Actor Ion Caramitru was buried on Friday, with military honours, on the Actors' Alley of the Bellu Cemetery in the Capital City, in the presence of dozens of people who applauded for a long time.

Despite the large number of people attending, the overall note at the religious ceremony that took place at the Visarion Church was discretion, the funeral being characterized by sobriety, elegance, and restraint, according to the family's wishes.

Besides the family, attending the emotional service were: Crown Custodian Margareta, Minister of Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, President of the Romanian Academy Ioan Aurel Pop, writers Varujan Vosganian and Ana Blandiana, dancer and choreographer Gigi Caciuleanu, writer and philosopher Andrei Plesu, film director Stere Gulea, professor Sanda Manu, several members of the Aromanian community. There were also present actors Victor Rebengiuc, Mariana Mihut, Stefan Banica Jr., Catrinel Dumitrescu, Emilia Popescu, Rodica Mandache, George Ivascu, Florin Zamfirescu, Mitica Popescu, George Mihaita, Horatiu Malaele.

On the way from Visarion Church to the Bellu Cemetery, the procession stopped, around 12.00, in front of the National Theatre "I.L. Caragiale," to which the actor dedicated his last 16 years of life, for the last goodbye, the public applauding for long minutes and throwing flowers.

Upon arrival at Bellu Cemetery, the coffin, covered with the Romanian flag, was greeted with applause.

Former President Emil Constantinescu, Minister of Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, Radu F. Alexandru, actors, cultural personalities, numerous spectators were present to accompany Ion Caramitru on his last trip with their applause.

"I had these three feelings: I was astonished, scared, while my soul has never stopped to cry for Pino, whom I loved, who was Aromanian as I am. He was someone that I needed, especially now, and he left. Sometimes I feel like asking him why he did it," choreographer Ioan Tugearu told AGERPRES.

A detachment of the 30th Guard Regiment "Mihai Viteazul" presented the honour and fired three times with maneuver cartridges.

Actor Ion Caramitru, director of the Bucharest National Theatre and president of the Romanian Theatre Union (UNITER), died on Sunday, at the age of 79.

He was hospitalized at the "Elias" Hospital in the Capital City.

Ion Caramitru was born in Bucharest, on March 9, 1942. He made his debut in 1964 on the stage of the National Theatre in Bucharest, in "Eminescu", by Mircea Stefanescu, directed by Sica Alexandrescu.

He was an actor and director of the "Lucia Sturdza Bulandra" Theatre (since 1965) and also the general manager of this theatre between 1990-1993. He played over 60 roles in plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Pirandello, Buchner, Bernard Shaw, Alfred de Musset, Suto Andras, Rolf Hochhuth and others. He collaborated with great Romanian stage directors such as Sica Alexandrescu, Moni Ghelerter, Liviu Ciulei, Vlad Mugur, Andrei Serban, Radu Penciulescu, Alexandru Tocilescu, Catalina Buzoianu.

On the Bucharest National Theatre stage, Ion Caramitru played roles such as Perdican - "Don't Play with Love" by Alfred de Musset, directed by Moni Ghelerter, 1964; Mircea Basarab - "Vlaicu Voda" by Alexandru Davila, directed by Sica Alexandrescu, 1965; Romeo - "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, directed by Val Mugur, 1967; "Dialogues and Fantasies in Jazz" - poetry and music show with Johnny Raducanu; Edward III - "Edward III" by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexandru Tocilescu, 2008; Macbeth - "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, directed by Radu Penciulescu, 2011; Pierre - "Dinner with Fools" by Francis Veber, directed by Ion Caramitru, 2012; he had a recital from the poetry of Mihai Eminescu - "Missing Eminescu", 2012; Prospero - "The Tempest" after William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, 2014. He also starred in "Dinner with Fools", "The Tempest" and "National Magic."

Ion Caramitru was also a very appreciated film actor. Some of his most notable films, of the dozens he starred in, are: "The Forest of the Hanged," a film awarded at the Cannes in 1965 for directing (Liviu Ciulei), "The Green Grass of Home," directed by Stere Gulea (1978), "Ecaterina Teodoroiu," directed by Dinu Cocea. He is also known to the public for the role of Socrates in the famous series "High Schoolers." His talent, noted by foreign producers, recommended him for roles in films such as "Kafka" (1991), directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Jeremy Irons and Theresa Russell, "Mission: Impossible," directed by Brian de Palma or the wonderful role of Count Fontana from "Amen" (2002), directed by Costa Gavras.

He was Minister of Culture from 1996 to 2000.

Ion Caramitru was elected president of UNITER (The Theatre Union in Romania) since its establishment, on February 15, 1990.

In 2007, he was awarded the title of Citizen of Honour of the Capital City and also the title of Shakespeare Ambassador in Romania, offered by the British Council, on the occasion of the Shakespeare Year - 400.

The same year, 2017, President Klaus Iohannis decorated Ion Caramitru with the National Order "Romania's Star" in the rank of Knight, on his 75th birthday.

On December 21-22, 1989 he was among the leaders of the anti-communist demonstrations in Bucharest. On December 22, 1989 he led a column of protesters and broke into the building of the Romanian Television being the first one to announce on the national television channel the end of the dictatorship. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu, EN - author: Cristina Zaharia, editor: Adina Panaitescu)