Exhibition “Children of Siberia” in Jurmala Museum. Interview with Dzintra Geka and the exiled Parsla Bischof, who was taken to Russia at the age of 5.
Category: Informācija
The film “The distant land of Siberia. Why March 25, 1949?” and the exhibition “Children of Siberia” in Ventspils in the Livonian Order Palace
The film “The distant land of Siberia.” Why March 25, 1949?” and the exhibition “Children of Siberia” was viewed by 426 Ventspils school studentsю
Memorial concert for the “Taken Away” St. St. John’s Church, March 25 at 4:00 p.m
Deportation victims’ memorial concert “For the Deported”
The “Children of Siberia” foundation invites you to the “Deportees” commemoration concert of the deportation victims of March 25, 1949. The concert will take place in Riga St. St. John’s Church, on March 25 at 16.00
The outstanding mixed choir of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Sõla“, artistic director Kaspars Ādamsons, conductors Artūrs Oskars Mitrevics and Jurģis Rāts, and soloists Annija Kristiāna Ādamsone (soprano), Artūrs Oskars Mitrevics (piano), Ilze Reine (organ) will take part in the concert.
The concert program includes works by Latvian composers Lūcijas Garūtas, Emīlas Dārziņš, Pēteras Vaskas, Pēteras Plakids, Alfrēdas Kalniņas, Jānis Mediņas, Raimonds Tigula, Ārik Ešenvald, etc. compositions.
The mixed choir of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Sōla” was founded in 1998. The choir’s creative biography includes not only solo concerts with programs of various eras and styles, but also cooperation with other collectives in large-scale musical (including dance) projects and participation in charity concerts. “Sōla” regularly participates in choir competitions and festivals organized in Latvia and elsewhere in the world, both in Europe and America, thus popularizing the traditions of Riga and Latvian choirs and choral music outside the borders of Latvia. The choir has recorded four volumes of music.
Annija Kristiāna Ādamsone is the winner of the Pēteras Plakiža Chamber Music Prize and the scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), as well as the laureate of the competition “Ineses Galantes talanti 2021”, she graduated from the JVLMA’s vocal department Antra Jankava’s class and is currently studying her second year of master’s studies at the Opera School, Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts with professor Ulrike Sontags. Performs in various concert forms, manifesting in the genre of opera, oratorio, early music, chamber music and contemporary music.
Ilze Reine is not only St. St. John’s Church organist, choir conductor and leader of musical life since 1996, but also a regular concert musician and organ teacher. She taught improvisation and liturgical organ playing at the Luther Academy of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Jāzeps Vītolas Music Academy of Latvia, currently at the Ventspils Music High School. In addition to organ solo programs, he cooperates with various collectives in Latvia.
Artūrs Oskars Mitrevics graduated in 2022 from the Jāzeps Vītolas Latvian Academy of Music in the symphony orchestra conducting class of professor Andras Vecumnieks. Part of Artur’s creative activity is also dedicated to playing the piano. Artūrs has previously participated and received recognition in various competitions in Latvia and abroad. Artūrs is also actively involved in the life of the General Piano Department of the Academy of Music. Currently, as a pianist-concertmaster, Artūrs collaborates with the young conductors at the Riga Cathedral Choir School and the JVLMA, as well as creates collaborations with the brightest singers of his generation, Katrīnas Paula Felsberg, Daniil Kuzmina and Daina Kalnača.
Entrance to the concert is free.
The new book “Mothers in Siberia” turns out to be relevant in connection with the war in Ukraine
The book “Mothers in Siberia” has become popular in a short time, there is no doubt that it will soon become a bibliographic rarity, just like “School in Siberia”. History repeats itself – the war in Ukraine, the forced flow of refugees and the violent deportation of people to the outskirts of Russia turn out to be a modern reality. Thanks to everyone who promotes and buys a book, promoting the work of the foundation. On Monday, January 10, an interview with Dzintra Geka “Morning Panorama” is expected on LTV1.
