The “May 9th” myth significantly impacts the Republic of Moldova as it remains politically and emotionally instrumentalized. This opinion, expressed by historian Octavian Țîcu, was shared during the public debate “Three Fundamental Myths Sustaining the USSR,” organized by IPN News Agency. According to the historian, another myth used to foster the idea of a victorious nation is the myth of the “Great Patriotic War”.
Ticu argues that May 9th, celebrated as Victory Day in former Soviet states, is propagandistically employed to reinforce the concept of Soviet identity and nurture a sense of belonging to a “victorious nation”.
“Today, we face the impact of a single myth that hinders us from moving forward - the ‘May 9th’ myth. It has become a politically instrumentalized pillar of the post-Soviet space under Putin's regime. Other myths have entered a phase of deconstruction and no longer carry significant emotional or political weight. For instance, while Vladimir Voronin and some communists occasionally visit Lenin’s monument, this is a marginal manifestation. Originally, Lenin’s myth gained traction with the help of Western writers who visited him and were impressed by his intellectual stature. The book ‘Ten Days That Shook the World,’ published in the United States, significantly contributed to his extraordinary image”, said Octavian Ticu.
The historian also addressed the sensitive issue of how Moldovans were mobilized during World War II and the subsequent propaganda supporting the narrative of the “Great Patriotic War”.
“The myth of the Great Patriotic War persists. Moldovans are being led to believe they were victors in World War II. However, the mobilization of Moldovans was illegitimate. According to the Hague Conventions on the laws of occupation, occupying armies are prohibited from conscripting soldiers from occupied territories. Despite this, the Soviets conscripted 260,000 Moldovans, of whom 50,000 died in the war. These individuals were exploited by the Soviets to legitimize the narrative of liberation,” Ticu explained.
He also noted that Stalin’s myth and Stalinism - “the image of the leader who industrialized Russia, defeated Nazi Germany, and made the Soviet Union a global power” - have been reactivated in public discourse by Vladimir Putin.
“The mythology surrounding Stalin has re-emerged in the post-Soviet period and is far more useful to Putin than Leninism. Stalinism and neo-Stalinism are key elements inspiring Putin, making him resilient against Western efforts to deconstruct him. The reintegration of Stalin into public discourse - highlighting him as a great modernizer, a global leader, and the industrializer of Russia - represents the true reinvention of Soviet mythology, tied to Stalinism rather than Leninism”, Ticu elaborated.
The public debate on “Three Fundamental Myths Sustaining the URSS” is part of the series “Developing Political Culture Through Public Debates”. This cycle of debates is organized by IPN with the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.
