Latvia to commemorate victims of communist genocide – 85 years since 1941 deportations
On June 14, Latvia will hold memorial events marking the 85th anniversary of the mass deportations in 1941, when over 15,000 Latvian residents were forcibly deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan.
Eighty-five years ago, on the night of June 13–14, 1941, the first mass deportations from Latvia began, just a year after the Soviet occupation. People were awakened in the middle of the night, given only a few minutes to an hour to pack, then taken to railway stations, loaded into freight cars, and transported away. In a single day, more than 15,000 inhabitants of Latvia were forcibly removed to Siberia, Kazakhstan, and other remote regions of the USSR, from which many never returned.
Every year on June 14, Latvia remembers those who fell victim to the mass deportations and Soviet genocide. This year marks the 85th anniversary of the tragic events, and commemorative events are planned nationwide to honor the deportees and remind the public of the crimes committed by the communist regime.
