Grigore Caraza, political prisoner

On the Day of Romanian Heroes, in the cemetery of Cania village in Cantemir district, a crucifix was built in memory of over 900 Romanian citizens who died there during the Second World War.

The crucifix was built in Cania Cemetery with financial support offered by the National Office for Heroes’ Worship and by the former political prisoner, Grigore Caraza, who was imprisoned for 21 years for having sung the anthem ‘Desteapta-te, romane!’ and ‘Hora Unirii’, at a time when such expressions of patriotism were forbidden.

“On the Basarabian land hundreds of thousands of Romanians died. In cemeteries from Tiganca to Cania, thousands of soldiers and heroes lay buried in unmarked graves. I have always thought of our soldiers who died in Basarabia. I have, and I will continue to do my best to correct the mistakes of those who have forgotten about their heroes,” the former political prisoner promised.

The crucifix was sanctified by a synod of priests of the Basarabian Church after which a divine service in their memory took place at the Cemetery of Romanian Heroes in Tiganca, a village close to Cania. The local people from Tiganca speak mostly Bulgarian, but this did not stop them renovating a cemetery for Romanian soldiers from Basarabia, where 1,020 heroes died in fighting in June 1941 at Tiganca.

The story of Tiganca

“We know that hundreds of Romanian heroes died on Basarabian land during the Second World War. We thought: Let’s go to Tiganca village, in Cantemir district. Here we came across a field with sheep. Local people say that after the war the Russians ploughed this land where bodies of Romanian soldiers lay, and built two farms. The first thing we noticed were the dogs walking around with big bones in their mouths. When we thoroughly examined them, we discovered they were human bones. We gathered a full bag of them which weighted about 4kg. I remember even now how we pulled up a belt from the earth, and we had the feeling the whole skeleton was lifting,” Nicolae Popa, political prisoner and secretary of the World Romanian Citizens’ Council from Los Angeles, told us.

With the bag of bones under his arm, Popa, who also invited journalists to Tiganca, managed to cross the border and reach Bucharest, in order to inform the state authorities. There, in 2004, the NOHW was also founded, which further contributed to the building of the crucifix in Cania cemetery and to the inauguration in Tiganca of the place of commemoration of Romanian soldiers who died in the Second World War.

Without candles, without flowers, without a cross on their graves

“The commemoration, from nation to nation, from one generation to another, of those who sacrificed their life for protecting their faith and motherland is a real trait of the Romanian soul which feels that love is more powerful than death. The commemoration of heroes of all times and all places and the worship towards them are elements of great steadiness, continuity and unity of mind and feeling amongst generations. The memory of those who died for their country makes us today look after the tombs of our heroes and martyrs in order for them not to be without candles, flowers or a cross on their graves. Thus, we express our gratitude and love for those who sacrificed their life in the past for our freedom today,” Marian Andronii, the councillor of the NOHW, considered.

The NOHW, together with the Local Public Administration from Nicolaeuca, Orhei district, will continue the actions of commemoration of Romanian soldiers through the building of a cemetery in this locality.

“The Romanian state promised us financial support for arranging the cemetery in Nicolaeuca. The country should know its heroes and should commemorate them,” Popa said.

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