PHOTOREPORT – The May 9 parade in Chișinău: between Soviet nostalgia and the blurred memory of the USSR’s glory days

PHOTOREPORT – The May 9 parade in Chișinău: between Soviet nostalgia and the blurred memory of the USSR’s glory days
© Mădălin Necșuțu   |   The Eternity Memorial, Chișinău, May 9, 2022

May 9 was a much anticipated event in Chișinău: a recent law forbids the public display of symbols associated with the Russian army and the invasion of Ukraine – the ribbon of Saint George and the letters Z and V. Previously, pro-Russians had announced they would ignore the law. Fears were running high that public unrest might break out. That wasn’t the case, and the demonstration actually resembled a display of communist nostalgia rather than an act of solidarity with Russia.

Soviet nostalgics attending the retro-style parade 

The National Assembly Square in Chișinău started filling from the early hours of the morning. These were mostly nostalgic people in their 70s brandishing banners and pictures of former Soviet soldiers, most likely their relatives, and humming muted Soviet songs amped up by a speaker mounted on top of a van.

Others were waving flags of the Soviet Union, the Party of Socialists, Transnistria and some the flag of the Republic of Moldova. Glossy vintage cars with war veterans on the backseat and the roaring of motorcycles completed the picture.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

“We are celebrating the victory against the Nazis. No one can take away this joy from us. I take part every year”, says 75-year-old Vitalie. The old man wearing grey trousers, and shabby belt and a white shirt with fine blue stripes was proudly carrying a flag of the Soviet Union which he fluttered languidly every now and then.

“Those were the good days. We had everything we needed. As long as you worked, you were well-provided!”, he sighed.

Vitalie is just one of the thousands of people who gathered in the city square. Most people had grouped in small crowds representing parties from all the rayons of the Republic. They had arrived at the light of dawn from every corner of Moldova.

After the ban was passed on April 20, pro-Russian Socialists in Chișinău, who organized the parade dedicated to Victory Day, a celebration observed ever since the days of the Soviet Union, found a method to bypass the law the forbids the display of the symbols of the war in Ukraine, such as the letters V and Z, but also the bicolor black and orange ribbon of Saint George. Therefore, they dressed the teenagers of the Socialist Party’s youth guard in black and orange to form a sort of living flag symbolizing the ribbon of Saint George.

Some leaders and members also brandished the bicolor ribbon, while others actually wore the ribbon in their chests, or a makeshift replacement they came up with before the march – a red ribbon displaying the medieval coat-of-arms of Moldova, but also the picture of Saint George.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

Dodon and his defying acolytes

The parade set out to the screeching tires of motorcycles of newer or older make that drove off first, leaving a trail of heavy smoke in the corner of the Square, overlooked by the statue of Stephen the Great in front of the Central Park in Chișinău.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

They were followed by vintage cars transporting ex-Soviet officers, their chests shining with Soviet-era medals and distinctions. The brass band and the drummers started playing Soviet marches and Russian tunes. Children from the Youth Guard shouted slogans such as “Pobeda!” [Victory - e.n..] or “We don’t forget”.

Then Igor Dodon and his band of Socialist deputies followed course, many of them displaying a defying attitude towards the law and brandishing the bicolor ribbon in their chests. Dodon acted like he was the star of the show, although officially he is merely the honorary president of the party and the head of a Moldovan-Russian chamber of commerce.

Joining Dodon were a number of leading representatives of the Socialist Party who organized the event, including Vlad Bătrâncea, the vice-president of the Socialist Party and the informal second-in-command at party level, as well as Nichita Țurcan, the head of the Socialists’ troll farm.

Bogdan Țîrdea, the head of PSRM’s social media propaganda and a producer of pro-Russian fake news and disinformation kept a lower profile, as did the former Parliament Speaker, Zinaida Greaceanîi, who flaunted the illegal bicolor ribbon, although she didn’t stand out in any way.

When the march reached the crossing of Alecsandri and Ismail streets, Dodon joined his former mentor, Communist Vladimir Voronin, but they only marched a few hundred meters side by side. The two men, who had exchanged bitter insults for nearly a decade, now hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks. Then they both walked down Ismail Street all the way to the “Eternity” Memorial Complex.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

To the roaring cheers of the Youth Guard, who waited for the two leaders in orderly fashion, Dodon and Voronin entered the front gate and into the courtyard, where they released a few dozen white pigeons, a symbol of peace.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

Ironically, on the same day, “Russian liberators”, who were sung praises in Chișinău, continued to shell the city of Odessa in Ukraine.

Dodon threatens to reach out to the ECHR

Igor Dodon is used to mobbing. A politician of average skill, always on the lookout to gain Moscow’s favor, Dodon defended himself when asked what he would do should he face penalties for violating the law forbidding the public display of the ribbon of Saint George.