Siberian Children’s Christmas
On December 22, 2022, the Siberian Children’s Christmas and opening of the book “Mothers in Siberia” was held at the Latvian Society House. About 60 people had arrived. Dzintra Geka performed, Jānis Lūriņš read excerpts from the book and Pastor Gunārs Kalme gave a speech. Musicians Raimonds Tiguls – henga, Magdalēna Geka – violin and Jānis Lūmanis – accordion performed. Continue reading “Siberian Children’s Christmas”
Road to Siberia, 1941
The film “Road to Siberia, 1941” is an emotional and sad message. It tells about people who return to the places of deportation in Siberia, Yeniseysk, Karaula, Ustjport, Biriliyus, Suhanoy, Penkov. How does it look now? How are these people welcomed and what do the local people in Siberia think? “Don’t forget, don’t betray, don’t forgive in our name,” – so say the children of Siberia.
(c) StudioSB. Latvia, 2021.
Director: Dzintra Geka.
Text author: Valdis Lūriņš.
Cinematographer: Aivars Lubanietis.
Composer: Pēteris Vasks.
The distant land of Siberia. Born there.
We present to your attention the 2022 film “The distant land of Siberia. Born there.”
The distant land of Siberia Why March 25, 1949?
The film “The distant land of Siberia Why March 25, 1949?” now is available with English subtitles. The film was shown on Latvian Television 1 on March 25, 2021.
Continue reading “The distant land of Siberia Why March 25, 1949?”
Results of the 2022 essay competition
The number of works submitted for the 2022 competition is indeed a considerable total of 439
paintings and drawings for all age groups. Undoubtedly, students, teachers, including parents,
who have promoted the involvement of children and young people, go deep into the difficult
topics of Latvia’s history. In the continuous and inexhaustible flow of information, it is important
that someone is able to speak more deeply. Looking at the works of children and young people,
it is impossible not to think about the reality that we are all “breathing in the back of our head”
today, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences. It remains
almost physically unfortunate, noticing a frighteningly similar episode, a situation embedded in
the drawing that seems to have just been seen in one of the current news channels.
Even as adults, it is impossible for us to step out to distance ourselves and try to grasp what is
happening so fast. What happens to children, in the minds of very young people, when they
begin to notice a certain “repetition of history” in a geographical area close to them, we can
only guess. The members of the jury are also just people. People who are most addressed in
children’s work by direct emotionality, a confident handwriting and a composition whose
persuasiveness lies in the true desire to tell the “Siberian story” more clearly. When evaluating
the works not for the first year, it must be repeatedly admitted that the works submitted by the
youngest and middle group children are the most disarming. There, the participant has not yet
been overwhelmed by the paralyzing fear of drawing a “wrong” hand, foot or nose, but the main
thing is to feel the “skin” of the event, which opens a living expression. A child’s talent (and
well, if delicately guided by a skilled teacher) then allows for stroke dynamics, saturated active
or restrained coloring – depending on intent. Imaginations created by the imagination of events
that
have come to this day through the stories of eyewitnesses. The children of the older group,
who are naturally expected to have both a more thorough understanding of history and a more
mature focus on the technical performance of their work, can no longer “get through” with thenaive directness of childhood. Painting and graphics also demonstrate not only the
management of means of expression but also thinking. Therefore, the jury is pleased to find a
rather rare, but noteworthy, original view of the topic each time.
