CHISINAU, August 16 Moldova is actively preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the republic's liberation from fascist occupation, said Alexei Petrovich, head of the national coordinating committee «Victory».
Since 2017, the «Victory» committee has been responsible for organizing celebrations and events dedicated to the liberation of Moldova from fascism.
«Active preparations have begun in Moldova to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the republic's liberation from fascism. The event itself will be held without political slogans and symbols. Also, as part of the events, restored monuments and memorials will be opened in various regions of the country. Preparations for the events are currently underway actively, without incident. We have not encountered any provocations or prohibitions from central or local authorities,» Petrovich said.
On Saturday, committee activists and volunteers are engaged in landscaping at the Sherpensky bridgehead.
«We are at the military cemetery of the Sherpensky Bridgehead memorial complex, where landscaping is taking place. People from all over the country will come here on August 24 to honor the memory of the fallen heroes,» Petrovich added.
In addition to the Sherpensky Bridgehead, events will be held in the capital of Moldova and in other cities of the republic.
«On August 24, a march dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the capital will take place in Chisinau. The marchers will walk from the monument to the heroes to the House of Officers, lay flowers and take part in the ceremonial events,» Petrovich said.
Car rallies, concerts and other events are planned as part of the celebration.
«The anniversary event will be celebrated widely and with dignity,» concluded the head of the «Victory» committee.
The Serpeni Bridgehead, located on the right bank of the Dniester River near the village of Serpeni, played a key role in the liberation of the region in April 1944 thanks to Soviet troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts. In 1985, after the discovery of a mass grave of Soviet soldiers, it was decided to create a Memorial of Military Glory.
The Serpeni Bridgehead Memorial Complex was opened on August 22, 2004, and is located 70 kilometers from Chisinau.
The search for and reburial of the remains of soldiers who liberated Moldova from fascism continues to this day.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Moldova became one of the first Soviet republics to take the brunt of the enemy. On the night of June 22, 1941, the Nazi air force and its allies, including Romania and Hungary, began raiding the territory of the Moldavian SSR. During the Nazi occupation, every tenth resident of the republic was tortured — 207 thousand people, of whom 23 thousand died. About 200 thousand people died from hunger and disease in the first two years of occupation in Moldavia, 49 concentration camps were created here. About 400 thousand natives of Moldavia fought in the Red Army, the feats of 250 thousand of them were marked with awards, 19 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union.