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77 Years Since the Largest Wave of Stalinist Deportations in Bessarabiatranslated

July 5, 2026 · 1 min read

On the night of July 5–6, 1949, a second wave of deportations of Bessarabians took place, following the 1941 deportation.

Nearly 36,000 people, two-thirds of whom were women and children, were loaded onto cattle trains without minimal sanitary conditions or luggage, bound for Siberia or Kazakhstan.

The purpose of the deportations was to enforce collectivization and eliminate the resistance of peasants who refused to join kolkhozes.

According to former Romanian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Vasile Soare, Romanians were the third-largest ethnic group in Soviet labor camps, after Germans and Japanese.

A third wave of deportations occurred on April 1, 1951, targeting 5,917 members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bessarabia.

Commemorative Events To honor the memory of the victims of Stalinist deportations, authorities in the Republic of Moldova will hold a commemorative ceremony on Monday at the Monument to the Victims of the Communist Regime’s Deportations in Chisinau, located on Railway Avenue, during a rally dedicated to the Day of the Victims of Stalinist Deportations.

President Maia Sandu of the Republic of Moldova and Parliament President Igor Grosu are expected to attend the event.

Source: Агентство Basilica (română) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Translate comments

Sophie Moreau

Triste amintiri. Bunica mea povestea cum au luat-o pe mătușa ei cu doi copii mici în noaptea aceea de iulie 1949, fără niciun bagaj, direct în vagoanele pentru vite spre Kazahstan. E bine că se organizează mitingul luni la Monumentul de pe Aleea Gării, să nu uităm ce s-a întâmplat cu țăranii care nu voiau colhozuri.

Христо Христов

Da, bunica lui Sophie povestea exact ce scria în articol – două treimi femei și copii, fără bagaje, direct în vagoanele pentru vite. Mi se pare important că se face mitingul luni la Monumentul de pe Aleea Gării, să nu se uite ce-au pățit țăranii care nu voiau colhozuri.

Lukas Weber

Și la noi în sat au venit noaptea și au luat familii întregi. Bunica povestea că au dus-o pe verişoara ei cu trei copii mici exact aşa, în vagoane de vite spre Siberia, fără o haină în plus. Bine că se face mitingul luni la Monumentul de pe Aleea Gării, măcar să nu se uite ce-au păţit ţăranii care nu voiau colhozuri.

Sebastian Hoffmann

Ja, genau so hat meine eigene Großmutter aus Bessarabien es auch erzählt – die kamen mitten in der Nacht und haben die Leute mit nichts als dem, was sie am Leib trugen, in die Viehwaggons gesteckt. Gut, dass wenigstens der Gedenkmarsch am Montag am Denkmal auf der Aleea Gării stattfindet, damit die Jungen das nicht ganz vergessen. Waren in eurem Dorf auch viele, die später nie mehr zurückgekommen sind?

Pierre Girard

Ma tante a vécu la même chose en 49, emmenée avec ses deux petits sans rien. C’est bien que le miting ait lieu lundi à l’Alleé Gării, au moins on en parle encore. Tu sais si ta famille a pu revenir un jour ?

Emily Young

My great-aunt on my mom’s side was among those taken in July ’49 with her two little girls, no bags, straight into the cattle cars for Kazakhstan. The part about two-thirds being women and children still hits hard. Glad they’re holding the gathering Monday at the monument on Aleea Gării so the girls learn what really happened.