Neither Heroes Nor Traitors

Sociologist Petru Negura on Thursday, March 19, launched the book titled: "Ni héros, ni traîtres. Les écrivains moldaves face au pouvoir soviétique sous Staline. 1924-1956”/ “Neither Heroes Nor Traitors. Moldovan writers and the Soviet regime under Stalin. 1924-1956/, in a bid to shed light on the social and political circumstances that influenced the Moldovan literature in the Stalin era, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the author, the title fully expresses the struggle and the extraordinary pressure from the repressive Soviet regime the intellectuals had to face at the time. “I've discovered a fascinating world of some people who, despite unprecedented oppression, were trying to lead decent and principled lives”, said he. Historian Igor Casu highlighted the importance of studying the Soviet era writers, whose contribution was critical for the national revival. “Unlike the historians, the writers were afforded a certain extent of freedom. This book brings an irrefutable proof that without the effort of the fifties' literature, the year 1989 wouldn't have occurred", said Casu. Theater director Mihai Fusu observed the particularly sinister character of the relationship between the writers and the Soviet authorities. "This study by Negura reminds me of a play I'm working on, which is inspired from the Transnistrian literature. Although we expected something funny to come out of it, we've discovered the tragic nature of that literature. And, you know, in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Transnistrian part was composed of just three writers, the others were liquidated by the authorities. They used them and then they just killed them”, Fusu said. The books was written in French and published by the Paris-based L’Harmattan, with a Romanian translation expected to appear in a year. Petru Negura is an associate professor with the Moldova State University and holds a doctor's degree from the French School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences.