On this date in Lithuania, many commemorative events will take place to mark the day now called the Day of Mourning and Hope. In truth it commemorates the tragic beginning of the Soviet occupation on June 15, 1940, and the deportations to Siberia that followed a year later, on June 14, 1941. It is a day to remember the both the genocide of thousands of Lithuanians, and the Resistance Movement.
On Saturday, June 12, a commemoration will take place at the Folk Museum at Rumšiškės.
On June 14th in Lukiškių Square in Vilnius, here will be a public gathering for a moment of silence and reflection to remember the victims of the events of June 14th. It will be live-streamed from the Seimas website (lrs.lt), Facebook and YouTube, as well as LRT.lt.
At 1 pm local time, the traditional recitation of the names of deportees and political prisoners „Ištark, išgirsk, išsaugok“ (Say, Hear and Remember) will take place at the Deportees Monument on Aukų street in Vilnius.
Victims of the Soviet occupation, repression and genocide will be honoured at the Railway Station Memorial at Naujoji Vilnia at 2 pm. This was the station from which the first Lithuanian, Polish and other deportees were forcibly taken by train to Siberia.
On Tuesday, June 15 at 5 pm local time a commemorative program “Daugiau niekada” (Never Again) will take place at Lukiškių Square, also to be live-streamed on the Seimas website (lrs.lt), Facebook and YouTube, as well as LRT.lt.
A conference on the events of June, 1941, will be held at 10 am in the Seimas Constitution Hall, and again, will be live-streamed on the Seimas website.
Many similar events will be held throughout Lithuania and in various communities of the diaspora.
With news from Bernardinai.lt
