The decommunization and decolonization of memorial spaces are necessary steps for revising the symbolic legacy of the Soviet totalitarian regime, historian Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu stated in a video interview with IPN News Agency.
According to the head of the Contemporary History Section of the Institute of History of the Moldova State University, the process of decommunization and decolonization involves changing the names of streets, removing monuments and other symbols that glorify figures and moments of the repressive Soviet regime.
"Decommunization and decolonization are essential for the recovery of historical truth and for the formation of an identity based on democratic values, not totalitarian myths. As long as the memorial spaces glorify figures and moments of a repressive regime, they contribute to maintaining a state of historical confusion and informational vulnerability," said Doctor of History Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu.
He noted that decommunization is the process of eliminating communist influences from society, institutions and collective memory, and decolonization is the liberation from the colonial legacy, whether external or internal.
"Mature democracies assume the past critically, without glorifying it. Decommunization and decolonization are necessary steps to heal our collective memory, to rehabilitate the victims of the totalitarian regime and to transmit to the new generations a culture of freedom, responsibility and justice," said Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu.
According to the historian, in the current geopolitical context, hybrid warfare is not only fought by military means, but also by cultural, symbolic and informational influence. The Russian Federation is accused of using historical memory, monuments and symbols of the past to maintain its influence on the Republic of Moldova.
"Resistance to hybrid warfare, in the context of the current geopolitical war, implies that memory is a front of hybrid confrontation. The Russian Federation uses symbols, monuments and historical narratives as instruments of influence. Through decolonization and decommunization, the Republic of Moldova builds its resilience, breaking away from the logic of the so-called "Russian worlds", concluded the historian.
The interview entitled "Collective memory, ground for hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova" is part of the series of debates "Impact of the past on confidence-building and peace-building processes". The project is supported by the German "Hanns Seidel" Foundation.
