More than 380 participants from the Republic of Moldova and Romania — ensembles, performers and guests — came to Ungheni on 27 August for the seventh edition of the ‘Hora de la Prut’ International Festival. The event, organized as part of Ungheni City Days, occupied Independence Square from morning until midnight, according to the organizers — the Ungheni Palace of Culture.
A 1,665,183 euro project
This year’s edition was organized within the project ‘Gates for the Sustainable Integration of Middle Prut Valley Culture into European Tourist Routes’ (ROMD00219), funded through the Interreg VI-A NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova programme with a total budget of 1,665,183 euros, according to the project website: 1,319,246 euros for Ungheni City Hall (lead, 79% of the budget) and 345,937 euros for Iași City Hall (partner, 21%). Approximately 90% of the budget comes from the European Union. The project runs from June 2025 to June 2027; besides the festival, it funds the thermal insulation of the Palace of Culture and the development of a cultural heritage strategy for the Middle Prut Valley. The project managers are Liliana Tincu and Mara Gheran, according to the organizers.
Folk costume parade and common hora
The festival opened with a folk costume parade: the procession of ensembles set off from the Palace of Culture toward Independence Square, where participants joined in a common hora.
The official opening was attended by Mayor Vitalie Vrabie, district president Dionisie Ternovschi, Palace of Culture director and festival director Silvia Zagoreanu — a member of the IGF Board since May 2026 — and Dr. Dorel Cosma, president of the World Folklore Union (IGF) and newly named Honorary Citizen of Ungheni.
Ensembles from nine localities
Ensembles and performers from nine localities in the two countries took to the stage: Cluj, Iași and Vaslui from Romania, and from the Republic of Moldova — Chișinău, Cricova, Strășeni, Hîncești, Ceadîr-Lunga and Ungheni. The programme, hosted by Tatiana Slivca, included instrumental music, folk song and dance, according to the organizers.
Before the opening, the IGF leadership — president Dorel Cosma and treasurer Pahone Pop — held a working meeting with the heads of the participating ensembles, according to the organizers.
Folk Craftsmen’s Fair
Alongside the stage, the festival included the Folk Craftsmen’s and Local Producers’ Fair, organized by Ungheni City Hall in partnership with the Tourist Information Centre, according to a post by the Centre. The fair ran on 27 and 28 August, on Națională Street, near Independence Square, and brought together folk craftsmen, artisans and local producers from across the country. Participants thanked Deputy Mayor Denis Carnovschi for organizing the fair, according to the same post.
Throughout the day, the public could also attend hands-on workshops and craft demonstrations.
A festival with 16 years of history
‘Hora de la Prut’ was created in 2010, on International Dance Day, with 15 dance ensembles from the Republic of Moldova, according to the Ungheni tourism portal. A year later it became international, with ensembles from seven countries. The festival has not been held every year — which explains the ‘seventh edition’ numbering 16 years after the first. Since 2025, it has been integrated into the ROMD00219 cross-border project.