TRECERILE ILEGALE PESTE FRONTIERA ROMÂNO-SOVIETICĂ ÎN ANII 1946–1948
ILLEGAL CROSSINGS ACROSS THE ROMANIAN-SOVIET BORDER IN 1946–1948

Summary/Abstract: The present study follows a phenomenon little known in Romania, that of illegal crossings across the Romanian-Soviet border. The research focuses on the border segment in the north of Botoșani County and capitalizes on the unique information identified in the archives of the Dorohoi Gendarmes Legion. In the context of the famine that affected this part of Europe in 1946–1947, a very large number of people crossed the border. Many of those who passed by tried to take refuge at relatives or acquaintances. Romania did not have enough border guards on the North-East border, their tasks being taken over by the gendarmes. They were very obedient to the Soviet border guards, carrying out their orders to arrest certain people suspected of crossing the border illegally. Residents on both sides have reluctantly accepted the border imposed in 1944 and have maintained old ties in the early post-war years, ignoring restrictions imposed by the two states.

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