Educational institutions in country to organize activities to commemorate victims of 1946–1947 famine

Educational institutions across the country will conduct educational activities dedicated to commemorating the victims of 1946–1947 famine, starting today until 6 May.

The actions to be undertaken include thematic lessons, exhibitions, film screenings, discussions, and remembrance activities. These will take place in the vocational and higher education institutions.


“Through these initiatives, pupils and students will have the opportunity to better understand the tragic impact of the famine organized by the communist regime and to reflect on the value of human life and the respect of fundamental rights, in the context of our recent history,” said Valentina Olaru, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Research.


The activities are taking place in the context of the Famine Commemoration Day, marked annually on the third Saturday of April, according to a decision by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

According to the National Archives Agency, this was one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes to hit the current territory of the Republic of Moldova in the 20th century. It was not an inevitable natural calamity, but a tragedy exacerbated by the authoritarian and repressive policies of the Soviet regime. According to statistics, in just a few months, over 123,000 people died of hunger, representing about 5% of the MSSR population. Soviet Moldova was the most affected region in the entire Soviet Union, with a mortality rate ten times higher than in Russia and five times higher than in Ukraine.