan stressed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More important than one\u2019s own life<\/h2>\n

In his address to the military personnel and dignitaries attending the ceremony, Defence Minister Radu Miru\u021b\u0103 highlighted the sacrifice of Romania\u2019s heroes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the sacrifice of these heroes, Romania today is a free, democratic and European state, deeply anchored in Western values. The generation that fought at M\u0103r\u0103\u0219e\u0219ti, M\u0103r\u0103\u0219ti and Oituz went to war convinced that there was something more important than their own lives, and that something was the future of this nation,\u201d Defence Minister Radu Miru\u021b\u0103 said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chief of the Defence Staff General Gheorghi\u021b\u0103 Vlad also emphasised the importance of commemorating the fallen.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach year, on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, we gather here for those who placed above their own lives the freedom, dignity and future of Romania. Heroes\u2019 Day is not merely a solemn moment in our national calendar; it is a day on which we pause to remember that today\u2019s Romania was built through the sacrifice of people who had the courage to do everything in their power for their country,\u201d General Gheorghi\u021b\u0103 Vlad said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n