Thirty years after the proclamation of Moldova's independence, it is important to break away from the legacy of the communist past. In addition, it is necessary to study as much as possible the essence of totalitarian regimes and of authority in order to prevent the repetition of such horrors in the future. This view is shared by historians, who said that societies' differing perceptions of the impact of totalitarian regimes still influence relations between countries to this day.
During the public debate called "The burden of contradictory understanding of the problem of victims of totalitarian regimes", held by the IPN News Agency, historian Igor Cașu said that the communist regime is perceived differently in different countries, as it is the political factor that influences the spread of factual information.
"It is important to take into account the fate of the victims. Russia has a moral duty to its own citizens and to those in the post-Soviet and post-communist space in general. It is important to shed light on the historical truth, because even today the idea of liberator is used in current disputes, thus trying to justify the Russian invasion of Eastern Ukraine", said Igor Cașu, director of the Center for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and the Cold War.
According to the historian, the Stalinist and fascist regimes have many similarities, but they should be seen from different perspectives. Igor Cașu pointed out that there are historians who try to induce the idea that Nazism was a response to communist terror, while the Holocaust itself was a reaction to the existence of Soviet Gulags. According to him, the two regimes are perceived differently depending on the differences in memory between Western and Eastern Europe.
"The two regimes, Nazi and Stalinist, were based on the monopoly of one party, the existence of a single ideology, censorship and political police. Between Stalin and Hitler there was more than a similarity when it came to the division of spheres of influence. There was a genetic similarity between the two regimes. We are on the eve of Independence Day and we must remember that our independence is based on the condemnation of the Soviet totalitarian regime. Through information and knowledge we can overcome the legacy of the communist regime", said Igor Cașu.
The public debate on "The burden of contradictory understanding of the problem of victims of totalitarian regimes" is organized by the IPN News Agency, within the framework of the "Development of political culture in public debates" project, supported by the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.
