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Transnistrian leaders praise Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazism

The events planned in the republic for the 75th Victory anniversary were rescheduled for a later date, but candles were lit early Monday in many towns across the republic, and a specialized group conducted the flower-laying ceremony

CHISINAU, June 22. /TASS/. The leaders of the unrecognized republic of Transnistria laid flowers at Tiraspol’s Memorial of Glory where they gathered on Monday before dawn to honor the fallen of the Great Patriotic War.

President Vadim Krasnoselsky of Transnistria and Head of Parliament Aleksandr Korshunov took part in the commemorative ceremony, as well as ministers and representatives of the Operational group of Russian Forces and clergy.

In his address to the public, the president emphasized the achievement of the Soviet people. "In many states, they are trying to rewrite history, to come up with a new version of the events, to allocate blame. There are still arguments as to who played the major role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, in the liberation of Europe <…>. This was a joint victory, the allies won but the contribution of Soviet weaponry, of the Soviet people to the liberation of Europe, in the triumph over Nazism is irrefutable and undeniably obvious. The role of Soviet economy is also very significant <…> People stood behind all these achievements and victories," the Tiraspol leader pointed out.

"And those who try to rewrite history are close to repeating it, to opening a new, a dark page in history, to the revival of what had once been eliminated by the Soviet Union - Fascism and Nazism. In Transnistria, we honor the past. <…> We take great care to preserve its memory. We will continue to protect and honor it," he said.

Transnistria’s delayed 75th Victory celebration and the republic’s history in WWII

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, mass events are prohibited in Transnistria. The events planned for the 75th Victory anniversary were rescheduled for a later date. At the same time, candles were lit at 4am in many towns across the republic, and a specialized group conducted the flower-laying ceremony.

By various estimates, over 380,000 natives of Moldova fought in the ranks of the Red Army, 19 of which were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and five received Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory. During the three years of the Nazi occupation of Moldova over 68,000 civilians were killed, over 47,000 were sent to concentration camps. Over 86,000 Moldovan soldiers did not return from the frontlines and almost the same number of troops of various nationalities gave their lives to liberate Transnistria.

Transnistria was formed on September 2, 1990 on the left bank of Dniester having a predominantly Russian-speaking population. It acted against Moldova’s radical politicians who demanded the republic’s exit from the Soviet Union and its unification with Romania.

In 1992, after Chisinau’s failed attempted to resolve the issue by force, an armed conflict ensued, ending up with the Moldovan authorities losing control of the left bank regions. The current peace in the region is supported by Russian peacekeepers.