1949. On 25 March 1949, the deportation campaign “Coastal Banga” (Прибой) began in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, during which 42,125 Latvians were deported to Siberia for life. On 29.01.1949, the USSR Council of Ministers adopted Decision No. 390-138ps (ps – top secret) “On the deportation from the territory of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia of kulaks and their families, families of bandits and nationalists in an illegal state, families of bandits shot and convicted in armed clashes, legalised bandits continuing hostile activities and their families, as well as families of supporters of repressed bandits”. The decision was to deport a total of 29,000 families or 87,000 people, including 25,500 from Lithuania, 39,000 from Latvia and 22,000 from Estonia. The communists were diligent and exceeded their plans in this area too – the total number of deportees from Latvia was more than 44,000.
From 21.-25. martam 21-25 March, the Ventspils Museum will host events commemorating the victims of the communist genocide.
21.-24. martā From 21-24 March, the Chapter Hall of the Livonian Order Castle will host the exhibition “Sibīrijas bērni” (Children of Siberia) and the screening of the film “Tālā zeme Sibīrija. Kāpēc 1949.gada 25.marts?” (The Far Land of Siberia. Why 25 March 1949?) (exhibition and film – Children of Siberia Foundation, visit to the event for Ventspils school children, – in cooperation with the Ventspils Education Board.)
On 24 March 15:00 at 15:00, a meeting with director Dzintra Geka – Vaska will take place, as well as her latest film “Tālā zeme Sibīrija. Dzimuši tur” (The Far Land of Siberia. Born There) (2022) will be premiered with commentary by the author.
On 25 March 11:00 at 11:00, the Livonian Order Castle will host a live reading of the names of deportees – “Aizvestie. Neaizmirstie. 1949.gada deportācijas” (Taken Away. Unforgotten. Deportations of 1949). A live recording is available at lsm.lv and lnb.lv. The names of the deportees will be read by Ventspils Theatre actors. At the beginning of the recording – address by the President of Latvia Egils Levits (in the recording). The names, ages and places of residence of the 178 victims will be read out by actors from the Ventspils Theatre.
On 25 March at 12:00, commemoration of the victims of communist genocide will take place in the Bridge Garden, at the Memorial to the Repressed Residents of Ventspils. The commemoration will also be joined by representatives from the Ventspils Regional Association of Politically Repressed Persons, the 46th Infantry Battalion of the Home Guard, the Border Guard, the Ventspils State City Council and the Culture Centre. The mixed choir “Līvzeme” will perform at the commemoration.
