The commemoration, initiated by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, aimed to pay tribute to the approximately six million people from Central and Eastern Europe who suffered under Soviet repression. Among the attendees was a representative of the Sybir Memorial Museum.

Ewa Bartnikiewicz, from the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition Department, had the honor of reading aloud the names of the deported. She was joined by delegates from various European Union countries, who jointly recited long lists of victims — a symbolic gesture of remembrance and respect for those who endured immense hardship.

The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Soviet Mass Deportations, first commemorated in 2023, was established by the European Parliament at the initiative of Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė. The day honors the memory of Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Ukrainians, Estonians, and others who were forcibly deported to Siberia and the republics of Central Asia. For Poles, February 10 remains a particularly painful date — marking the beginning of the first of four waves of deportations between 1940 and 1941. Nevertheless, June 14 — the official day of observance — serves as a poignant reminder of the shared history and suffering of many nations.

The ceremonies in Brussels were not only a tribute to the victims, but also a moment of reflection — on their suffering, their courage, and their resilience. It is a collective memory that binds many European nations. And it is a memory the Sybir Memorial Museum is committed to preserving and passing on to future generations.