Books from the “Children of Siberia” Foundation were presented and a traveling exhibition opened in the Garden of Destiny

On the 22nd of August at the Likteņdārzs Saieta House the “Children of Siberia” Foundation’s recollection and greeting event was held, where two of the newest “Children of Siberia” books were presented – “Mothers in Siberia” un “Born in Siberia”, as well as the foundation’s touring exhibition “Children of Siberia” about the deportation of citizens from Latvia was opened.

The meeting brought together the heroes of Dzintra Geka-Vaska’s books “Born in Siberia” and “Mothers in Siberia”, whose life stories and interviews revealed the experiences of children born in deportation and form an important testimony of Latvian history, as well as their families, descendants, well-known personalities and other interested parties.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dzintra Geka-Vaska, head of the “Children of Siberia” Foundation, film director and author of the books “Children of Siberia” and “Mothers in Siberia”, emphasized: “People’s personal testimonies are essential not only for documenting the past, but also for future generations’ understanding of Lativa’s history and the experiences of deportations. When we started searching for and intervewing Children of Siberia in 2000, we also met their mothers. Preserving these stories allows us to honor people who experienced deportations and pass on their experience to future generations.”

The heroes of the books “Children of Siberia” and “Mothers of Siberia” shared their life stores. A special conversation took place with Santa Kalniete about the book “Born in Siberia”, her family’s deportation, childhood in Siberia, and return to Latvia. Tālis Veismanis, chairman of the Latvian Union of the Politically Repressed, spoke about his family’s experience in Siberia, while director and actor Valdis Lūriņš shared about his family’s experience deportation, reading excerpts from his mother’s diaries. Renāte Sakse also recalled her family’s story, which is still very much alive in her memories. Nadežda Novosjolova and former chairman of Jēkabpils City Council Leonids Salcevičs also addressed the audience.

Among the stories, there was also the opportunity to watch fragments from the documentary films “…Igarka, Hope un Butterfly” and “Distant Land Siberia”, which were produced by the “Children of Siberia” Foundation and allowed us to once again hear people’s personal testimonies about deportation, childhood in Siberia, and return to Latvia.

During the event, the “Children of Siberia” Foundation’s touring exhibition “Children of Siberia” was opened, which tells about the deportations of Latvian residents to Siberia and allows us to get to know the personal stories of people. The exhibition materials reveal the experiences of Latvian families and preserve people’s memories, which is an essential part of Latvia’s historical memory. The touring exhibition “Children of Siberia” will be on display at the Likteņdārzs Saieta House for more than a year, giving visitors the opportunity to get to know the history of deportations, people’s stories and the work of the “Children of Siberia” Foundation in preserving and passing on these testimonies to future generations.

At the end, an emotional concert was given by actor and musician Mārtiņš Vilsons, combining historical testimonies, personal stories with music. The musician was born in exile in Magadan, Siberia, but his mother Zenta Vilsone was arrested and deported in 1947.

Special attention at the event was paid to Dzintra Geka – Vaska’s book “Mātes Sibīrijā”, which collects the life stories of 18 mothers and their children, as well as fragments from the memories of 244 other children deported on June 14, 1941. The book reveals the experience of women and mothers during deportations – the difficult road, the inhumane living conditions, the fight for survival and the ability to protect their children.

Dzintra Geka-Vaska’s book “Mātes Sibīrijā” was published in Latvian in 2022, while its English translation “Mothers in Siberia” was published in the fall of 2025. The English-language edition allows Latvian historical testimonies to reach the diaspora and an international audience.

The book “Dzimuši Sibīrijā” (Born in Siberia) collects the life stories of people who were born in exile after the deportations of 1941 and 1949. The book is published in two volumes. They are stories about childhood abroad, returning to Latvia, preserving identity, and the ability to survive the most difficult trials in history.

The “Children of Siberia” Foundation was founded in 2001. For more than twenty years, the foundation has collected oral history testimonies, made documentaries, published books, and organized exhibitions, conferences, and commemorative events. The Foundation has collected and digitized more than 1,600 interviews with survivors of deportations and people born in exile.