Romanian language history in Moldova and Soviet suppression

Following the 1940 annexation of Bessarabia, Soviet authorities implemented policies to alienate the local population from their culture by labeling the Romanian language as a foreign and hostile idiom. The regime enforced a new identity project intended to sever the connection between Moldovans and Romanians through extensive Russification, particularly in urban administration and higher education.

Historical accounts highlight the severe consequences for those who resisted these policies, including executions, deportations, and social ostracization. Figures such as poet Nicolai Costenco and historian Ion Vasilenco faced exile or death for defending linguistic and cultural truths. While hundreds of thousands of citizens demanded the return of the Latin alphabet in 1989, official linguistic justice for the Romanian language in the territory was only realized in 2023.