Moldovan president pays tribute to Stalinist repressions' victims

President Maia Sandu has paid tribute to the victims of Stalinist deportations, 84 years after the first wave on June 12-13, 1941, when thousands of Bessarabians were forcibly taken from their homes and deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan.

‘’On the night of June 12 to 13, 1941, thousands of families found armed soldiers in their yards. Grandparents, parents and children were taken from their homes, forcibly loaded onto freight cars and deported thousands of kilometers away. The Soviets tore apart destinies, separated families and condemned innocent people to death,’’ the head of state said in a solemn public message.

The Moldovan president emphasized that this historical pain was still alive in the collective memory and the duty of the current generation was not to let forgetfulness cover the suffering of those who perished in exile.

‘’The deepest form of respect for our ancestors is to keep alive the memory of their suffering – and to make sure that such tragedies never happen again,’’ said Maia Sandu.

A historic moment occurred on the eve of the commemoration: approximately 20,000 files of those deported were transferred to the National Archives, in an effort to centralize and make information about the victims of Soviet repression accessible.

‘’Starting from next July, each family can finally search for their uprooted roots and give a name to those lost in the darkness of dictatorship. With this transfer, all the files of individuals subjected to political repressions during the communist regime are now gathered in one place,’’ the president noted.

Through this initiative, the state reaffirms its commitment to truth, memory and historical justice, giving descendants a real chance to know their past and reclaim their dignity.





IFrame

Today marks 84 years since the first wave of Stalinist deportations that took place on the night of June 12 to13, 1941, a tragedy of massive proportions for the population of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The operation was organized by Soviet authorities, in the context of the policy of purging 'anti-Soviet elements' and resulted in the forced deportation of over 30,000 people to Siberia and Kazakhstan.