Eighty years ago, Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany worked out a secret agreement about the Second World War, the greatest war in the history of mankind, which, according to some estimates, killed between 60 and 85 million people.

In Moscow on August 23, 1939, Soviet Premier and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and his German counterpart, Joachim von Ribbentrop, signed a nonaggression treaty in the presence of Joseph Stalin. This treaty between the USSR and Germany was known as the Hitler-Stalin or the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. These two criminal regimes – communist and Nazi – were apparently opposed and both claimed global supremacy, but they shook hands and in a fraternal agreement delineated their areas of influence in Europe and the world. 

With this Treaty, Germany ensured that Russia would not engage in any kind of military action against the “Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis,” and the Russians obtained from the Germans an agreement to their occupation of parts of Poland, Romania (namely Basarabia), the Baltic States and Finland – something they was soon to happen. One week after the signing of the Pact, Germany invaded Poland. And on September 17, Soviet Russia did the same. At the end of November, the USSR attacked Finland and at the beginning of June 1940 its armies entered the Baltic States. That same month, following an ultimatum imposed on Romania, the USSR occupied (or “liberated”, according to Russian historiography) Basarabia on June 28, and then later Northern Bucovina as well.

We know what resulted from this “liberation”: mass repressions, deportations, re-education camps (Bolshevization), lime pits, NKVD cellars, verdicts without trials, mass extermination of the “enemies of the people” (the kulaks, the bourgeoisie, the intellectuals, the political class, the priesthood), desecration of churches and monasteries, the denaturalization of Basarabia, ideologizing of the education, the Russification of public administration. 

The Soviet occupation briefly ended in June 1941, after Germany entered into direct war with the USSR. With the help of German troops, Romania initiated military operations to liberate the Romanian territories occupied by the USSR. Let us remember Marshal Ion Antonescu’s order on the night of 21 and 22 June: “Soldiers, I order you: cross the Prut [river].” And the Romanian Army, with enormous sacrifices, did their duty to their country. Basarabia regained its lawful place on the map of Romania.

After almost three years of German-Soviet war, another August 23 comes to Romania as disastrous as that of 1939 or perhaps even worse. This day was the consequence of that criminal transaction between Stalin and Hitler in 1939. August 23, 1944 was the day that Soviet troops, following the Eastern Front offensive, entered into war with Romania, occupied the country (according to the same Soviet historiography, “liberated” it from the German-fascist occupation). They remained in Romania until 1958 – long after the end of the war. 

A day later, on August 24, the same Soviet troops entered Basarabia following the Iași-Chișinău military operation and re-occupied it (or “liberated it” from the same German-fascist occupation and more recent fascist-Romanian influence). However, Russian troops remain on the Nistru river to this day. The consequences? Deportations, starvation, harassment, discrimination, just like the “liberation” of June 28, 1940.

Eighty years have passed since the signing of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. It has been 79 years since the second Russian occupation (“liberation”) of Basarabia and 75 years since the third. And 74 years have passed since the end of the Second World War.

If the Russian liberation from 1940 and 1944 were real, why did Moldova have to declare its independence in 1991? In the 30 years of Moldova’s post-Soviet Independence many things have changed: we don’t have political police (the KGB) anymore, archives have been opened, borders have been opened and curtains have fallen. Censorship has been abolished; we are no longer constrained in thought and expression, and our access to information is no longer limited. It’s high time we change too. 

Have we changed? Do we, especially those  politically affiliated or manipulated, still remain, as in the old times, hostages of all kinds of Soviet creations and anachronisms, as if we were in the 70s  or 80s and not in 2019? The USSR does not exist for nearly 30 years now. How long will we keep carrying the “dead” with us?

On Wednesday, August 21 (80 years after the signing of the criminal Stalin-Hitler Treaty, which has been internationally condemned, including by Russia) the Moldovan Government declared August 23 the European day of commemoration of the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, in agreement with the European Parliament Resolution of April 2, 2009. Commemorative actions will take place throughout the Republic, the Tricolor flag will be lowered, and a minute of silence will be announced at 10 a.m and 8 p.m. 

“By establishing such a day, we firmly and unequivocally condemn all crimes against humanity … From the perspective of the victims, it does not matter which regime deprived them of liberty, tortured or killed them … and a memory day for all the victims would come to unite the society around compassion, understanding and recognition of the suffering of all victims and members of their families,” Prime Minister Maia Sandu said after the Government meeting. 

But President Igor Dodon of the Socialist Party dislikes the Executive’s decision and is not preparing for the commemorations. Instead, he announced other celebrations: “We will celebrate the liberation of Moldova from the fascist occupation,” he told the press. He will celebrate with guests from Russia and by  hosting a concert in the Great National Assembly Square. Panem et circenses! Lord have mercy.

Petru Grozavu,