March 25, 1949 Deportation Victims to Be Remembered with Candle Lighting
Twenty thousand candles, one for each of the men, women and children deported by the Soviets to Siberia in 1949, will again be lighted this year on Freedom Square in Tallinn.
The tradition, transforming the stone expanse of the city's main square into a candlelit memory field, will be paralleled by candle lightings outside Estonia as well, such as at the Toronto Estonian House and in Washington.
The candles will be lighted at 18:00.
In other events today, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves will lay a wreath at the foot of the War of Independence monument on Freedom Square at midday, the Police and Border Guard orchestra will play and archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Andres Põder will deliver a benediction.
There will be a memorial concert event held at the National Library at 13:00.