Authorities have declassified and transferred another 20,000 deportee files to the National Archives Agency. The handover took place during a solemn ceremony, where participants observed a minute of silence in memory of those who died after being deported to Siberia by Soviet authorities.
Interior Minister Daniela Misail-Nichitin emphasized that the transfer marks an act of recognition, a step toward truth, and a moral obligation to those who endured unimaginable suffering.
“We are concluding a ten-year effort that brings peace to the memory of those torn from their lives and restores dignity before history. These files are more than documents—they represent faces, families, and lives brutally interrupted. Dignified people who lived peacefully in Moldova’s towns and villages were taken in the dead of night, forced into freight cars, and sent thousands of kilometers away. Pregnant women, the elderly, and children who had just learned to walk were all labeled enemies of the people and placed on the so-called Soviet shame lists,” said the minister.
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Prime Minister Dorin Recean, also present at the event, shared a personal connection to the tragedy.
“Soviet authorities deported six of the twelve children in my grandfather’s family to Siberia, and three others fled to Romania to hide. It wasn’t an isolated case. Countless families suffered under Soviet occupation. The regime inflicted deep harm and trauma, but it couldn’t strip away our dignity or our desire for freedom.”
Recean also announced the next phase of the initiative: the complete digitization of the archives.
“We owe it to the victims and their descendants to make these records accessible. Soon, anyone can search for deported families by name online. It is part of our commitment to preserving historical truth and passing it on to future generations.”
Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru underscored the broader importance of access to authentic historical documents.
“Researchers from Moldova, the U.S., Canada, and the EU will have free access to these materials. A society that knows its past is stronger, more just, and less prone to manipulation or repeating past mistakes.”
The declassification process began in 2010. Between 2010 and 2015, the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and the Interior Ministry transferred around 20,000 files to the Archives Agency. Since 2023, SIS has handed over another 9,000 files in four installments. In June 2025, the Interior Ministry submitted an additional 20,000.
Director of the National Archives Agency, Igor Casu, confirmed that authorities have transferred all available files related to political repression during the Soviet era, including those from the post-Stalinist period up to 1986.
“We plan to provide public access to all 48,000 files by July 5. Each file corresponds to the head of a family and includes information about several individuals. We have data on around 100,000 names,” Casu said.
The agency will publish the complete list on its website. To access the files, applicants must sign a declaration confirming the responsible use of personal data.