Abstract: În vederea cultivării conștiinței martirice în spațiul public românesc, Arhiepiscopia Alba Iuliei, în parteneriat cu Muzeul Național al Unirii din Alba Iulia, Facultatea de Teologie Ortodoxă a Universității „1 Decembrie 1918” din Alba Iulia și Mănăstirea „Sfânta Cruce” din Aiud, organizează anual Simpozionul Național de Martirologie. La acest eveniment academic și cultural participă cadre universitare, cercetători și oameni de cultură, care sunt implicați în diferite proiecte sau acțiuni de recuperare a memoriei trecutului recent. Această manifestare științifică, culturală și spirituală este strâns legată de sărbătorirea hramului Mănăstirii „Sfânta Cruce” de la Aiud, așezământ monahal ridicat pe „Râpa Robilor”, unde au fost îngropați mulți dintre deținuții politici ai închisorii Aiudului, în perioada comunistă.
Keywords: Commemorative Year dedicated to those reposed in the Lord, Symposium of Martyrology, archaeology, research, political detainees, Aiud prison, communism
Summary: In the context of the Commemorative Year dedicated to those reposed in the Lord; the liturgical and cultural value of cemeteries, the seventh edition of the National Symposium of Martyrology took place on 3-4 April 2021, under the title „The (un)forgotten dead of the communism. Topography of repression: between the archaeology of assassinations and the places of memory. Public homage and liturgical cultivation”. This year, the academic event was organized by the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia and the National Museum of the Union, in partnership with the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Alba Iulia, Aiud Memorial and „Sfânta Cruce [The Holy Cross]” Monastery of Aiud. Given the current special circumstances, and the rules concerning the events attended by a great number of persons, the Symposium was held online, on the „Zoom” platform, and was broadcast live to the Facebook page of the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia.
This academic and cultural event was attended by University staff, researchers and scholars, involved in various projects or actions aimed at retrieving the memory of recent past. This academic, cultural and spiritual event was closely connected to the celebration of the patronal feast of the „Holy Cross” Monastery of Aiud – standing above „Râpa Robilor [Slaves’ Ravine]”, where many of the political detainees of Aiud prison were buried during the communist times. Given the dedication of the Aiud Monastery and the spiritual significance of the Cross, the editions of the National Symposium of Martyrology have been regularly held on the Sunday of the Holy Cross – the third Sunday of Lent and, more recently, on the Saturday preceding it. The main responsibility in organizing and running the symposia belonged to protos. Gavriil Vărvăruc, the abbot of the monastery, and to doctor Pavel Chirilă, president of Aiud Foundation and moderator of many of the past editions of the symposium. Over the recent years, in the organizing of this event took part representatives of the Cultural Department of Alba Iulia eparchy, and of the Museum of the Union.
Pr. lect. univ. dr. Oliviu Botoi – Facultatea de Teologie Ortodoxă din cadrul Universității „1 Decembrie 1918” din Alba Iulia; Consilier cultural și purtător de cuvânt al Arhiepiscopiei Alba Iuliei; e-mail: oliviu_botoi@yahoo.com
