PHOTO GALLERY // War on Dniester, captured by MOLDPRES

MOLDPRES Agency presents photos, archival images captured in 1992 by photojournalists Mihail Vengher, Andrei Mardari and Albert Simanovschi, who were on the front line. They remember those dreadful days, the tragedy that the Republic of Moldova went through less than a year after declaring independence.

"I went along with a delegation from Western countries. I remember that next to me was a photojournalist from Agerpres, and there were also colleagues from Reuters. We felt the same as the soldiers fighting in the trenches, threatened by the risk of being shot," recalls Andrei Mardari.

"I didn't have a feeling of fear. I volunteered to do my job, no one forced me. I remember entering an orchard, then going towards the trenches, and hearing bangs and gunshots. What I saw was a terrifying scene - shot people, destroyed houses, desperate women and orphaned children," said Mihai Vengher.

The images captured by MOLDPRES photojournalists were taken in well-known places during peacetime, during a period when no one imagined there could be a war.