This event was a consequence of Chisinau discriminatory policy, where supporters of radical nationalism came into power. Rybnitsa referendum was the first event of the residents` widespread will, whose voices created the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
In the summer of 1989, a draft law on languages was being discussed in the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR). It put the peoples of the union republic in an unequal position in relation to its titular nation. Residents of Gagauzia and Pridnestrovie, where more than 60 per cent of the inhabitants were Russians and Ukrainians, opposed that.
There were widespread political strikes taking place in August and September 1989, but politicians in Chisinau did not listen to them. The law on the languages functioning was adopted September 1, 1989.
That`s when Pridnestrovians decided to protect their rights in another way. They reconstructed the statehood of 1925-1940, when the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic existed within the Ukrainian USSR with its capital in Tiraspol.
At first they started talking about it at rallies, then the idea of a republic began to be discussed by the Councils of People's Deputies, the majority of which were supporters of the United Council of Labor Collectives, elected by the people.
Rybnitsa acted most decisively. On September 13, 1989, at a session of the city and district Councils of Rybnitsa and Rybnitsa district, they put forward a proposal to render civil disobedience to the discriminatory law of the MSSR “On the status of the state language of the Moldavian USSR”. Rybnitsa deputies said that the law on language was contrary to the Constitution of the USSR and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The representatives of the people suggested that Moldovan, Russian, and Ukrainian should be considered official languages in the city.
At that time Anatoly Belitchenko, Deputy of the City Council, was the director of Moldavian Metallurgical Plant and a Deputy of the MSSR Supreme Council. He spoke about the autonomy of the left-bank districts of the federal republic.
“We need to hold a referendum as soon as possible, to establish what people want. I propose to form an autonomy and apply to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the creation of autonomous republic - Pridnestrovie”.
A few days before the session, Anatoly Belitchenko and Vladimir Voevodin, chairman of the Rybnitsa strike committee, conducted extensive consultations on the prospects for the development of Pridnestrovie.
Subsequently, in Chisinau Pridnestrovians will be called separatists, although at that time they were only talking about creating autonomy within the framework of both the Soviet Union and MSSR. However, a year later, the Moldovan parliament would declare the creation of a union republic as an illegal act, which will prove not only as a separatist, but would in fact refuse the common with Pridnestrovie state.
The decision of Rybnitsa City Council of September 13, 1989 stated:
“On behalf of the city and district Council of People’s Deputies session, we appeal to all working people of the cities and districts of Tiraspol, Bendery, Rybnitsa, Slobodzei, Kamenka, Balti, Grigoriopol, Dubossary to create an autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the MSSR”.
At the city rally, which was held in Rybnitsa on September 16, citizens supported the idea of autonomy.
At that time, there was no law on the referendum in the Soviet Union, but according to the USSR Constitution of 1977, authority rested with the people who had the right to exercise it not only through the government bodies, but also directly. In 1988, the main document of the Soviet Union was amended, including Article 91 of the Constitution:
“The most important issues of national, republican and local importance are decided at meetings of the Congresses of People’s Deputies, sessions of the Supreme Councils and local Councils of People’s Deputies, or are put by them to referendums”.
Based on this, Rybnitsa City Council developed referendum provision, which was approved on October 5, 1989. A week later, on October 13, people's representatives voted to hold a referendum in Rybnitsa. At the same time, issues were approved on which residents of the city were asked to express their opinion:
The first was about the adoption of the status of an independent territory of self-government and self-financing on the basis of all languages equal functioning by the city of Rybnitsa.
The second was about the usefulness of the Pridnestrovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic formation within the Moldavian SSR on the basis of the equal functioning of languages.
Labor organizations of city enterprises assumed the costs of the referendum, and Rybnitsa’s strike committee was responsible for its preparation.
The referendum, which would be the first in the history of the USSR, was scheduled for December 3. On that day, at 7 a.m. the district commissions began their work. Already by 11:30 a.m., there were 40.3 per cent of included in the lists for voting citizens who had voted. At the time of the polling stations closing, 81.8 per cent of Rybnitsa inhabitants had expressed their opinions.
Together with ballots, citizens threw notes into ballot boxes, in which they wrote about their concerns. For example: “I am for any education that will protect my right to speak the language I chose!”
The results of the referendum came as a surprise even to those who initiated the referendum and campaigned for citizens to take part in it.
There were 91.3 per cent of affirmative votes, giving city the status of an independent territory based on the equal functioning of all languages. Only 5 per cent voted against that.
91.1 per cent of the referendum participants voted “YES” to the expediency of the formation of the Pridnestrovian ASSR on the basis of the equal functioning of all languages. There were 5.5 per cent who voted “NO”.
The fact that the referendum was held in Rybnitsa was even noted by a “group of comrades” from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldova, whose members reacted negatively to popular initiatives in Pridnestrovie. However, Chisinau declared a violation of the law by the Rybnitsa City Council, and the referendum itself was declared void. Instead of listening to popular protests against discrimination, at that time the authorities of the Union Republic of the MSSR decided to ignore the opinion of citizens who acted within the framework of the Constitution. In fact, the Moldovan authorities violated the rights of the inhabitants of the country. This decision had further aggravated the situation, although had no desired in Chisinau effect. It didn`t take long that referendum on the creation of Pridnestrovie will be held in Tiraspol, then in the village of Rashkovo, then in all the left bank settlements. As a result, on September 2, 1990, the II Congress of People’s Deputies of Pridnestrovie would proclaim Pridnestrovian Republic (PMSSR) in Tiraspol.
