Cesis expedition in Syberia

The first mass deportations that touched so tragically the fates of many of Latvian families took place in 1940 -1941, during the period of the Soviet occupation. During the Soviet period, the repressions were very carefully kept in secret by the official administration. Only after the independence of the Latvian state was regained in the 90-ies, the real degree and amount of the tragedy was realized. Many of the deported have never come back. Why did they choose and are still choosing to stay away from their motherland? What are the stories of their families?

Since 2001, the Cesis City Council has actively initiated and supported a number of projects with the Omsk region in Russia. The aim of these activities is to help deported persons and their descendants in Russia to preserve and strengthen their Latvian national identity, facilitate the exchange of cultural information between Latvia and Russia. Cesis City Council has won and implemented the project named "Retrieving our memory: the Lost Human Stories on the Soviet Deportations in Latvia" financed by the Culture 2000 Program. The project activities are targeted to retrieve and re-join together Latvian human memories and interpretations on the Soviet deportations in order to present the public view from the present perspective on what suffer can cause the reaction political ideologies and regimes. Also, what are their social and cultural implications, how past events and experiences can help solving modern problems of migration, political and social violence.

Five ladies from Cesis travelled 4000 km to the Siberian Omsk to research the lives of victims of retaliation 1941 -1949 and the so called "old Latvians"who went to Siberia looking for better life in turn of XIX/XX c. They were sincerely welcomed by beautiful flowers in Omsk late evening. Presentation of flowers in that part of the world is a proof that you are a really expected guest. Three Latvian generations live in Tara. Grand parents speak aureate Latvian language, but their children have just entry in the documents showing their nationality - Latvian. All the materials were fixed and recorded for storage at the Cesis History Museum.

After work in Tara the expedition went to Latvian Augsbebri and Kurzemes ozoli villages to gather information on Latvians who went to Siberia in the end of XIX c. looking for a better life. Unfortunately regime, mass retaliation and dictatorship affected everyone, took away property, hands, health, even lives. With plenty of stories, evidences and emotions the expedition returned to Cesis.