85 years since the June 1941 deportations – a day of remembrance at the Estonian National Museum on June 9, 2026
In the harsh days of June 1941, more than 10,000 people were forcibly deported from Estonia to Siberia in cattle cars, more than 15,500 from Latvia and more than 17,000 from Lithuania. This year marks 85 years since the first deportation from the Baltic States by the Soviet authorities. It is the common pain of our peoples, which remains in the memory of the Baltic peoples from generation to generation.
On June 9, 2026, the Children of Siberia Foundation participated in the Estonian National Museum’s Commemoration Event.
The Foundation participated in the event with the traveling exhibition “Children of Siberia 1941” in English and Russian. Dzintra Geka spoke at the seminar “Common Pain and Memory of the Baltic Peoples“ with a speech and presentation about both the Foundation’s activities and the latest books and films, paying special attention to the 2025 edition “Mothers in Siberia”. During the presentation, a fragment from the “Children of Siberia” film “Igarka, Hope and the Butterfly” was shown, and Andrejs Pebo, who was born in Siberia, in Igarka, also spoke. His story is included in the foundation’s latest book “Born in Siberia” and, together with the story of his mother Ilga Sofija Ozoliņa, can also be found in the book “Mātes Sibīrijā”. At the end of the event, the documentary film “Fathers There” by “Children of Siberia” was screened.
Along with the “Children of Siberia” Foundation, other organizations and their representatives from the Baltic States also participated in the organization of the event and the seminar – the association “Memento” and the “Children of Siberia” Foundation from Estonia, the association “Lentis” from Lithuania, as well as the Estonian National Museum and the Tukums Museum.
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