Repressed deportees gather in Ikšķile to share memories of exile in Siberia
On Saturday, August 8, politically repressed people who were deported to Siberia held their annual reunion in Ikšķile, Latvia. One woman recalled how her grandfather died on the train and had to be left by a river.
On Saturday, August 8, Ikšķile hosted the annual reunion of politically repressed people who were deported to Siberia during the Soviet era. The gathering brings together former deportees to remember what they endured and to share memories of that period.
A shrinking circle
Organizers and participants note that the number of people attending the reunion shrinks every year, as fewer of those who personally experienced deportation remain. Still, the survivors continue to recount the long and difficult journey to Siberia and the harsh living conditions they faced in exile.
A grandfather lost on the train
One participant shared the story of her grandfather, who died during the journey while still inside the deportation train wagon. Because the family had no way to give him a proper burial at the time, his body was left by a river.
Such personal accounts are retold each year in Ikšķile so that future generations do not forget the history of the deportations and the suffering they caused.
