Moldova to observe Stalinist deportation victims Remembrance Day

Chisinau, 18 March /MOLDPRES/-The cabinet today approved a draft law according to which a Remembrance Day of victims of Stalinist deportations will be observed in Moldova.  

The draft law suggests that the Remembrance Day be marked on 13 June, when the first raid of deportations took place. “Taking into account that the Stalinist regime operated several deportation raids both before and after the war, thus inflicting extremely dramatic and disturbing consequences on the Moldovan people, the government believes Moldova should have a single Remembrance Day of the victims of the Stalinist regime, deportation, repression and execution and mark it on 6 July,” the government’s note, presented by Labour, Social Protection and Family Minister Stela Grigoras, reads.

Deportations from Basarabia and Northern Bucovina were a form of political repression used by soviet authorities. The first deportation raid took place during the night of 12 to 13 June 1941, when more than 25,000 people had been deported. Another two deportation raids took place in 1949 and 1951, which hurt over 40,000 people. However, unofficial data shows that the number of deportees is much higher. The second and largest deportation raid under Stalinist regime, took place on 6 July 1949, when more than 35,000 Moldovan people, mostly women and children, were deported to some of the Soviet Union’s farthest regions, such as Siberia or Kazakhstan.

The draft law is to be examined and voted by the parliament.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)