Seventy six years since July 1949 deportations: Moldovan president attends commemoration rally for victims of Stalinist regime

A commemoration rally took place at the Monument dedicated to the victims of the communist deportations nearby the Chisinau Railway Station today morning. The event’s goal was to mark the 76th anniversary of the second major Stalinist deportation operation in Bessarabia, carried out on the night of July 5 to 6, 1949. Attending the rally were President Maia Sandu, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, alongside survivors of the deportations, family members of the victims, representatives of authorities and civil society.

In her speech, the head of state evoked the drama of tens of thousands of people "taken from their homes and deported to Siberia just because they lived their lives in honest work and faith, because they preserved their language and traditions." President Sandu emphasized that the uprightness of these people had been perceived as a threat by the Soviet regime and the punishment applied was a horrific one – hunger, cold, forced labor and exile far from home.

"Even in those inhumane conditions, the deported maintained their values and identity. They never demanded revenge, but they demanded truth. And it is our duty to offer them this truth – through recognition, through education, by keeping their memory alive," said the president.

In the context, President Maia Sandu also urged citizens to visit the exhibition-museum on the Great National Assembly Square, dedicated to the memory of the deportation victims. Already at its third edition in a row, the exhibition is open until July 27 and provides a space for reflection and learning, where the public can better understand the suffering that our people went through.

This moment of commemoration is a commitment to truth and to those who suffered injustices. By keeping their memory alive, we build a more united, fairer, and more aware Moldova of the price of freedom.