Victims of communism to be remembered Sunday

Sunday will see a ceremony and concert to mark the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, also known as Black Ribbon Day, at the Tallinn Memorial to the Victims of Communism.
August 23 will mark the passing of 81 years from the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that laid the foundation for occupation of independent countries by the communist Soviet Union and the national-socialist Germany and unleashed a chain of events that saw war and ideologically motivated repressions kill tens of millions of people.
A remembrance ceremony will take place at the memorial's apple garden from 12 p.m. to 12.50 p.m. Speeches by President Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas, Minister of Justice Raivo Aeg, representative of the Tallinn Memento Society Peep Varju and chairman of the board of the Federation of Estonian Student Unions Marcus Ehasoo. The event will also see the participation of the diplomatic corps. The attendees will join in prayer and everyone will be able to place a wreath or flowers at the memorial.
A concert will follow at 12:55 p.m., featuring Estonian chamber choir Collegium Musicale and soloist and violinist Maarja Nuut, with Endrik Üksvärav as the conductor.
As an annual ceremony, names of victims whose fate has become clear since the memorial was opened will be added. The new name plates will be opened before the main ceremony at 11.15 a.m. Speeches by member of the board of the Estonian Memory Institute Meelis Maripuu and Birgit Keerd-Leppik, a family member of a victim of repressions.
Minister of Defense Jüri Luik will place a wreath at the officers' monument at 11.50 a.m.
After the remembrance concert, an apple tree will be planted in the memorial garden, starting a new tradition.
The main organizers of the day of remembrance are the Ministry of Justice and the Estonian Memory Institute, with the Estonian Memento Association, Federation of Estonian Student Unions, Estonian Youth Associations Union and the Estonian Student Bodies Union as co-organizers.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski