Baltic deportations commemorations to be held across Australia

This June, Baltic communities across Australia will come together to remember one of the darkest chapters in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian history. Public commemorations will be held in Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney, and all are welcome to attend.

In June 1941, tens of thousands of people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were forcibly removed from their homes by Soviet authorities and deported to Siberia and other remote regions of the Soviet Union. Families were separated, communities disrupted and lives forever changed.

More than eight decades later, these annual commemorations continue to honour those who suffered, preserve historical memory and remind us of the importance of freedom, human rights and democracy.

Statistics displayed at the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Tallinn. According to the Estonian Memento Association, more than 47,000 Estonians were deported during the Soviet occupations, while tens of thousands more were imprisoned, murdered or otherwise persecuted. Photo: Kristel Alla.

Adelaide

📅 Saturday, 13 June 2026
🕑 2.00 pm (TBC)
📍 Migration Museum, 82 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide SA 5000
🎟️ Free entry

The South Australian Baltic community will gather at the Migration Museum for a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of those who suffered and perished during the deportations. Members of the mixed choir will also perform several songs as part of the commemorative program.

Canberra

📅 Sunday, 14 June 2026
🕛 12.00 pm
📍 Polish White Eagle Club, 38 David Street, Turner ACT 2612
🎟️ Free entry

The Canberra Baltic communities invite members of the public to join a commemorative gathering featuring a flag ceremony, musical performances, speakers from the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian embassies, and the playing of the three national anthems.

Guests are invited to bring a Baltic-inspired plate to share, and the club bar will be open following the ceremony.

Please RSVP by 5 June via email to: estos.cbr@gmail.com

Source: Personal collection of Denis Bowler.

Melbourne

📅 Sunday, 14 June 2026
🕑 2.00 pm
📍 Melbourne Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, 40 Warrigal Road, Surrey Hills VIC 3127
🎟️ Free entry

Melbourne’s commemoration will include speeches, flag bearers from the Baltic communities and musical performances by choirs, including the Estonian women’s choir Kodu Kaja. The ceremony will be conducted in English and will be followed by a reception.

Source: Personal collection of Hilja Toom.

Sydney

📅 Sunday, 14 June 2026
🕑 2.00 pm
📍 Latvian House, 32 Parnell Street, Strathfield NSW 2135
🎟️ Free entry

The Joint Baltic Committee (JBC) will host Sydney’s annual Baltic Deportation Commemoration. The event will bring together members of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities to remember those affected by the deportations and reflect on their impact. The keynote speaker will be Samija Serifa, Ambassador of Latvia to Australia.

Remembering together

While these events commemorate a tragic chapter in our history, they are also about resilience, remembrance and hope. They remind us how precious freedom is — and why we should never take it for granted.

Estonia’s Victims of Communism 1940–1991

Thank you!

Thank you to: Denis Bowler, Hilja Toom, Allan Johanson and Ave Nukki for information.