Other events in Baltic States

By and after the II World War more than four million foreign prisoners were deported to forced labour camps of GULAG/GUPVI coming from 23 different nations, including Latvia and Hungary. Between 1944 and 1956 approximately 600-800 thousands Hungarians were transported into and suffered in GULAG-GUPVI camps of the Soviet Union. In this respect, the history of Hungary and Latvia meets. Those fortunate who survived the camps could not speak nor dared about their horrific experiences. Upon release, they received as parting instruction: ‘Do not talk or speak or remember … stay hushed, now and forever’. However, expressions like GULAG and ‘malenki robot’ became well known in our society. In Hungary almost all families or families’ friends had firsthand experience what did they mean. ‘Malenki robot’ entered to the Hungarian language as a synonym of forced labour meaning also the fear not to return home.

The Hungarian government announced 2016 as GULAG Memorial Year in order to keep alive the memory of the tragedy of those deported.

The Embassy of Hungary in cooperation with the Latvian War Museum is organizing a conference dedicated to Hungarians and Latvians deported to the Soviet labour camps and an exhibition opening on “Hungarians in the Camps of the Soviet Union – 1944-1956” on 21st of March, 2017. Historians from Hungary and Latvia will present different angles of our common history.

With these events, we would like to contribute to the remembrance of 25th of March in Latvia and pay tribute to the victims of communism.

Entrance is free. Languages: English, Latvian.

Venue: Latvian War Museum, (Riga, Smilšu iela 20)

Time: 13:00 - Conference (Conference hall)

          15:30 - Exhibition opening (3rd floor)

The event is supported by the Human Capacities Grant Management Office of the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities on the occasion of the Memorial Year of political prisoners and forced labourers deported to the Soviet Union. The exhibition is compiled by VERITAS Research Institute for History (Budapest).