We have started this strike and our protest action being convinces that the recently promoted ideas in our Republic are directed against the national majority from the Republic of Moldova and we decided as is befitting that only participating in the strike, a form of protest, and being in the square our option will get to the those who govern. We didn't do this thing for political reasons, because for now we don't belong to any political party, we did this out of my conviction and for the idea according to which I have been educated and in which I strongly believe. We didn't promote actions of violence, though even other Moldavian friends, not speaking of Russians, have provoked us.
It hasn't been us who provoked violence and certainly haven't promoted it in any way. As far as it concerns that it is has been declared for instance that we are not supported by the majority of population this thing is firstly due to the fact that in the country, outside Kishinau city, the only TV channel that could reflect our actions in the square has been the National Television, which reflected our actions in a bad and incorrect light and therefore even relatives of mine still believe that the communist idea is the best and they promote the idea that if 20 ley have been added to the pension everything will be OK. In reality even before this there have existed economical problems, either can we sustain that they were lacking before the coming of communists, but their promises are unreal and we have already achieved the defaulting threshold, so we cannot speak of a progress. As far as concerning the problem of the history of Moldova and of the Moldavian language, I interpret them as follows: they have been created just for attracting the attention over the social aspect and to avoid discussions about the precarious economical situation. This is how the entire attention of Europe has been driven to this protests more and they delayed the time a little in order to improve the situation.
There have been many provocations though we have tried not to react to them and further on, even after some time the protests had been over we still are being provoked. The left-wing press is still publishing articles that use absurd terms about our lyceum and implicitly about me. Nevertheless we will be anytime ready to answer back, because our arguments are logical and originate in a profound knowledge of all the aspects of this problem. Those who have been in the square, spending their practically all the nights when the strike was held non-stop, have talked to many of the present people, the majority of them being pupils or adults with a good conscious and who were realizing quite well about the actions they were doing, but those who have been against us couldn't find arguments but swearing at us or something of the kind.
I.M. - To what extent do you think the children's participation to these events has been justified?
R.D. - Since I am a graduate these decisions practically haven't affected me, but anyway for my colleagues, for those who came behind the undertaken actions have been first of all against the pupils and it has been normal that the teachers stood beside their pupils in these actions of protest, because those who really see the real face of the situation cannot accept a history of Moldova that is an integrated part of the history of Romanians, as the problem has been presented. We all would have to study a history of Cainari, a history of Kishinau etc, finally a history of the region place we live in. nevertheless, the history of an ethnicity, the History of Romanians, the fact that we are living separated for some time, cannot make us forget the past, the past must never be denied. We have to accept the present for what it is and try to do the best we can, we have to activate in the conditions we have now.
I.M. - What have revolted you mostly as far as concerning the language problem? If you were in the 9th grade and you had to study the Russian language, would you study it?
R.D. - As far as concerning the Russian language the fact that revolted us mostly was the obligatory character of studying it. Every language has the right to exist. The Russian language had to be put on the same scale as the English, French etc languages. If the pupil wants to study the Russian language the better for him - he may study it. If he wants to study English, he studies English. The option liberty has to exist. As long as it is not the native language, because if it were the native language then it wouldn't be a problem to study it beginning with the first grade.
I.M. - Don't you think that with these events that look like being provoked, the government who was the first to begin with its decision had the intention to split the society? Because during this crisis we have to look for elements that would bring us together, that would unite us.
R. D. - Surely this was their main purpose. You have probably noticed that after these actions a polarization of opinion occurred and it led to an intensification of the tensions through the fact that some people have taken part to the protest and others haven't. Somebody at least agreed with the given idea, but many people look at us with criminal, maybe hostile eyes, though we have tried to make our actions as peaceful as we could. Even though some say sometimes these actions had an ultimate character, anyway at a certain point they discovered that this ultimatum might reach the ears of the governing officials, because they have never tried to appear on the square for a fair dialog. They avoided the dialog whatever it took and them this ultimatum came up. They were testing our patience and them we tried to find an answer in 24 hours.
I.M. - The Ministry of Education was very concerned with the classes you have missed while being in the square. To what extent has this fact influenced your results at the end of the school year? Do you have any regrets about what has happened in the square?
R.D. - We have discussed this topic with the minister Sima, who has been to our lyceum and I have told then and I repeat the same today: we have prepared twelve years for these exams and the accumulated knowledge permitted us to give the baccalaureate even in April. The results themselves reflect the fact that these actions haven't influenced in any way our preparation for the baccalaureate. Those who possessed knowledge were the ones who have participated more actively in the protests and now, when meet them I hear they sustained the exams very well. The ones who have been afraid and even went to classes gave the exams worse than we did. Again the results speak for themselves. If it were not possible to declare this before the baccalaureate now we are saying it openly and with our heads up.
I.M. - Does it mean you don't regret a single thing?
R.D. - Absolutely nothing. It has been a period when everybody has shown his personality and there have been such moments I will never feel sorry for and yet it has been a crucial moment for the Republic of Moldova, as well as for me, because it was then that everybody showed his verticality.
I.M. - Anyway, do you think you have learned your lesson from this?
R.D. - Personally for me participating to the protests has been a life lesson.