In 1931, he graduated from "Vasile Lupu" Normal (Teacher-Training) School of Iași, after which he worked as a teacher. Since 1932 he started publishing folk songs, anecdotes and riddles recorded in the newspaper "Moldovan word". He then started writing poems. Until occupying Bessarabia by the USSR in 1940, he had already published two volumes, both mentioned by George Călinescu in "The History of Romanian Literature from Origin to Present". The great literary critic characterizes Bogdan Istru as: "After the Barbian experiences, he moved to Arghezi's manner in which he is more sure in expressing his original note consisting of a wild invasion of shadows".