Abstract:
The National Revival Movement at the end of the 1980s of the last century
experienced episodes that deeply marked the subsequent development of events in
the Moldavian SSR. One such episode is the event of November 7, 1989 and the one
that naturally followed it on November 10 of the same year. In the present study,
the author analyzes, based on unpublished archive documents, the forms, methods
and degree of involvement of students in the National Movement of the Moldavian
SSR, identifying two stages. The first stage, which chronologically coincides with
the year 1988, is characterized by the self-organization of the students and their
organized involvement within the institution, rather by the organization of literary-
artistic cenacles, discussions on important documents, issued by the state and
the party, etc. Towards the end of 1988, the „studious youth” became radicalized
through the events of November and broke away from the Komsomol, creating the
Student League – an alternative organization to represent them. The second stage
is identified with the year 1989 and is more resonant. The students walked out of
the universities (or were persuaded to walk out), being attracted and involved in the
protest actions of the Democratic Movement and the Popular Front of Moldova. The
„street students” participated in all the resounding protest actions with an active
and retributive character, the peak of their involvement in the National Movement protests being those of November 7 and 10, 1989. After the authorities undertook
more coercive „measures”, directing the entire arsenal of tools and methods of „persuasion”
against them, the students were „pacified” and returned to study hall and
dormitories.
