Aliona Leșanu, director of the ‘Regina Maria’ Multifunctional Cultural Centre in Ungheni and coordinator of the ‘UnFolk’ guitar group, has received the honorary title of ‘Master of Arts.’ Decree no. 753-X of 28 August 2026, signed by President Maia Sandu, confers state distinctions on approximately 110 individuals and institutions; 15 of them receive the ‘Master of Arts’ title. Leșanu is the only recipient whose institution is located in Ungheni district.
The ‘Regina Maria’ Centre and ‘UnFolk’ group
The ‘Regina Maria’ Multifunctional Cultural Centre has been operating since 22 December 2018 at 93 Mihai Viteazul Street in Ungheni. The building was a former club that had been non-functional for approximately 20 years, rebuilt with support from Poland’s Solidarity Fund and from Bucharest’s Sector 5 City Hall, which allocated one million Romanian lei to complete the works, according to Ziarul Național. The centre houses artistic groups — including the ‘UnFolk’ guitar group and the ‘Mdarc’ modern dance studio —, craft workshops and a library, according to a Moldova 1 report.
Leșanu coordinates ‘UnFolk,’ a guitar group from Ungheni. The group won the Grand Prize at the national festival-contest ‘Te cânt, Patrie și Neam’ in Chișinău in September 2025 — a competition with approximately 1000 performers from across the country, according to the MoldPres news agency. In 2022, she also launched the cross-border ‘UnFolk’ Festival alongside Vasile Lupu-Cetireanu and Vali Boghean, with support from Ungheni City Hall, according to the same report.
What is the ‘Master of Arts’ title
According to Law no. 190 of 2025 (Art. 23), the title is conferred on performing and creative artists in the fields of performing arts and visual arts for three categories of merit: works of great aesthetic value, a significant contribution to promoting art, or activity in nurturing young talents. The honorary title is distinct from orders, crosses and medals, which are higher categories of state distinctions.
Prior to this decree, 729 ‘Master of Arts’ titles had been conferred in 33 years of independence, according to an Europa Liberă Moldova analysis based on data from the Presidency. Visual artist Victor Cobzac, a native of Ungheni, received the title through decree no. 103-IX of May 2021. Through the 28 August decree, Ion Zderciuc, a sculptor from Berești, Ungheni district, currently a university lecturer in Chișinău, also receives the title. Leșanu is the only recipient whose institution is located in the district.
The decree: 110 distinctions, from state orders to honorary titles
Decree 753-X, signed on 28 August — Ungheni’s patron saint’s day —, confers distinctions in several categories: the Order of the Republic, the Order of Honour, the Order of Freedom, military orders and medals, as well as honorary titles.
Among the 15 artists receiving the ‘Master of Arts’ title are Dumitru Bălțătescu (artistic director of the ‘Joc’ National Academic Folk Dance Ensemble), visual artist Elena Samburic and soloist Carolina Saevschi (‘Fluierăș’ Ensemble). The complete list can be found in the text of the decree.
The decree entered into force on the date of signing; as of 30 August, it had not yet been published in the Official Gazette.