The first step towards Pridnestrovian statehood

The 1st Congress of Deputies of all levels from the left-bank regions of the MSSR and the city of Bendery took place on June 2, 1990 in the village of Parkany. 673 deputies gathered in the rural House of Culture: the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the MSSR, city and district, settlement and rural Soviets. Such an assembly became a new form of popular representation in the Soviet Union. Such congresses were not held anywhere in the USSR, but the law was not violated prior to Pridnestrovie.

The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic spoke about the importance of holding a congress for the history of Pridnestrovie, starting today's plenary session of the Parliament.

People's deputies of all levels decided to gather for the congress after it became clear that the Russian-speaking region would not achieve its rights at the level of the Supreme Soviet of the MSSR. The Moldovan parliament, under the influence of nationalists, adopted a package of laws on language in 1989, which defined the Moldovan nationality as a titular nation and granted the status of the state language to the Moldovan language. These language laws have caused indignation in Pridnestrovie, where many nationalities live and there has never been a predominance of one nationality over another. Thousands of rallies were held in Rybnitsa and Tiraspol in 1989–1990, , then referenda were initiated on the equality of languages ​​and on the formation of an autonomous republic within the MSSR.

The situation became almost critical, deputies from Pridnestrovie in the Supreme Soviet of the MSSR were beaten several times, they were constantly threatened by militant nationalists in May 1990. 60 people's deputies of the Supreme Council of the MSSR represented the left bank and Bendery (there were 394 deputies in total). Residents of Pridnestrovie in such conditions could not count on the protection of their rights in Chisinau, only on themselves. After the March 1990 elections in the Soviets of cities and villages, most of the elected deputies represented the strike committees and councils of labor collectives. It was these public organizations that carried out the main work to protect the rights of the population of Pridnestrovie.

The congress in Parkany on June 2, 1990 lasted 12 hours. Deputies of all levels of Pridnestrovian cities adopted important documents and decisions that turned the tide of history. The Declaration on the Socio-Economic Development of Pridnestrovie, the resolution "On Some Measures to Stabilize the Socio-Political Situation in the Moldavian SSR" were adopted, and the Coordinating Council for Socio-Economic Development was created, headed by the future first president of Pridnestrovie Igor Smirnov.

The main form of solving the most important socio-political issues in the territory of Pridnestrovie was declared the will of citizens – a referendum.

It was recommended in the operative part of the resolution of the congress "On some measures to stabilize the socio-political situation in the Moldavian SSR" that all local Councils of the Pridnestrovian region hold referendums on their territories on the state flag of the MSSR and the legitimacy of replacing the Cyrillic alphabet with the Latin alphabet, as well as on the expediency of forming a multinational Pridnestrovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Moldavian SSR. The Declaration spoke about the beginning of economic pressure on Pridnestrovian cities and regions: the delay in deliveries in cooperation with enterprises on the right bank and the introduction of restrictions on the supply of goods, the creation of a free economic zone was announced. The congress authorized the Coordinating Council to represent the socio-economic interests of the people of Pridnestrovie at all levels in relations with state and other official organizations of the USSR.

All these documents stated that the Pridnestrovian people spoke in favor of the creation of statehood as a means of protecting their rights and freedoms.

3 weeks after the 1st Congress of Deputies of all levels in Parkany, the Moldovan parliament adopts law-in-draft recognizing the act on the formation of the MSSR of August 2, 1940 as invalid.

Nothing could stop the founders of the new republic. 3 months after the Congress Parkany, on September 2, 1990, the II Congress of Deputies of all levels took place in Tiraspol, which decided to form the Pridnestrovian Moldavian SSR.