| Popis: |
In this thesis I explore the historic roots and origins of the political and ideological dispute between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. Why did these two regions become divided as the Soviet Union collapsed? An examination of the history of Pridnestrovie during the final years of the Soviet Union (1989-1990) and the actions, rhetoric, and motivations of Moldovan and Pridnestrovian actors demonstrates that the main factors of the dispute were 1) the Pridnestrovians’ fears of excessive Romanian influence and 2) debates over the roles of linguistic equality, multiculturalism, and regional autonomy in the future Moldova. The use of primary-source news articles, interviews, and Party and government documents allows me to detail the Pridnestrovians' fears of so-called “Romanianization” and their attachment to polylingualism, multiculturalism, and regional autonomy— ideas rooted in Soviet nationality policy. This is coupled with secondary sources detailing Soviet nationality policy, which I use to place Pridnestrovie in comparison with other Soviet regions. Finally, I present modern day Pridnestrovian sources to further explore the legacy of Soviet policy and to relate this dispute to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. My examination of the region’s history shows that Pridnestrovie maintained its multicultural character, causing multinational population to eschew ethnic nationalism. This thesis adds to our knowledge of Moldova and Pridnestrovie by illustrating the meaning of Romanianization and by examining the term’s historic usage in the Russian language and its relation to the fascist occupation of Pridnestrovie during World War II. Additionally, this work is important because I draw connections to the actions and rhetoric of Pridnestrovians in the late Soviet period to the tenets of Soviet nationality policy. Ultimately, this thesis conveys the Pridnestrovians’ story and expands on the deeply rooted issues and historic trends, which caused the Moldo-Pridnestrovian split. |
