Commemorative events on June 14, 2023

This year marks 82 years since the deportation of June 14, 1941, as a result of which 15,425 Latvian residents (Latvians, Jews, Russians, Poles) suffered, including 3,751 children under the age of 16. For more than twenty years, the “Children of Siberia” foundation has been inviting people to gather together, commemorating the people deported to Siberia. It is important that we mention Siberia, our attitude towards what happened is important.

The June 14, 1941 deportations, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are examples of how an authoritarian regime can use violence and repression to control the population and fight for power. The situation in Ukraine has increased public interest in similar historical events in Latvia. Both events show how important it is to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future.

State President Egils Levits and Dzintra Geka examine the works of the participants of the winter competition. Photo author: Ilmārs Znotiņš.

At 10:00 a.m., a meeting of the repressed with the State President Egils Levits took place in the Riga Palace. Several hundreds of the repressed and their children and grandchildren had arrived. The exiles and those born in Siberia shared their memories. The winners of the drawing and composition competition were awarded. Musicians performed

Photo from the State President’s archive>> 14.06.2023. Valsts prezidents Egils Levits tiekas ar politiski represētajiem un skolēnu darbu konkursa “Sibīrijas bērni” dalībniekiem

2 films by Dzintra Geka were shown on LTV1, which can be viewed on the LSM portal.
2022 movie “The distant land of Siberia. Born there”

https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/14.06.2023-tala-zeme-sibirija-dzimusi-tur-dokumentala-filma.id297261

2020 film “Children of Siberia. We Remember”

https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/14.06.2023-sibirijas-berni-mes-atceramies-dokumentala-filma.id297137

At 6 p.m. In honor of the memorial day, a concert “Exiled” was played in Riga St. John’s church. Dedicated to the Latvian children taken to Siberia on June 14, 1941. This year, the Latvian Radio Choir, conductor Sigvards Kļava, soloist Ilze Reine (organ) will perform at the concert. Traditionally, the deportation memorial concerts feature music by Latvian composers, in which pain, love of the homeland, faith and unbreakable spirit alternate. At the concert, a new work by Artūrs Maskats with words by Anna Sakse will be premiered. The concert is filmed and then made available to the general public on YouTube.