This year marks the 75th anniversary of the March deportations.
Today, once again, we are confronted with crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine. We cannot and must not remain silent when innocent people are attacked and their human rights are violated. It is our duty to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves and to assist those in need.
Commemorating the victims of deportation on March 25 should teach us all to never forget the crimes committed in the past and to remember all those who have suffered under totalitarian regimes.
Drawing from our experience as a nation that has endured foreign rule and repression, we should wholeheartedly support and assist the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom and human rights. We must never ignore or forget their suffering, and it is our duty to stand with them and advocate for their rights.
Therefore, on March 25, we light candles in memory of those who were taken to Siberia, and we hope that our own hearts will also be filled with solidarity and compassion for those who are suffering today. We must never forget the past to avoid repeating it in the future.h4>
On March 25, 75 years will have passed since the mass crime committed by the Soviet occupying power against the Baltic peoples. The Soviet regime forcibly deported over 20,000 people from Estonia to Siberia.
a total of over 90,000 people from the three Baltic countries,
many children and elderly were among them.
You are invited to participate in the commemoration ceremony of the March Deportation Victims Memorial Day on March 25, 2024, at 4 p.m. at the Estonian Communism Victims Memorial in Maarjamäe.
At 3:50 p.m., the Defense Ministry's wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Memorial Wall for Estonian Officers.
At the ceremony, we commemorate the victims of deportation with speeches and prayers.
The winning entry of the "Letter to the Deported" letter-writing competition, dedicated to the March deportation by the Estonian Institute of Memory and Postimees, will be presented.
Musical interludes will be performed by Margareth Mürk.
Everyone has the opportunity to place a wreath or bouquet at the memorial.
There will be flag security at the event.
On March 25th, we commemorate.
thousands of victims of the March deportations,
come and light your candle in Tallinn, at Freedom Square.
Candles are lit on Freedom Square in Tallinn, and the names of 32,000 people who were sentenced to deportation in 1949 are displayed (including those who were imprisoned, forced to flee or hide, and those who were born in families later deported to Siberia).
LIGHT A CANDLE AT THE HOME WINDOW
By lighting a memorial candle in the window of our homes, we demonstrate that despite everything, we value freedom, remember the victims of terrorism, and stand together in both difficult and joyous times.