The Liberation Spring

The liberation of Pridnestrovie from the fascist occupation is one of the important pages of our national history. The Red Army, during a large-scale offensive reached the Dniester and forced the armies of the Wehrmacht and its allies to retreat to the west in the spring of 1944. Tiraspol was liberated on April 12.

The capital of Pridnestrovie was liberated at the final stage of the Odessa offensive operation. The fighting was successfully conducted by the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The 10th Guards Krivoy Rog Airborne Division of the 37th Army of Commander Mikhail Sharokhin entered the eastern bank of the Dniester River near the village of Karagash on April 11. The crossing of the river began the very next day.

Thanks to the heroism and selflessness of soldiers and officers, the help of the local population, the Soviet army during the April battles significantly expanded its bridgeheads on the right bank of the Dniester, the largest of which was Kitskany. The bridgehead of Kitskany will SUBSEQUENTLY play one of the main roles in the Iasi-Kishinev operation in August 1944.

On the night of April 12, troops under the command of General Sharokhin reached the near approaches to Tiraspol. Soviet soldiers drove the German occupiers out of the central and western parts of the city by 3 o'clock in the morning. The 228th, 92nd and 118th rifle divisions entered Tiraspol.

Commemorative events were held today at the capital's Memorial in honor of the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Tiraspol from the Nazi occupation, which lasted 970 days. The memory of the heroes who gave their lives in the fight against fascism was honored with a minute of silence. Fresh flowers were laid at the memorial plates by the President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Vadim Krasnoselsky, Chairman of the PMR Supreme Council Alexander Korshunov and Deputy Chairman Galina Antyufeeva, Head of Government Alexander Rosenberg, military personnel, clergymen, representatives of public organizations, caring residents of Tiraspol.

On April 12, the day of liberation is celebrated by other cities of Pridnestrovie. "Remember" solemn rally was held in Grigoriopol, at the "Grieving Mother" Memorial Complex. The residents of Grigoriopol laid flowers at the Mass Grave and at the busts of the Heroes of the Soviet Union in memory of those who fought for the liberation of the city. "The Way to Victory" rally was held at the Memorial Complex of Military Glory in the city of Dubossary. Commemorative events in honor of the liberation from the Nazis were held in the villages of the Slobodzeya district and the city of Slobodzeya on April 11.