The Shared Tragedy: Soviet Occupation of Latvia and Ukraine in 1939–1940
The article recalls June 17, 1940, when the mass entry of the Red Army into Latvia began, and the common tragedy that Soviet occupation meant for both Latvia and Ukraine.
The Soviet occupation of Latvia and the other Baltic states was a long-lasting national tragedy. A particularly significant date in history is June 17, 1940, when the full-scale entry of the Red Army into Latvia began. This day remains in the state calendar and in the memory of the people. The Soviet authorities falsely portrayed these events as "brotherly help" that supposedly led to the "beginning of the socialist revolution." A similar fate befell Ukrainian lands, which had already experienced phases of Soviet occupation starting in 1939. The shared tragedy unites the memory of both nations, reminding them of the repressions and loss of freedom.
