Simona DROB (County Directorate for Culture Bacău), at FERM 2025: “If the Ministry of Culture remains at 0.07% of GDP, our heritage risks remaining only on paper”
100 economic opportunities for the development of the Moldova Region on the A7 Highway route
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Culture and Regional Identity – Tradition, Innovation and Social Cohesion
Speaker:
Simona Drob – Executive Director, “Bacău County Directorate for Culture”
Topic of intervention:
“Regulation and Vision – Protecting Heritage within the Logic of Sustainable Regional Development”
Present at the Regional Economic Forum Moldova 2025 (July 9–13, Vatra Dornei), Simona Drob, Executive Director of the Bacău County Directorate for Culture, brought to the public’s attention a sensitive yet essential issue: the chronic underfunding of culture and the importance of harnessing local heritage through cultural routes.
Her intervention took place within Panel 10 – Culture and Regional Identity, a debate space where solutions were discussed for strengthening cultural identity and integrating it into regional development strategies.
Criticism of Cultural Underfunding
Simona Drob began her speech with a blunt observation.
“Last year, the Ministry of Culture was allocated 1.4% of GDP, while this year it received only 0.07%. This is where we stand in terms of vision, this is where we stand with the Ministry of Culture’s strategy for developing culture and preserving historical monuments.”
This harsh comparison highlighted not only the enormous gap in resources but also the risk that cultural, restoration and heritage valorization projects could remain blocked or reduced to isolated initiatives without systemic support.
Proposal of Cultural Routes in Bacău County
Beyond criticism, Simona Drob’s intervention came with a concrete proposal: the creation and promotion of cultural routes in Bacău County, designed to connect historical heritage, tourism and local economic development.
She outlined three major directions:
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The Wooden Churches Route in Bacău County – unique places of worship distinguished by their beauty, such as those in Orbeni, Curița, Dărmănești, Târgovna, Scorțeni, Mărgineni, Buhuși, Odobești, Tămienești or Pogleț. “These are very beautiful wooden churches, both outside and inside,” she emphasized.
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The Monasteries Route – religious ensembles preserving local history, including Rechitoasa Monastery (fully restored with European funds), Bogdana, or the former monastic complex at Cași.
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The Palaces, Castles and Mansions Route – sites such as Brăiescu Mansion in Măgura, Buzdugan Mansion in Gheorghe Doja (restored and transformed into a guesthouse), the mansions of Sascut, Căiuți or Neboiești, the palaces of Dofteana and Comănești, the castle in Dărmănești or the Țețcani complex.
If properly valorized, these routes could transform Bacău County into a reference destination for cultural tourism.
Untapped Economic Potential
From the Forum’s perspective, whose main objective was to identify resources and regional development directions, Simona Drob’s intervention showed that cultural heritage can also become an economic driver, not just a symbolic value. Examples of restored mansions transformed into guesthouses clearly demonstrate that investments in heritage can bring direct benefits to the community.
However, the lack of adequate funding and a coherent strategy risks limiting these initiatives.
“It will perhaps be in the next century that this will be put into practice if the Ministry of Culture continues with 0.07% of GDP,” Simona Drob concluded with bitter irony.
Conclusion
Simona Drob’s intervention at FERM 2025 was a call for responsibility and vision. Culture and heritage cannot be viewed as mere ornaments of regional development but as strategic resources which, if intelligently harnessed, can bring identity, tourism, investment and social cohesion.
The experience of other regions shows that investments in heritage attract tourists, create jobs and can revitalize entire communities. In this sense, the cultural routes proposed for Bacău County could become best practice examples if integrated into a national strategy and financially supported by authorities.
Thus, the message conveyed by Simona Drob is clear: without adequate funding, heritage risks degrading and surviving only in photographs or archives, while with vision and resources, it can become a powerful vector of sustainable development. The Forum in Vatra Dornei once again demonstrated that dialogue between administration, business and civil society is essential to turn these ideas into reality.