“I believe that passing the law that prohibited this ribbon was a mistake. Every citizen of the Republic of Moldova has a right to an opinion, and the majority of our citizens are today celebrating Victory Day. Tens of thousands of people attended the “victory march” in Chișinău today. Despite the fact that the country leaders didn’t want to celebrate Victory Day, people took to the streets and attended the parade. We have a lot to pride ourselves with. We are descendants of the victors of the most terrible war, the Great War for the Defense of the Fatherland. Therefore, I believe we shouldn’t fear anything”, Dodon said.

Igor Dodon also said he would let his team of legal advisers handle any potential legal action against him.

“I believe the issue will be settled in the court of law at home. Otherwise, we will refer the matter to the ECHR. We will go there and make our case, including in the court of law. I urge all citizens of the Republic of Moldova who will be sanctioned to address my legal team, my lawyers will help them”, Dodon said in a typically populist fashion.

The head of state, on the other hand, did not attend the event, arguing she was feeling unwell. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița and the current Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu, paid floral tributes to the “Eternity” Memorial in Chișinău, devoted to the soldiers who list their lives in World War II.

Photo: Mădălin Necșuțu

“Unfortunately, we have fewer veterans than before. Considering there’s a war in our neighboring country, it is extremely important to remember the horrors of the war and pay homage to our dead and do everything in our power to keep society united. We must maintain peace and stability. People in Bălți, Găgăuzia or Chișinău all want peace – that is their common goal”, Gavrilița said.

 

The victory march ended with no major incidents, while Putin conveyed a spiteful message to Maia Sandu, “congratulating” the Moldovan head for state for the 77th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Other opinions
The USA’s takeover of Gaza, a doomed proposal

The USA’s takeover of Gaza, a doomed proposal

Donald Trump said the USA might take over Gaza once Palestinians leave. No one in the Middle East can accept such a proposal because it would increase instability in the region.

The war is making pro-Putin elites richer, while it deepens inequality in Russia

The war is making pro-Putin elites richer, while it deepens inequality in Russia

The war in Ukraine is increasing the gap between Russia’s wealthy elites and the majority of the population. There is also a drive to redistribute wealth and channel it towards those loyal to Putin’s regime.

Why pro-Western Bulgarians no longer take their grievances to the streets

Why pro-Western Bulgarians no longer take their grievances to the streets

As various capitals in Eastern Europe are gripped by demonstrations, reformists in Bulgaria – a country with a tradition of protests – seem apathetic following years of political logjam and the return of the “system” parties.

EBOOK> Razboi si propaganda: O cronologie a conflictului ruso-ucrainean

EBOOK>Razboiul lui Putin cu lumea libera: Propaganda, dezinformare, fake news

More
Belarus elections: a show staged by the Lukashenko regime that fooled no one
Belarus elections: a show staged by the Lukashenko regime that fooled no one

Aleksandr Lukashenko won his seventh term as president with 86.82% of the vote and a turnout of 85.9%, results typical for dictatorial regimes. The figures were touted as proof of stability in Belarus, popular support for Lukashenko and tolerance of the opposition. However, the elections were neither free nor fair, but just a show that fooled no one.

What sovereignists do in Brussels when no one’s watching and what purpose they serve, if any
What sovereignists do in Brussels when no one’s watching and what purpose they serve, if any

A new word is gradually gaining traction across media and political debates: “sovereignists”. How does it all impact liberal democracy? To what extent can sovereignists influence EU politics?

Poland’s EU Council Presidency: Security First!
Poland’s EU Council Presidency: Security First!

On a brisk January morning in Strasbourg, Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, stood before the European Parliament to deliver what many have already labeled a defining speech of his career. With his characteristic blend of gravitas and urgency, Tusk addressed Europe’s place in an increasingly volatile world. Referring to the profound shifts in transatlantic relations under Donald Trump’s presidency, Donald Tusk paraphrased another US President, John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what America can do for Europe and its security—ask what we can do for it”. His words reverberated across the chamber, signaling the dawn of a (let’s hope) pivotal six months in European politics: Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

NATO’s enlargement increased security in the Baltic region, but more needs to be done
NATO’s enlargement increased security in the Baltic region, but more needs to be done

New NATO members Finland and Sweden are increasingly involved in the security of the Baltic region, which has seen a number of aggressive Russian moves including sabotages of undersea infrastructure. However, the potential for cooperation with the Baltic countries has merely been tapped.

The Romanians who joined Georgescu’s hora felt “the touch of angels”
The Romanians who joined Georgescu’s hora felt “the touch of angels”

At the Union Hora, organized by the followers of Călin Georgescu, I got into a mix of nationalist mysticism, conspiracy theories, false Russian narratives and the belief that the "president elect" is some kind of messianic figure who will turn Romania into another Dubai.

Ariana Coman
25 Jan 2025
Putin's wars and the end of Europe’s dependency on Russian energy
Putin's wars and the end of Europe’s dependency on Russian energy

Putin believed that by invading Ukraine and engaging in wars in the East, he was restoring Russia's great power status. The result was Moscow's long-term loss of influence.