Samuil Lehtțir

Samuil Lehtțir was a prominent figure in Moldovan literature, renowned as a poet, critic, and literary theorist. Born into a Bessarabian Jewish family, his early life was marked by a rejection of Romanian nationalism, which led him to flee to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. He later returned to pursue his education at Cernăuți University in the Kingdom of Romania, where his political views made him a suspect, prompting another escape to the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1926.

As a literary authority, Lehtțir was influenced by Proletkult ideas, which emphasized the need to dismantle and rebuild cultural traditions. He, along with colleague Iosif Vainberg, sparked controversy by arguing that Bessarabian literature lacked value and that a new Moldavian literary tradition should be founded on proletarian identity and Soviet patriotism. This stance contributed to a broader debate about Romanian and Moldavian identity, with Lehtțir's views on literature and culture playing a significant role in shaping the discussion. Through his work as a book publisher and journalist, Lehtțir established himself as a key figure in the literary landscape of his time.