On 27 August 1991, tens of thousands of Moldovans gathered in the Great National Assembly in the heart of Chisinau to ask Parliament to proclaim the country’s independence from the Soviet Union. The first legislature went on to adopt the Declaration of Independence with 278 out of 371 votes.

The then speaker Alexandru Moșanu noted that the proclamation of independence was the result of radical transformations and popular movements seen across the Soviet republics.

“For the first time in centuries we are now given the opportunity to formulate and express the people’s desire. Today, the Moldovan Parliament has the mission and the great honor to legally proclaim the aspirations of many generations of Moldovans and other fellow citizens in an act of unprecedented historical and civic significance. Being aware of the responsibility we bear before the people, of the mission we have, a mission that stems from the national and civic option, today we can start a new era in the life of Moldova, shape a future free and democratic, a future in which human rights will be the foundation of the new state power”, declared Moldova’s first president Mircea Snegur.

A few hours after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, Romania became the first nation to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. On 2 March 1992, the Republic of Moldova joined the United Nations.

Ion Hadârcă, one of the signatories of the Declaration and president of the People’s Front party, noted the Declaration of Independence was the practical result of the Great National Assembly that two place exactly two years prior, on 27 August 1989. Bringing together about 750,000 demonstrators, the Assembly demanded that the Romanian language based on the Latin script be declared the official language of Moldova.

The adoption of the 1991 Declaration of Independence, the founding act, is marked every year as Independence Day. The original declaration burned during the 2009 protests.