Nikolay Gutsul: “They need the Day of Europe, and we need the Victory Day!”

The chairman of the board of Slavic human rights organization «VECHE» in the Republic of Moldova, the ex-deputy of parliament, the gentleman of the Moldavian awards «Gloria Muncii Ordinul» and «de Onoare» and the Russian award of Friendship Nikolay Gutsul told about how Moldova is going to celebrate the 70 anniversary of release from fascist occupation and who doesn’t like it:

- Visits to the Russian regions are connected with carrying out actions in honor of the 70 anniversary of liberation of Moldova from fascist occupation. We have a comprehensive program which is developed together with Embassy of the Russian Federation in Moldova on improvement and reconstruction of mass military burials in the territory of Moldova.

So, the visit to Novosibirsk is connected with need to finish reconstruction and improvement of a memorial cemetery in the city of Beltsy in the north of Moldova. The city Beltsy is connected with a name of the legendary pilot, three times the Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin who met war in Beltsy on June 22, 1941. By the way, also the soldiers who were called on service in the territory of the Novosibirsk region are buried there. A. I. Pokryshkin s the Honorable citizen of Beltsy. By the way, in the 70th years the marshal of aircraft came here, he was appropriated a rank of the Honorable citizen, was chosen as the deputy.

There 10 years ago the Avenue of Honorable citizens — Heroes who received this high rank in fights with fascist aggressors was built. The first stage of restoration passed to the 60 anniversary of release from occupation. In 2004, in honor of the 60 anniversary of liberation of Moldova from fascist aggressors, the Memorial of Military Glory is restored, the monuments to Honorable citizens Beltsy are established on the avenue of heroes: three times thecHeroe of the Soviet Union lieutenant general I. N. Kozheduba, the colonel general A. I. Pokryshkin, twice the Hero — the major general G. A. Rechkalov. And now it is a question of restoration reconstruction of the Wall of Memory where there are remains about one thousand Soviet soldiers.

The memorial wall Memory is built several decades ago by a method of national building. From here there are today’s problems … When the guests come to us, it is simply inconvenient to bring them here … We plan to begin right after May 9 and to finish all works by August. And we hope for the help of the Russian regions in this sacred matter.

«Veche» works 14 years at the territory of the Republic of Moldova. When the organization was created, not only the representatives of the intellectuals, the Russian-speaking population, but also the representatives of the non Slavic people living in Moldova were its part generally. The main direction of work is perpetuating of memory of the fallen soldiers, reconstruction of new military memorials, military burials and creation of Museums of Military Glory.

In 2004 with financial support of Salekhard and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, Lugansk and Donetsk areas we after all made the Avenue of honorable citizens of Beltsy. One of them is three times the Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin.

Last year with assistance of the Tomsk governor Sergey Zhvachkin mass burial on border with Romania was reconstructed. Granite was delivered from Sverdlovsk region. Kishinev didn’t authorize this work and we decided to begin the work in the city of Beltsy which else is called as the northern capital of Moldova. We decided to construct the Avenue of Heroes there. But the project was broken thereand the object was to built in the territory of Malinovskoye village where there was a staff on development of Jassy-Kishinevsk operation by spring-summer of 1944.

10 years passed. The situation in Moldova is difficult today. I think that there will be no what occurs today in Ukraine. But, nevertheless, there were mistakes which were made by the president of the republic Valery Voronin and his team. There was no uniform foreign and personnel policy — it led to that people came, though young, but not ready to take the power in hand. In November we will have parliamentary elections, and I hope very much that the people will make a right choice.

The Veche organization attracts people of different political convictions who understand that we have the general history, the general memory. In May, 2012 for the first time we held national conference on restoration and improvement of military burials in Kishinev. It was the powerful push! We managed to involve further heads of self-government in areas. In Moldova there are more than 100 places of military burials on which are buried from 100 to 1000 and more Soviet soldiers. The largest of them is the Mound of Glory where 12000 people are buried.

At the beginning of January the comprehensive program was developed together with the embassy of the Russian Federation. We selected 17 settlements from 52 which are ready to bring also means where there is a project documentation and so on. Unfortunately, the president of Moldova mister Timofte takes absolutely other position. The prime minister Yury Lyanke told us that knows that the parliament ratified the agreement within the CIS about perpetuating of memory fallen in the Great Patriotic War. The parliament of Moldova adopted also the special resolution on preparation for the 70 anniversary of the Great Victory. But there is a question: will Moldova make the contribution to production of an anniversary medal. The prime minister diplomatically noticed that the president Timofte advised better to spend this money allegedly for support of veterans. He is allegedly very anxious with their social status … Today there are 2500 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and three years ago they were 8000 people … Here therefore we act from below — through municipal authorities.

The biggest actions will take place in Moldova from August 20 to August 27. That to hold an action not in one only Kishinev! After all the mayor of Kishinev Doreen Kirtoake sleeps and sees that the Day of Europe would be celebrated on May 9! But it won’t be!

The wrong situation is in history textbooks of Moldova. We have to show true history to people, remind what occupation of Moldova represented! I wrote about it where showed that our citizens of Bessarabia did who were called in structure of the Romanian army which was at war on the Stalingrad front and in Kuban. I provided numerous documents and didn’t receive any response from opposition that it everything was a lie.

We prepare reprinting of this book that it was not only at all schools of Moldova, but also in each regional library. People have to know the truth and remember what price liberation of Moldova from fascist occupation was got.