1941 Deportations Remembered

One of the single most fateful days in Estonian history will be remembered today across the country. On 14 June 1941, Soviet occupation forces deported over 10 000 people to Siberia in the first wave of several deportations directly targeting the civilian population.

The 1941 deportations are being commemorated in Estonia today. A memorial event will be held by the Linda statue in Tallinn. It will be attended by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, MPs, cabinet ministers, and foreign diplomats. Lutheran Church archbishop Andres Põder will lead a prayer, followed by an address by former dissident Enn Tarto, who is the chairman of the organisation Memento, which represents victims of political persecution. Wreaths will be laid by senior officials, including the president, speaker of Parliament, prime minister, and the chiefs of the Defence Forces and Defence League.

A memorial service will be held at 16:00 in St. John's Church in Tallinn, and an event for family members and surviving deportees will be held at the Museum of Occupations.

Moments of silence will be observed throughout Estonia at the initiative of Memento.

For more information about the Soviet deportations from Estonia: http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/history/soviet-deportations-from-estonia-in-1940s.html

Estonian Public Broadcasting