Ştefan Neaga composed "Limba Noastră," which was adopted as Moldova's national anthem in 1994 — a politically charged choice, since the lyrics were written by Alexei Mateevici in 1917 as an explicit assertion of Romanian linguistic identity. Issuing a commemorative coin honoring him in 2000 carried quiet ideological weight in a country still navigating the tension between Moldovan and Romanian national identities.
Ştefan Neaga composed "Limba Noastră," which was adopted as Moldova's national anthem in 1994 — a politically charged choice, since the lyrics were written by Alexei Mateevici in 1917 as an explicit assertion of Romanian linguistic identity. Issuing a commemorative coin honoring him in 2000 carried quiet ideological weight in a country still navigating the tension between Moldovan and Romanian national identities.