Bridge of Flowers

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The Bridge of Flowers (Romanian: Podul de Flori) was a massive demonstration that took place on Sunday, May 6, 1990 along the Prut River separating Romania and the Moldavian SSR. Hundreds of thousands^[1]^[2] of inhabitants from both sides of the border, which had been tightly enforced since World War II (for two decades prior to which much of Moldova had been part of the Kingdom of Romania), gathered on each bank, many crossing what had been described as a watery Berlin Wall to see family members long separated by the frontier.^[3]

The demonstration, which the Bucharest-Chişinău Cultural Society and the Popular Front of Moldova helped organise, began early in the morning as thousands appeared on the Romanian side with armfuls of flowers. Eight crossings were set up between Romania and Moldova: Miorcani-Pererita, Stânca-Costeşti, Sculeni-Sculeni, Ungheni-Ungheni, Albiţa-Leuşeni, Fălciu-Stoianovca, Oancea-Cahul and Galaţi-Giurgiuleşti. At noon, a group of priests celebrated a Te Deum, after which church bells on both sides rang for a long time. Then flowers were thrown into the river and meetings on the bridge began to take place, complete with tears and embraces.^[1] Speeches, slogans and appeals were absent.^[2] Popular music and games, festive meals and similar activities followed, with the event wrapping up around 6 pm.^[1]