Troița Eroilor din Poiana Slatinei (sat Lunca, comuna Vânători-Neamț, Moldova, România)

Please turn ON English subtitle! - Vă rog să activați subtitrarea în românește! The video, the result of a beautiful collaboration with Mr. Lucian Georgescu, presents a small, emotional and unofficial monument that pays homage, at the place of the battles, to the sacrifice of the Romanian soldiers who fell in the battle of Borta Dracului (Devil's Hole). This battle is the bloodiest and cruelest episode of the Second World War in Romania, about 14,000 soldiers (including 10,000 Soviets and 4,000 Romanians) left on the battlefield, on a few square kilometers, in the period 3-7 June 1944. In short, deep entering the territory of Romania in the spring of 1944, the Red Army is blocked in the Târgu Neamț area by the alignment of casemates located on the east of the city. Seeing that they could not break through the casemate alignment, the Soviets completely changed tactics and with a huge strike force, on a 7 km wide front, attacked north of the city, an area weakly defended by the Romanian army because it was considered that the dense forest and difficult terrain provides sufficient protection. The Soviet army shattered 3-4 Romanian defense lines and about 1 km wide crossed the Pleşu Ridge, reaching beyond, in the village of Lunca and the Nemțișor River valley (near the Neamț Monastery) behind the Romanian forces. The Romanians counterattacked, recaptured the ridge, and at the critical moment when the Soviets also counterattacked, the German artillery near the Neamț Monastery fired using incendiary projectiles (with phosphorus ?, probably forbidden). The cannonade strikes Soviet and Romanian troops trapped in the Borta Dracului (Devil's Hole) area, following hell on earth. Shot, crushed by fallen trees, burned alive, pierced by shrapnel, dismembered and thrown through blast trees, thousands of dead remain on the battlefield in the forest, many of whom will not be recovered and buried in two years ( and not even now ...). It seems that the hell in Borta Dracului (Devil's Hole) is the (psychological) moment that turns the course of the Soviet offensive, despite their obvious superiority. Until June 16, 1944, Romanian forces regained all positions lost since the beginning of the Soviet offensive, and in this area the front remained stable until August 23, 1944. In connection with the terrible battle of Borta Dracului (June 3-7, 1944) together with Lucian Georgescu I made and put on Youtube a series with 7 episodes that follow step by step the evolution of the fights. The first episode is here:    • Bătălia de la Borta Dracului (3-16 iunie 1...   After the fall of communism, the fallen heroes were honored by building the Holy Cross Monastery ("replacing" the cross that the fallen soldiers, left unburied, did not have it) in the immediate vicinity of the Devil's Hole, but also by a historical monument on a small hill that dominates the village of Lunca. A crucifix is an image of Jesus on the cross. The Wayside Crucifix of Heroes in Poiana Slatinei (the Salt Water Glade) was built in 1993 by Vasile Găman and Teodorescu, carpenters from Vânători-Neamț. Two videos dedicated to Mr. Vasile Găman can be seen here:    • Muzeul etnografic VASILE GĂMAN (Lunca, Vân...   and    • VASILE GĂMAN - Un adevărat patriot român (...   The crucifix was recently rebuilt and surrounded by a protective fence. The following text is engraved on the wooden cross: "This pasture was sanctified and sprinkled with the blood of Romanian heroes who fell in the battles of April 1944 - August 1944, the war for faith and the unification of the nation". Near the crucifix is ​​the fountain (spring) with salt (the subject of another video), probably the oldest salt exploatation in Romania, maybe even in Europe, well researched archaeologically and dated to 8,000 years ago. The wayside crucifix is located in Poiana Slatinei (Salt Water Pasture) in the area of ​​Pleşu Ridge, at the eastern foot of Vartic Hill, between Lunca and Oglinzi villages, a few kilometers northwest of Târgu Neamț. The area, especially beautiful, is accessible on foot, by cart, possibly by off-road vehicles. The tourist marking, red triangle, unites the village of Lunca - the salt water fountain from Poiana Slatinei - Sf. Cross Monastery.