Update, History of Romanians controversy: Russian official says Moldovans shouldn't focus on Stalinist repression, says Stalin "was a great hero"

Russian M.P. Maksim Miscenko recently attended a gathering organized by the League of Russian Youth, during which participants said they were against studying the History of Romanians (see the previous news story for details).

Timpul says that at one point, Mr. Miscenko said that "the Soviets built industry, roads, apartments, and so on" in Moldova and praised Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin as "a great hero" and "the most important manager of the 20th century."

Other atendees noted that tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union had a "civilizing role" in Moldova.

Although the number is unclear, the number of Moldovans deported during Stalin's rule is at least in the tens of thousands. Survivors of the deportation who managed to return to Moldova from places like Siberia hold a yearly memorial service in Chisinau.

h/t www.timpul.md
www.vocea-basarabiei.net