The events were organized on the occasion of the Day of Memory and Mourning in the towns and villages of the republic. The bloodiest war in modern world history that cut off tens of millions of lives began exactly 80 years ago, on June 22, 1941, at 4 o'clock in the morning. The Memory Candle is an event that has become traditional for Pridnestrovians. They gather from year to year at the pre-dawn hour at memorials and at soldiers' graves to light lamps, leave flowers on stone slabs of graves and at the foot of monuments to the defenders. The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic on behalf of the people of Pridnestrovie honored the memory of the dead and deceased participants and victims of the Second World War. Vadim Krasnoselsky and his wife laid flowers at the Eternal Flame of the Tiraspol Memorial of Glory, gravestones with the names of defenders, monuments.
They recalled during the event that the fascists began bombing the territory of present-day Pridnestrovie at five in the morning. Strategically important objects were under attack – bridges, railway, airfield. Mobilization began the very next day. Pridnestrovians participated in the Stalingrad, Kiev, Jassy-Kishinev operations, the battle for Berlin. 17 thousand inhabitants of the Pridnestrovian land began to defend the Fatherland. Almost four thousand of them did not return from the front. There are 11 Heroes of the Soviet Union among the natives of our region. They were named today by name. Tiraspol was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree for its contribution to the Great Victory.
The PMR President, communicating with journalists, called the beginning of the Second World War the most tragic date in the history of not only the USSR, but the whole world. “This date forever divided the history of world existence, tore apart the history of the state and each family before and after. Tens of millions of victims, unborn children ... 27 million dead Soviet citizens have been named, but historians say that it is impossible to give an exact figure. The huge tragedy ... Why this happened is again a dispute between historians. In the late 30s - early 40s of the last century, Hitler was allowed to become the Fuhrer, allowed to equip Nazi Germany with the latest weapons, create a powerful army, and attack the USSR. Maybe on purpose, maybe it happened, but the fact that world leaders played too long with Hitler is a fact. As history has shown, one cannot played too long with fascism: it must be destroyed. Nevertheless, the war began. This was not a war for the sake of victory - it was a war for the destruction of the Soviet people. But it was precisely the Soviet people that survived. Now there is a lot of controversy about the contribution of the allies, but everything is very simple: just look at the history of the war to understand who made the main contribution to the overall victory. The answer is obvious for me as a person who loves history: this is the Soviet Union, the Soviet people”, said Vadim Krasnoselsky.
The PMR President urged to respect history and not be ashamed of the past, whatever it may be - heroic or tragic: “There is no need to argue, we must respect history, respect the contribution of the Soviet people and not be ashamed of it. We observe hesitation, which is expressed in attempts to silence the feat of the Soviet people, and this leads to tragedy. The tragedy is that Nazism and Fascism are raising their heads. We must remember the history of the middle of the last century in order to come to an understanding that it is impossible to negotiate with fascism and Nazism must simply be destroyed. If we talk about modern Pridnestrovian history, the date June 19, 1992 is just the result of such actions, the result of people forgetting history. This is the policy of those who led the Soviet Union, individuals who trampled on the memory of those who fell on the battlefields, those who burned in tanks and planes, who died in trenches, drowned in the sea ... They trampled on the feat of the Soviet soldier, the Soviet people. I am sure that life will put everything in its place, and these people will answer for what they did: those who started the war in 1992, those who destroyed great power, and those who betrayed the feat of their ancestors. Sooner or later you will have to answer for everything".
Vadim Krasnoselsky emphasized that Pridnestrovians respect history, and today's event is a confirmation of this. “We simply honor the memory of those who fell in the fight against fascism, those thanks to whom the sun shines. We are a small state and we cannot resist the universal evil of the world, but we can show our character and adherence to principles. This is our duty, our sacred duty", the PMR President summed up.
