650th anniversary of Moldovan state’s foundation is a groundless political speculation, historians

Historians in Chisinau consider that the celebration of 650 years of the foundation of the Moldovan state is a historically-groundless political speculation of the authorities. Related statements were made on Monday at the symposium titled “Formation and Development of the Moldovan State. Myth and Reality” held as part of the Ghibu Days, Info-Prim Neo reports. In their discourses, the historians said that the formation of the Country of Moldova was a long historical process that started long before 1359, which the authorities declare as the year when the Moldovan state was founded. According to historian Demir Dragnev, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the Hungarian chronicles speak about a rebellion by Valahians against Hungarians, which happened in 1359 under a chief from Maramures, called Bogdan. “So, this year can be at most a reference point when the Valahians gained independence from the Hungarians, not when the Moldovan state was established,” Dragnev said. “There are many opinions about the formation of the part of the country located at the north of the Danube. Therefore, we need scientific research, not parade,” the academician said. He considers that the authorities are wrong when they use the history for political purposes, especially when they use false arguments. According to Dragnev, a mistake was committed in 2008, when the authorities declared this year as the Year of Cantemir. In fact, Antioh Cantemir was born in 1709, not in 1708. “There are no reasons to organize festivities to celebrate the creation of the Moldovan state, whose continuator is Moldova, because in 1359 the territory of the present Moldova did not form part of Moldavia,” said Pavel Parasca, doctor habilitate in history and teacher at the Free International University. “The celebration of 650 years of the foundation of the Moldovan state is an event imposed by the authorities, who pursue propagandistic goals and aim to strengthen the statehood of Moldova,” said Ion Negrei, vice president of the Association of Historians of Moldova. According to him, this way the authorities aim to legitimize the theory of Moldovenism and to give weight to the young Republic of Moldova that appeared after the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. “We understand very well that the Republic of Moldova is a young state created in 1991 and that some politicians want to find deeper roots. Inventing this anniversary, they take us back to the formation of the medieval Moldovan state – Moldavia. This country existed indeed, but there is a gap between Moldavia and the Republic of Moldova. Moldavia was a medieval formation, a conception, not a state. The state includes all the citizens and the organizations that the citizens choose. It appeared in the modern epoch. The Romanian states are monarchic medieval constructions, principalities,” Negrei explained. The most important argument invoked by the historians is that the formation and existence of Moldavia Ended with the Union of 1859 during the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, when Moldavia joined with Walachia and created the modern Romanian state. “The Republic of Moldova is a new political organization that should be strengthened according to healthy, not false, borrowed political criteria. If we accept arguments of the kind, we create a weak and unviable structure. This state is based on a Romanian entity as it happened in the whole Romanian area since its creation until present,” Ion Negrei said. The year 2009 was declared the year of the 650th anniversary of the foundation of the Moldovan state under a decree issued by President Vladimir Voronin. The authorities intend to mark this event by restorations of monuments, conferences and seminars. A course titled “Moldova – Past and Present Times” will be introduced in schools. There will be also produced a feature film and documentaries about the historical evolution of the Moldovan state.