site.btaDocumentary on 1949 Deportations of Bessarabians to Siberia Screened in Sofia

A screening of the documentary feature film Siberia in Bones on the 1949 deportations of Bessarabians to Siberia took place at the Lumiere Cinema at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on Tuesday evening. The film highlights the fate of people from various ethnic communities who lived in what was then Soviet Moldova, including Bulgarians from the southern part of the region.

Directed by Leontina Vatamanu  and produced by Virgiliu Margineanu, the film is based on the real testimonies of four survivors of the second wave of deportations carried out on the night of July 6 to 7, 1949. The screening marked the 77th anniversary of the 1949 deportations in Bessarabia.

Before the screening, Moldova’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Emil Jacota, addressed the audience, noting that the presentation of Siberia in Bones in Sofia was its first screening for a Bulgarian audience. The Ambassador emphasized that the film honors the memory of the victims of the Soviet communist dictatorship and sheds light on one of the most tragic chapters in Bessarabia’s history.

“I would like to thank the Culture Ministry of the Republic of Moldova, the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, as well as the honorary consuls of the Republic of Moldova in Burgas and Plovdiv for their support. I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the realization of this project,” he said.

The film was also presented by its producer, Margineanu, who described such initiatives as an important part of the cultural dialogue between Moldova and Bulgaria. He noted that Bulgaria is among the countries that consistently support Moldova’s European path.

“Bulgaria is one of the countries that supports our path, and we are extremely grateful for that. This support is very important to us,” he added.

Speaking to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), Margineanu noted that the deportations to Siberia affected all ethnic communities living in Bessarabia, including ethnic Bulgarians and Gagauz. He added that the subject has been thoroughly researched by Ivan Duminica, who holds a PhD in historical sciences and heads the Interethnic Relations Policy Service at Moldova’s Ministry of Education and Research.

According to data from Duminica's research, during the operation of July 6–7, 11,293 families — a total of 35,050 people — were deported, including 9,745 men, 13,924 women, and 11,381 children.

Margineanu also pointed out that the people of Bessarabia were subjected to repression in three major waves of deportations — in 1941, 1949, and 1951.

Director Vatamanu recalled that the film was produced in 2019 to mark the 70th anniversary of the largest wave of deportations in 1949, which affected the population living in the territory between the Dniester and Prut rivers.

In her words, the deportations also affected Bulgarians from the region, who paid a heavy price during the period of Sovietization.

“These tragedies left deep scars and lasting trauma. That is why we chose to tell the stories of the children who were deported to Siberia,” Vatamanu said.

She noted that the filmmakers had two main goals in making the documentary.

“First, to give the deportees the opportunity to speak about their experiences, to record their memories, and to pay tribute to them. And second, to show the younger generation what happened — to help them better understand and empathize with the fate of the children of that time, and, last but not least, to prevent the spread of authoritarian regimes in the future,” the director said.

“The deportations affected my family as well — the third story in the film is dedicated to my mother,” she added.

“Beyond the personal dimension, this film is above all about resilience, overcoming hardship, hope, and solidarity — universal values that can unite us and offer important life lessons,” Vatamanu said.

A second screening of Siberia in Bones is expected to take place in Sofia in March, Ambassador Jacota, told BTA.