The anniversary photographic exhibition '35 Years of Good Deeds Together. The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation in Images' opened on Thursday evening at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in the presence of Her Majesty Margareta, Foundation President, and of Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia.

The exhibition offers a visual retrospective of the most important projects, initiatives and moments that define the organization's journey from its establishment in 1990 to the present, bringing together a selection of storytelling images from the archives of AGERPRES and of the Royal Foundation, in a bid to illustrate the evolution, social involvement and contribution of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation (FRMR), from providing emergency aid to sustainable development.

'It was hard, it was very hard. But also full of hope and light. Our beneficiaries taught us a lot about generosity, courage, and the richness of human spirit,' Her Majesty Margareta told the press.

In the opening of the event, FRMR Executive Director Mugurel Margarit said that the exhibition marks the 35th anniversary of the Royal Foundation and its activities, but for him 'it is also about the courage of two ladies, two princesses, daughters of King Mihai, who came to Romania in 1990 with the belief that they could really make a difference.'

'35 years later, this difference is visible. There are 200,000 seniors, 35,000 children, over 330 talented young people, and more than 100 non-governmental organizations we have offered support throughout the country. And we are proud of these results,' emphasized Margarit.

He also confessed that if he has learned anything 'in these years after the Revolution, when we held our destinies in our hands, it was that change comes in time.'

'Change requires a lot of work, change requires sacrifice, and change requires people who have the same values as you and who stand by your side. Change tests your sense of responsibility. Because if you have the impression that by checking a few activities over a short period of time, this will have a long-term impact on people's lives, unfortunately you are wrong,' Magarit explained, recalling as a powerful example the journey of Cristina Uruc, present-day director of ARTEXIM, who was once a FRMR scholarship holder herself.

AGERPRES Managing Director Claudia Nicolae said that the photographs on display represent 'moments of history'.

'What you see here are moments of history. My colleagues, the AGERPRES photojournalists, do not consider photography to be just a simple illustration of a moment. Photography, as we can see today, represents visual history. (...) And this is important, because we live in an environment where informational noise is very high. We lose information in a split second. And such moments, such exhibitions bear witness to the fact that the archive, photography in its untainted, uninfluenced form stands as a lasting testament over the years. For us, as a nation and, why not, for the entire world,' said Claudia Nicolae.

Florin Iaru, advisor with the ICR President's Office, emphasized that the Margareta Royal Foundation, 'building itself with patience, wisdom, and with a clear goal in mind, sets an example for other foundations that have been established over time.'

'I have seen countless extraordinary deeds. It is good when they come together and testify to the thing we hold dearest: patriotism isn't noisy. Patriotism doesn't mean making a big show. But let me see, if you love this country, how much good you have done and to whom. There are hundreds of thousands of people who are grateful to you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart,' Florin Iaru said.

The anniversary atmosphere was completed by a musical moment offered by mezzo-soprano Alexandra Dumitrache and pianist Sabin Banescu - young musicians on scholarship within the 'Young Talents' program the Royal Foundation has been running for 17 years now.

Attending the opening were the ambassadors of the Swiss Confederation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Moldova and the Hellenic Republic, along with representatives of the companies that have sponsored or are sponsoring the projects of the Royal Foundation, partner institutions, mass media, as well as opinion leaders in the social or cultural field, volunteers, beneficiaries and members of the Foundation's team.

Organized by the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation together with the National News Agency AGERPRES, the exhibition, held in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute is part of the series of events marking 35 years of uninterrupted activity of the foundation.

Through this event, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, AGERPRES and the Romanian Cultural Institute reaffirm their joint commitment to supporting Romanian cultural values, social responsibility and civic involvement, in the spirit of fostering a society rooted in solidarity, dignity, and inclusion.

The exhibition can be visited until November 11 at the Grand Hall of the Romanian Cultural Institute, and will next travel to other venues.

The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation was established in 1990 by King Mihai I of Romania and Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and has made it its mission to support children, young people and elderly through sustainable interventions, based on the intergenerational exchange of experience and values. Over time, the Foundation has been involved in numerous social, cultural and educational and artistic talent support projects. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)