Spiridon Vangheli

Spiridon Vangheli
OR
Born(1932-06-14)14 June 1932
Grinăuţi, Romania
(now Moldova)
Died21 June 2024(2024-06-21) (aged 92)
Chișinău, Moldova
Occupations
  • Children's writer
  • poet
  • translator

Spiridon Vangheli (14 June 1932 – 21 June 2024) was a Moldovan writer of children's books, poet, and translator.

Life and career

Vangheli was born in Grinăuţi, Romania on 14 June 1932.[1] He graduated from Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University in 1955, and after various jobs in schools, including as math professor, he joined the Moldovan Writers' Union and became a consulting editor.

His publishing debut was in 1962, with a book for children titled In the Land of Butterflies.

His books have been translated into 40 languages.[2]

Vangheli died in Chișinău on 21 June 2024, at the age of 92.[3]

Legacy

His most characteristic work is a series of children's books about the adventures of Guguță,[4] a boy who received from his father a large traditional lamb skin hat that became an inseparable attribute.[5] In the story, Guguţă invites his classmates and the entire village to snuggle under the hat, protecting everyone from the winter cold. As more people join, the hat grows bigger, becoming a metaphor of growing generosity. The books about Guguţă became popular and the personage became a national symbol.

Works

  • 1964, Chișinău, The Little Boy in the Blue Hut
  • 1967, București, The Adventures of Guguță
  • 1970, Chișinău, Abecedarul, in collaboration with Grigore Vieru and painter Igor Vieru
  • 1979, Chișinău, Guguță—Captain of the Ship
  • 1981, Chișinău, The Horse With Blue Eyes
  • 2001, Chișinău, Children In the Handcuffs of Siberia

References

  1. ^ "Scriitori - Vangheli Spiridon". m.moldovenii.md. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  2. ^ Nadejda. "Les écrivains moldaves les plus traduits". Moldavie.fr - Portail francophone de la Moldavie (in French). Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. ^ Ultima oră! „Tatăl lui Guguță”, Spiridon Vangheli, a trecut în neființă Archived 22 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  4. ^ djarmul (9 June 2017). "Spiridon Vangheli". Not Exactly Retired. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Moldavie : Guguță, un personnage pour enfants privé de sa version animée". REGARD SUR L'EST (in French). 15 June 2013. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.