Seimo apdovanojimas įteiktas keturioms tremtinių organizacijoms

Lithuanian parliament speaker Juozas Olekas has awarded four exile organisations with the Seimas (parliament) award for their work in preserving historical memory and justice, as well as strengthening the values of a free and democratic state, LRT reports.

The Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Exiles Union, the Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Exiles Community, the Laptev Sea Exiles Brotherhood “Lapteviečiai”, and the Lithuanian Political Prisoners Community “Kolyma” received the honour for preserving hope and memory, demonstrating national strength, and passing it on to future generations.

The award coincides with Lithuania’s Day of Mourning and Hope (June 14) and the Day of Occupation and Genocide (June 15), commemorating the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 and the first mass deportations of Lithuanian citizens to Siberia on June 14, 1941. Over 30,000 people were deported in cattle cars during this period.

During the Soviet occupation, Lithuania lost approximately 800,000 residents. Around 300,000 experienced the horrors of the communist regime, including imprisonment, labour camps, and exile in Siberia and the Far North. One in three detainees died from torture, starvation, or the harsh climate. Over 440,000 Lithuanian citizens fled the country to escape communist terror.