Independence Day of Republic of Moldova
Independence Day is the national day of Moldova commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from the Soviet Union on 27 August 1991.
Being a public holiday it is a free day for most of the people and employees, also most retail businesses and public institutions are closed on 27 August and New Year's Day, but remain open on all other holidays. Every 5 years a military parade is held in the center of Chisinau.Background
The Supreme Soviet of Moldova held independent elections in February and March 1990. The elections resulted in Mircea Snegur being elected as speaker of the parliament, with Mircea Druc as prime minister. On June 23, 1990, the parliament adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, which, mainly stipulated the supremacy of Moldovan laws over those of the Soviet Union.
On 27 August 1991, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova voted to adopt the Moldovan Declaration of Independence from the Soviet Union. That same day, the Popular Front of Moldova organized a mass demonstration in Chişinău, that later became known as the Great National Assembly, which pressured Soviet authorities to adopt a language law on August 31, 1989, which proclaimed the Moldovan language to be the state language of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. On December 21, 1991, Moldova, along with 10 other Soviet republics, signed the act that formed the Commonwealth of Independent States.
