Press Release
on the organization of the debate “Contemporary danger of mythologization of 1812”. Debates series held by the news agency IPN in its conference room with the support of the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”
Held on 13 December 2024, brought together: Sergiu Tofilat, an expert in energy security; Mihai Isac, a foreign policy pundit and Igor Boțan, IPN project’s standing expert.
The Moldovan society is pronouncedly divided on many criteria, starting from the political and geopolitical ones to the identity, cultural and linguistic ones. Among the subjects of this division are particular historical events. One of these occurred in 1812, at the end of one of the many Russian-Turkish wars, when the territory, which would later be called Bessarabia, was transferred from the Principality of Moldavia to the Russian Tsarist Empire. There are now two principally different viewpoints. According to one of them, an "act of liberation of Bessarabia from the Turkish yoke" occurred in that year, and according to the other one, the Peace Treaty of Bucharest of 1812, signed between Russia and Turkey, represents a "great and multilateral tragedy caused by the Russian occupation and domination", which, in turn, laid the foundations for the subsequent Soviet occupation and domination. The experts invited to IPN’s public debate "Contemporary danger of mythologization of 1812", analyzed if what happened in the distant year 1812 was occupation or liberation and whether the liberation was a reality that should be welcomed even today or it is a myth that is to be condemned and debunked.
The permanent expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan said that "occupation” of a territory by a foreign state means temporary appropriation by the armed forces of that state of a part or all of the territory of another state, without the occupying state acquiring the right of sovereignty of the occupied state. "The notion of “seizure” means occupation by force, and “annexation” means the violent incorporation of the territory of one state into another. “Subjugation” means the subduing of a part, of a people by the force of arms, making this country economically, politically dependent,” explained the expert.
According to him, the "empire" is one of the historical types of state that is characterized by being composed of an imperial center and a subordinate periphery, the peripheral areas of the empire being usually conquered. As a rule, empires are also characterized by differences in rights and principles of governance for its various constituent territories.
"If we refer to the notion of "myths", they are the representation of reality in the way desired by the creators of myths. Respectively, "political myths" are a particular category of myths that focus on political topics, which is, they are ideologically charged narratives that offer a specific meaning to the past or present. They also make predictions about future events considered valid by one group or another. Political myths vary depending on the group and the period in which they are promoted," said Igor Boţan.
Doctor of history Igor Sharov, Moldova State University rector, said that the Russian-Turkish wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, except for some of them, were won by Russia. He gave as examples the war of 1768-1774, which ended with the peace of Kuchuk-Kainardji, the war of 1787-1792, ended with the peace of Iași, as well as the war of 1806-1812 with disastrous results – the annexation of the territory of Bessarabia. He also recalled the war of 1828-1829, which culminated in the peace of Adrianople, and war of 1877-1878.
"Intentionally, in this row I did not mention only the war of 1853-1856, which culminated in the peace of Paris, the only war that was lost by Russia. And, beware, the other wars led to the strengthening of Russia's positions in this space, including on the territory of Bessarabia. And the war that was lost in 1853-1856 by Russia created objective conditions for the Little Union – the Union of 1859," explained the doctor of history.
Igor Sharov considers that this myth of salvation, of liberation is nothing more than the camouflaging of Russia's expansionist tendencies, and this truth has been neglected for a long time. According to him, two positions stand out compared to the 1812 event. On the one hand, historians believe that an illegal annexation took place. On the other hand, there are those who promoted or continue to promote the idea of "liberation" of 1812.
In his opinion, the myths, including the one of 1812, were created starting with the 19th century at a primitive level, and along the way, they were perfected in Soviet laboratories. "It's clear that the myths about 'liberation' are simply ridiculous. Because, when you talk about the drama of the Bessarabian Romanians after 1812, as a result of the annexation of Bessarabia, considering the socioeconomic aspect, the cultural aspect of the problem or the religious aspect, the results are dramatic," said the rector of the Moldova State University.
Historia Ion Negrei, vice-president of "Alexandru Moșanu" Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova, said that the "myth of liberation" does not exist as a scientific notion. It is a propaganda trick, which has always been fueled by the Russian Empire and then by the Soviet Empire.
"As a scientific notion in international law, 'liberation' does not exist. There are wars fought between states and, as a result of the use of the force of arms, actions of occupation of the territory take place. "Occupation" – this is written in international law. When the form of government changes, when the administration of this newly occupied territory changes, it is occupation. In the case of the war of 1806-1812, but also of other wars of the same kind, there was a process of occupation by the force of arms and changing of administration. The change of administration already presumes that this territory is occupied. States always do this in all wars and this is recognized as a temporarily occupied territory," stated Ion Negrei.
Referring to the Russian-Turkish war of 1710-1711, Ion Negrei noted that it was an attempt of the political class of the Principality of Moldavia led by Prince Cantemir to exchange Ottoman suzerainty for Russian suzerainty. According to him, this was in no way an attempt to "liberate" Moldova and transfer it under the Russian protectorate.
"There is an old Soviet myth saying that a treaty was signed in Lutsk in 1711. There is no such treaty because the treaty involves the signing by two parties – the Moldovan side, represented by the ruler of Moldavia, and the Russian side. In the case of the Lutsk act, it was a diploma issued by the Russian tsar to the ruler of Moldavia Cantemir, which contained particular requirements that were formulated primarily by the Moldovan side – the ruler of Moldavia Cantemir", explained the historian.
According to him, suzerainty represents the preservation of all forms of administration, internal government of the state, as it existed in the Principality of Moldavia with the army, boyardom, the Princely Council, etc., but with dependence on a greater power, on an imperial power. "In conclusion, Cantemir aimed to transfer the Principality of Moldavia from the Ottoman suzerainty under the suzerainty, the protection of the Russian emperor, by creating a monarchy within the country of Moldavia and in no case in the form of "the liberation that took place in 1812", said Ion Negrei.
The Agency published 4 news stories on the debate (see the English version of www.ipn.md): on 13.1224, „Contemporary danger of mythologization of 1812. IPN debate”- https://www.ipn.md/en/contemporary-danger-of-mythologization-of-1812-ipn-debate-8004_1109880.html; “Igor Sharov: In 1812-1918 they insisted on denial of Romanian character of Bessarabia” - https://www.ipn.md/en/igor-sharov-in-1812-1918-they-insisted-on-denial-of-8004_1109882.html; „Ion Negrei: Until 1918 population of Bessarabia was kept in illiteracy and ignorance”- https://www.ipn.md/en/ion-negrei-until-1918-population-of-bessarabia-was-kept-in-8004_1109884.html; „Igor Botan: Russian propaganda instills fear in Moldova”- https://www.ipn.md/en/igor-botan-russian-propaganda-instills-fear-in-moldova-8004_1109887.html
Valeriu Vasilica, director of IPN