Heroes Day marked at destroyed cemetery

The Heroes Day was marked on Saturday at the Heroes Cemetery, destroyed under Soviet occupation, where 2,000 soldiers killed during World War II are buried. On the ground where the cemetery will be rebuilt, His Eminence Petru, Archbishop of Chisinau, Metropolitan of Basarabia and Exarch of the Realm, officiated a requiem, Info-Prim Neo reports. The event was organized by the initiative group of the project “Heroes Cemetery in Chisinau. Requiem or Renaissance”, led by Neculai Popa, secretary general of the World Romanian Council. Zoia Jalba, a member of the initiative group, told the press that the major goal of the structure was to rehabilitate the cemetery where heroes from 6 countries are buried. “We petitioned the authorities several times in support of the reconstruction of the cemetery. Part of them offered cagey answers. The Ministry of Culture and that of Defense seemed the most committal to the reconstruction of the cemetery. We must say that the City Hall also did install a panel at the entrance with the name of the cemetery”, said Zoia Jalba. Neculai Popa added that the authorities of 6 countries, including Romania, Moldova and Russia should contribute to the renovation of the monument. The Romanian Government already offered its agreement. The initiative group of the project deems necessary the annulment of the privatization of the land where the cemetery is place. They think the City Hall should make the Heroes Cemetery a juridical person and that a national project for its rehabilitation should be developed. The Heroes Cemetery is situated on Decebal Avenue 17. Today, one can see there only ruins and a wooden cross. The graves were destroyed during Soviet occupation and the land was later sold to private owners.