The People's Militia was created 33 years ago

The People's Militia of Pridnestrovie is 33 years old. Tens of thousands of volunteers from all over the republic have joined this temporary armed formation since March 17, 1992. The militiamen helped defend the young state. 232 people – at the cost of their lives. Today, a flower-laying ceremony was held at the capital's Memorial of Military Glory. It was attended by representatives of the authorities, defenders of Pridnestrovie, veterans of the Armed Forces, representatives of labor collectives, and public organizations. Fresh flowers were laid at the Eternal Flame and granite slabs with the names of the fallen defenders by Igor Buga, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Public Associations on behalf of the Supreme Council. The participants in the laying of flowers recalled the events of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The creation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic was a forced measure. The people of Pridnestrovie had to take the defense of the new state into their own hands. The approaching collapse of the USSR gave rise to a surge of nationalism. Moldova was overwhelmed by a wave of anti-Russian prejudice and romanianization. The Russian-speaking population found itself in the position of "second-class" people. The existence of the Moldovan language and culture was under threat: Chisinau was switching to the Latin alphabet, and it was decided to "forget" the traditional Cyrillic script. Deputies of the Supreme Council of the MSSR from Pridnestrovie sent their proposals: equal rights for all nations, two state languages, preservation of the Cyrillic script, holding a referendum on discriminatory legislations, but the Moldovan parliament nevertheless adopted nationalist draft laws. The people of Pridnestrovie began to fight for their rights. The first organization of resistance of Pridnestrovians to Moldovan nationalism was the United Council of Labor Collectives, which was later reorganized into the People's Militia. The United Council of Labor Collectives appeared in all the cities of the nascent republic. Later, as part of the new state – the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic – the Workers' Detachments of Militia Assistance (ROSM) were formed.

Full-scale military actions began in early March 1992. The Moldovan leadership wanted to split Pridnestrovie into parts, trying to capture Dubossary. The militia was able to significantly change the balance of power on the front lines in a short time. The formation of the People's Militia units took place in conditions of high patriotic enthusiasm. The union of fighters includes about 1200 people today, according to the head of the organization. They are engaged not only in helping participants in military operations, but in preserving historical memory: they conduct open lessons in schools and colleges for May 9, the Day of the Formation of the Republic, etc.