The documentary novel “The Prut passes through Chisinau”, signed by journalist and historian Gheorghe Mârzencu, was launched at the National Library. The book’s prefacer Andrei Dîrlău said that in the book’s title the author refers to a symbolic Prut that divides the world in the minds of some people, especially a part of the political class, and, at the same time, makes the Soviet world and the contemporary world coexist, IPN reports.

The subject of the novel covers a period of about eight decades, starting from the root of a reference page of the Romanian history, June 1941. Among the characters are representatives of the political class, known intellectuals, civic activists. Prefacer Andrei Dîrlău, writer and doctor of theology, noted that it is a book that makes history not only in the Republic of Moldova, but also for the entire Romanian nation. The book evokes a cleavage that passes through Chisinau. “This rift divides two worlds, an old, historical, defunct world of the Soviet empire that no longer exists and an identity with deep Romanian roots. This cleavage is a difficult one to understand,” he stated.

Gheorghe Mârzencu said that the idea for the novel came from a newspaper article that triggered large and profound processes in Moldovan society, from reactions in the Government, Parliament. The article was discussed in Parliament and the opposition staged demonstrations to show their dissatisfaction with aspects that seemed unfavorable to them. The subject of the novel refers to Soviet monuments that are abundant in the country, while the national monuments are much fewer in number, although they are closer to the citizens. The action of the novel ends symbolically in a village cemetery where former Romanian soldiers rest and who must be venerated, not forgotten.

Anatol Petrencu, president of the Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova, said that in 2011, Gheorghe Mârzencu went to a border guards post in Stoianovca and found that things there stopped in the Soviet period. Subsequently, the journalist wrote an article on this subject, which confused the political class in the Republic of Moldova. The article reached the senior authorities and, in the end, a decision was taken to transform the border guard troops into border police. The author in this book debunks the lies that were launched by Soviet propaganda and in which entire generations were systematically educated. The author shatters these lies and shows the truth.

The event was organized by the National Library of the Republic of Moldova, in partnership with “Alexandru Moșanu” Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova and the Union of Professional Journalists of Romania.