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Invitatation to the Commemoration of Soviet Deportations, which will take place on 14 June at the Esplanade Solidarność in front of the European Parliament (Brussels, Belgium). The event is dedicated to pay respect and remember all those who were forcibly deported by Soviet regime and draw attention to mass forced deportations from Ukraine to the Russian Federation that are happening again as part of Russia’s brutal war.

The event is organized by MEP Rasa Juknevičienė together with 58 Members of the European Parliament from all 27 European Union (EU) member states, informal MEP group on European Remembrance, Platform of European Memory and Conscience (PEMC), Mission of Ukraine to the EU, Ukrainian community in Belgium, Lithuanian Embassy and Lithuanian community in Belgium.

At the event, the participants will read the names of those who were deported by the Soviet regime from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Czech Republic, Hungary. It is not possible to read the names of all deportees - this event will be a symbolic act of collective memory.

It was expected that this will be a historical commemoration. But today, uncondemned Soviet crimes are being repeated. It is estimated that over a million of Ukrainians have been deported to Russia; thousands have gone through brutal filtration camps and have seen their families torn apart. During the commemoration ceremony, we will also pay tribute to their suffering.

On the occasion, the Ukrainian civil society in Brussels will open the doors to the Station Europe – a small exhibition venue at the Esplanade that has been entrusted to the Ukrainian diaspora as it fights to support their country. The Ukrainian civil society representatives will welcome you to the Station Europe and invite you to an exhibition European Gulag brought by the Platform of European Memory and Conscience.

Central and Eastern European communities to join us in reading the names of deportees and visiting the exhibition. We also encourage you to invite friends, family and colleagues to join us regardless of their country of origin.

If you want to join the commemoration, you can do it in two ways:

1. Complete the advance registration form and come to the Esplanade Solidarność to read the names for several minutes at your selected timeslot;

2. Come to the Solidarity square and stay with us at this symbolic commemoration at any time on 14 June between 14:00 and 19:00.