Liberation Day

The Day of the Liberation of Moldova from Fascist Occupation is a public holiday celebrated annually in Moldova to commemorates the anniversary of the allied victory in the Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive during World War II. It is celebrated on 24 August and is also associated with the former Liberation from Fascist Occupation Day (which was a public holiday there from 1949 to 1990) and the present day European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism in Romania. It is used to commemorate Moldova's role in the defeat of from Nazi Germany in 1945. It is also recognized by the internationally unrecognized Transnistria. Background The operation was named after the two major cities between Romania and Moldova: Iași and Chișinău. The Soviet Red Army offensive against forces from the Axis powers took place in what was then the Eastern half of the Kingdom of Romania, and saw the participation of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts. The two fronts engaged the Army Group South Ukraine, which consisted of a mix German and Romanian formations. The operation's goal was to reclaim the Moldavian SSR and destroy the Wehrmacht's presence in the region. Holiday history