Victims of fascism commemorated at Eternitate Memorial

The victims of fascism were commemorated this morning, June 22, at the Eternitate Memorial, where the leaders of the Alliance for European Integration, deputies and ministers participated in a flower-laying ceremony. After the dignitaries left, ordinary citizens laid flowers as well. On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany started Operation Barbarossa – the attack on USSR, considered the biggest invasion in the history of mankind. “June 22 is the day when mankind got rid of the fascist scourge, but wasn’t lucky enough to get rid of the second one – the communist ideology. Nobody should think he has the power or he is the conqueror, because there are people and their lives and welfare must be the main priority”, stated Mihai Ghimpu, Parliament Speaker and concurrently acting President of Moldova. “This is the day when we commemorate the victims of fascism. It is our moral obligation to come here every year and honor the memory of those who were sacrificed by the most atrocious regime in the history of humanity, the fascist one”, declared Prime Minister Vlad Filat. Deputy Speaker Serafim Urechean, says June 22 is an important day for all generations. “Every year, we must remind people of the great tragedies endured by all the nations on the globe, including our own. The World War II killed millions of people because of some reckless politicians’ ambitions”, he said. After the dignitaries left, came the veterans and relatives of those who died during the war. They laid flowers at the monument. Veteran Serghei Sevcenco says he remembers the radio announcement at 4.00 that Nazi Germany began the attack on USSR like it was yesterday. “It’s a dark, grave day. I wasn’t 18 when they recruited me. I lay flowers for my brethren in arms. Very few of them are still alive”, said he. Another participant, Margareta Ivanova, lays flowers every year and prays such a day doesn’t repeat. Under a presidential decree, every year, June 22, the state colors fly at half-mast to commemorate the people that fell in the fight against fascism and the millions of innocent victims of the biggest conflict in the history of mankind. Traditionally, flower-laying ceremonies are organized at the tombs and monuments of fallen soldiers, while at 10.00 they are commemorated through a moment of silence.