The War Veterans’ Force Movement calls on the Parliament and the Government to introduce in the school curriculum a discipline on the 1991-1992 events on the Nistru River. “While dignitaries hesitate to talk about it, the children ask us, when they see us in uniform, in what war we fought… The veterans have the most direct contribution to the formation of Moldova, defending it with the weapon in hand. We have to talk about it in school,” declared Andrei Eremia, vice-president of the Movement.

The War on the Nistru River is kept away from school. Why?

Anatol Croitoru, a participant in the war on the Nistru River

Clearly, it’s because we are not comfortable with it. First of all, Russia, which started this war and which still has a lot of influence in Moldova, will not like it. Secondly, we have had governments that are on Russia’s side. Thirdly, because the war on the Nistru River has not yet ended and there are fears that it could be resumed. Russia cannot reconcile with the independence of Moldova and its refusal to withdraw its troops from the Nistru River is proof of it… Almost 30 years have passed since the war, and children in schools are not told anything about it. Children learn about all wars in school, but nothing about the war for our Independence. This is not right and things have to be brought back to normal. We obtained Independence by combined efforts; it is not just the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but also its defense in the trenches.

Eleonora Cercavschi, Ștefan cel Mare Lyceum, Grigoriopol

In Transnistria, both adults and children face the consequences of the war on a daily basis, so we remember very well what happened. Every year, on March 2, we commemorate this tragic day, which destroyed many lives and human destinies. But this is not enough. We, adults, do not know much about this war either. Many things remained unsaid. There was a lot of sacrifice, heroism, but there were also a lot of betrayals. Maybe that’s why things are kept away from school. Future generations should know the truth, not to revenge, but as life lessons. We’ve shed blood for this Independence and we must know our heroes – the real ones, not the profiteers – and honor them on merit.

Anatol Caraman, President of the Association Tiras-Tighina

The idea of ​​studying the 1992 events in schools is not new. Our Association Tiras-Tighina requested it 12 years ago after we found a textbook in a school in Chișinău in which it was written that hordes of Chișinău police attacked Tighina during the civil war of 1992 while, in fact, it was not a civil war. Internationally, it was recognized that in 1992 there was military aggression of Russia against the young state of Moldova. The problem is that most governments in Chișinău lacked the courage to fairly assess the Nistru war. They rather followed Moscow’s idea that the 1992 aggression was a civil war or that Russia came to the Nistru to stop the war. The people who made such statements are still at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. Which truth about war should be taught in schools? In Moldova, each government created its own veterans’ organization. President Maia Sandu created one too, the Force of Veterans. What for? They do it to manipulate and use the people in political interests in relation to the breakaway Transnistrian region.

Ion Negrei, historian

The events of 1992 are kept away not only from school but also from war veterans, who are divided into dozens of organizations. Their leaders are politically controlled by certain parties; they are marginalized and manipulated in the interests of these parties or foreign interests represented by these parties. There is much attention to the subject of the war on March 2, the day when the war started, and on July 2, the day when the Peace Agreement with Russia was signed. No other events take place throughout the year. I welcome the initiative of the War Veterans’ Force… The 1992 events should be reflected in the Course of Contemporary History of Moldova. I think it is high time there was one interpretation of the 1992 events in Moldova: it was Russian military aggression and unjust war.