Moldovan PM participates in commemoration of victims of Stalinist deportations

Chisinau, 6 July /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, along with Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu and the cabinet members, today participated in an event on the commemoration of the 73rd anniversary of the second wave of Stalinist deportations from 1949, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.     

In her message, the prime minister said that the date of 6 July was a dramatic and painful page in the history of Moldova’s people. Almost 36,000 people – women, children and old people – were carried by the Soviets to Siberia’s swamps and deserts of Kazakhstan and many of them did not return home.    

„Today, along with the victims and descendants of the deportees, we commemorate those who suffered from torture and humiliation, defending their dignity, family and life. Nothing can heal the wounds and nothing would compensate the sacrifice made; yet, we can today preserve their memory alive. The history gave us many lessons during time, but maybe the most important one is that neither torture can destroy our honour. No foreigner can profane our nation. No Siberia can manage to freeze and diminish the love for the country,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.     

Known with the name Yug (South), the operation from 5-6 July 1949 represents the second and the biggest wave of deportations.   

Photo: Government