The first who defended the republic

The 27th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Militia was marked on the 17^th of March. It was established by presidential decree in 1992 to protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the republic, the rights and freedoms of citizens. Thousands of civilians in the ranks of the People’s Militia were the first to defend the republic.

In honor of the memorial date, meeting was held at the capital Memorial of Glory. The event was attended by the President Vadim Krasnoselsky, deputy chairman of the Supreme Council Galina Antyufeyeva, the first President of Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Igor Smirnov, head of the state administration of Tiraspol and Dnestrovsk Oleg Dovgopol, representatives of public organizations and labor collectives. On the eve of the Decree of the President, March 17 was included in the calendar of memorable dates.

The memory of the killed piple’s militiamen was honored by a minute of silence. The memories of the tragic events of 27 years ago were shared by the first President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Igor Smirnov and the chairman of the OSTC of Tiraspol Vladimir Yemelyanov during the meeting. They spoke at the commemorative meeting of the need to keep the history of the People’s Militia and transfer its experience to the younger generation.

Fresh flowers were laid to the monuments to the soldier-internationalist, the Grieving Mother and the defenders of Pridnestrovie at the end of the meeting.

They remember the times of armed conflict in Rybnitsa. The city and district authorities, defenders of the republic, representatives of labor collectives of institutions and enterprises, as well as public organizations, laid flowers at the Memorial of Glory to the defenders of the Fatherland. The deputies of the Supreme Council, Pridnestrovie defender Vadim Kravchuk and the chairman of the Rybnitsa union of the PMR defenders Sergey Garbuznyak shared their memoirs.

The meeting participants honored a minute of silence in memory of 31 residents of Rybnitsa who died defending a young republic. Flowers were laid at the monument to the defenders.

Memorial events were also held in Slobodzeya, Dubossary and Grigoriopol.