The Moldavian SSR in the RFE/RL Broadcasting Programs during the Cold War

The mass media played an important role during the Cold War, and broadcast was one of the most efficient tools of the West against the Socialist bloc. This phenomenon was called "The Battles of Western Broadcasting,” "Waves of Liberty” or the "Voice of Hope.” One such broadcast was Radio Liberation (1949-1964), in 1975 renamed Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, which brought news in various languages of the West to the Socialist countries and to the USSR.  This lecture will focus on the presentation of the Moldavian SSR in the RFE/RL Broadcast Programs during the Cold War.

Soviet Moldavia, which did not own an RFE/RL Service like other Soviet Republics, was covered by the Romanian Service (RFE) and Russian Services (RL). The situation of the Soviet Moldavia was rather peculiar during the Cold War, because of its geographical position and special relations between the USSR and Romania. The Communist regime and its institutions developed a real "fighting campaign” against Western broadcasts. However, the citizens of Moldova listened to these broadcasts as an alternative source of information. Some of them even sent letters to RFE/RL and tried to inform them about the real situation in Moldova.

Sergiu Musteaţă is an historian and currently Dean of the History and Geography Faculty of Ion Creangă Pedagogical State University in Chișinău, Moldova. He is the author of six monographs and more than 200 articles on history, cultural heritage preservation and textbooks analysis. Professor Musteaţă is also editor of two monograph series – ANTIM monographs and Unknown Documents and Histories (20 volumes published), and editor of the young historian’s annual journal (10 volumes published). Every year he holds over 20 presentations and public lectures in various academic centers around the world. In recent years, he has been a visiting scholar and a visiting professor in many universities in the United States, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Slovenia, etc. Dr. Musteaţă will be in residence from September 2016 - January 2017.