The competition is a competition, it highlights the brightest examples, but it should be borne in
mind that behind each of the other works there is a certain young person who has for some
time hindered his or her thoughts on a topic important to the Latvian nation. Probably thinking
about where we come from and where we go.Ieva Jurjāne, artist
2022 essay competition for students
“Children of Siberia 1941/1949 – Children of Exile 1944”
RESULTS
Winners of the 2022 composition competition
Group 1
1st place. Nellija Tiesnese
2nd place. Elizabete Mieze
3rd place. Elizabeth Vasilyeva
Group 2
1st place. Linda Kalniņa
2nd place. Marianna Laime-Babre
3rd place. Paula Bička
Group 3
1st place. Denise Marta Medinika
2nd place. Klaudija Dembovska
3rd place. Anna Jansone
Special awards
Dzintra Geka-Vaska – Gabriela Misiņa, Emīlija Gūtmane
Ina Druviete – Ilya Alexeyenko
Kaspars Pūce – Amanda Blūma, Līga Zaremba, Evelīna Paula Ķerķe
Aivars Ozoliņš – Ance Luīze Bumbiere, Dita Hadaņonoka
Elita Veidemane – Rēzija Romanovska, Elīza Kurcalte
Valdis Lūriņš – Emīls Zandersons, Loreta Lazdiņa
Undine Adamaite – Eva Evelina Klavina
Liveta Sprūde-Kalme – Everita Lapeško, Alina Maškovska
Results of the 2022 drawing competition
About the Siberian Children’s Drawing Competition.
The number of works submitted for the 2022 competition is indeed a considerable total of 439 paintings and drawings for all age groups. Undoubtedly, students’ teachers, including parents, who have promoted the involvement of children and young people, go deep into the difficult topics of Latvia’s history. In the continuous and inexhaustible flow of information, it is important that someone is able to speak more deeply. Looking at the works of children and young people, it is impossible not to think about the reality that we are all “breathing in the back of our eyes” today, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences. It remains almost physically unfortunate, noticing a frighteningly similar episode, a situation embedded in the drawing that seems to have just been seen in one of the current news channels. Even as adults, it is impossible for us to step out to distance ourselves and try to grasp what is happening so fast. What happens to children, in the minds of very young people, when they begin to notice a certain “repetition of history” in a geographical area close to them, we can only guess. The members of the jury are also just people. People who are most addressed in children’s work by direct emotionality, a confident “handwriting” and a composition whose persuasiveness lies in the true desire to tell the “Siberian story” more clearly. When evaluating the works not for the first year, it must be repeatedly admitted that the works submitted by the youngest and middle group children are the most disarming. There, the participant has not yet been overwhelmed by the paralyzing fear of drawing a “wrong” hand, foot or nose, but the main thing is to feel the “skin” of the event, which opens a living expression. A child’s talent (and well, if delicately guided by a skilled teacher) then allows for stroke dynamics, saturated active or restrained coloring – depending on intent. Imaginations created by the imagination of events that
have come to this day through the stories of eyewitnesses. The older group of children, who are naturally expected to have both a more thorough understanding of history and a more mature focus on the technical performance of their work, can no longer “get through” with the naive directness of childhood. Painting and
graphics also demonstrate not only the management of means of expression but also thinking. Therefore, the jury is pleased to find a rather rare, but noteworthy, original view of the topic each time.
The competition is a competition, it highlights the brightest examples, but it should be borne in mind that behind each of the other works there is a certain young person who has for some time hindered his or her thoughts on a topic important to the Latvian nation. Probably thinking about where we come from and where we go.Ieva Jurjāne, artist
2022 drawing competition for students
“Children of Siberia 1941/1949”
RESULTS
Group 1 (6 – 10 years)
1st place Sofia Shabanova
2nd place Timur Lapkovsky
3rd place Emil Kroich
Special awards
Līvija Apsīte (special award presented by Regīna Deičmane)
Matīss Leinis (special award presented by Regīna Deičmane)
Nils and Ieva Mets (special award presented by Dzintra Geka)
Mark Zvejnieks (special award presented by Giors Geks)
Group 2 (11 – 14 years)
1st place Raivis Svētiņš
2nd place Megija LuīzeTūtiņa
3rd place Līva Amberga
Special awards
Liele Dergachova (special award presented by Mara Alena)
Dairis Permanickis (special award presented by Linda Lūse)
Evelīna Neilande (special award presented by Ieva Jurjāne)
Group 3 (15 – 19 years)
1st place Dagmara Dumbra-Dumbrovskis
2nd place Patricia Žaimunde
3rd place Angelika Percova
Special awards
Daniela Ryabova (special award presented by Roberts Muzis)
Rihards Knostenbergs (special award presented by Ieva Jurjāne)
