Tiraspol, August 25 ./Novosti Pridnestrovya/. 29 years ago, on August 25, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (PMSSR) adopted the Declaration of Independence of the PMSSR. This has happened before the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic seceded the Soviet Union. MSSR declared its independence two days later, on August, 27. Unlike the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, the PMSSR proclaimed its independence not from the Soviet Union, but from Moldova.
A year earlier, on September 2, 1990, in Tiraspol, at the Second Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies of all levels, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (PMSSR) was proclaimed as a part of the USSR. This was a response to the actions of Chisinau, which declared that the creation of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR) in 1940 was illegal. By this decision, the Moldovan deputies canceled the only legal document proclaimed Pridnestrovie a part of Moldova.
The inhabitants of multinational Pridnestrovie had to protect their rights and freedoms from the rampant nationalism and the discriminatory policy of Moldovan authorities against non-titular nations. Recreated on the basis of the 1924-1940 statehood Republic became such an instrument of protection. That time at the territory of nowadays Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic it was the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (MASSR) as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The basis for the creation of the Republic were the referendums and gatherings of citizens in Pridnestrovian cities and villages in 1989-90. As well as the fact Chisinau called illegal the act of the MSSR creating.
It is necessary to mark that the Pridnestrovian Republic advocated the preservation of the USSR. In March 1991, almost 98% of the inhabitants of the PMSSR voted for this. However, the process of the dissolution of the Soviet Union made the Pridnestrovians to be proactive and to declare our statehood.
On December 1, 1991, a referendum on the independence of the Republic and the election of its first president were held in Pridnestrovie. 97.7% of voters who came to the polling stations spoke in favor of the independence of the Republic. Igor Smirnov was elected the President of the PMR.
Anna Volkova, State Adviser to the President of the PMR, recalls how the independence of Pridnestrovie has been proclaimed.
“In order to understand the context of this document adoption, it is important to understand what really had happened. On June 12, 1990, the Russian Federation adopted the declaration of sovereignty. Here we can talk about a tension between the two leaders. There was Gorbachev and Yeltsin. And this tension also was among the reasons for the collapse of the great state. At this moment, Russia, as well as Ukraine were too busy to think about Pridnestrovie,” Anna Volkova said.
At the same time, the State Adviser to the President of the PMR emphasized that the Pridnestrovians had always advocated the preservation of a great state.
“There was an idea that it was necessary to preserve common political, economic, defense space. Our people were highly interested in the politics… Having voted in a referendum to preserve the Soviet Union, everyone continued to expect that there would be a common center that would decide everything, would do everything. Everyone expected there would be someone who would think about the people. But when it became clear that everything was collapsing, the Pridnestrovians realized that self-reliance should prevail,” Anna Volkova said.
According to the politician, after the events with the State Emergency Committee in Moscow in August 1991, a number of Union Republics headed for independence. Under these conditions, knowing that both Ukraine and Moldova are going to follow this path, the Supreme Council of the PMSSR decides to adopt the Declaration of Independence, knowing that in a few days, on August 27, Moldova will adopt a similar declaration. But already on the night of August 23, the first detentions of Pridnestrovian deputies has begun.
“Any moment we expected provocation, forceful capture of deputies, so the situation was, of course, very difficult. We decided not to hold the session in the building of the Tiraspol City Council as usual. In this situation, we decided to hold it at the Litmash plant. The session took place at the civil defense basement. It was very difficult to get there from other areas, because the deputies were afraid they would be stopped on the roads, so they got there by some field paths. Deputies inside Tiraspol also came on foot by rail, and so on,” Anna Volkova recalls.
The State Councilor notes that prior to the declaration of independence, for several months Pridnestrovie has proposed Moldova to maintain a common federation state.
“We proposed to preserve the borders of Soviet Moldova and to make a federal state consisting of three republics: Moldova, Pridnestrovie and Gagauzia. The preamble to the declaration of independence says that numerous proposals for federalization have been rejected,” the politician said.
Anna Volkova emphasizes that the Pridnestrovian Republic has been created by the will of the people, because the people have been the source of authority.
“Pridnestrovie was created as a legal and democratic state. It is the most important and basic thing for us. This is also stated in the declaration of independence. And it is important that it is exactly democratic. So we can say that the will of the people was really expressed and recorded as the results of the referendum. It was the people (who are the sovereign source of any state authority) who initiated the creation of a state. And I must say that our state has been on this path all the time. The Supreme Council adopted the declaration of independence in August, It was held the referendum on December 1, 1991. There the Pridnestrovian people had already confirmed the decision made in August 1991,” the State Adviser to the President of the PMR said.
