The ceremony was held on the Estonian navy ship General Kurvits and was attended by President Alar Karis, who said many Estonian families were affected by the events.

"The Great Escape of 1944 was not about seeking refuge from the war but fleeing from a new Soviet occupation, as the Red Army had once again captured much of Estonia," said Karis.

The terror of 1940 and 1941 – killings, imprisonments, deportations – were in everyone's mind. Tens of thousands of Estonians chose a dangerous route, mainly across the Baltic Sea, to avoid the same fate.

Some fled to Sweden, others to Germany, some initially to Finland, and still others to various other destinations, he said: "This difficult journey was filled with heartbreak over leaving their homeland and those who remained behind. It was a journey into the unknown, with little to no belongings. For many, the journey ended tragically on the autumn sea, before they could reach freedom."

Karis recalled his mother, who went to Germany with her parents, but was trapped there and eventually came home again. He quoted from her diary: "I returned starving, in my only dress, with the realization that I had been forced to grow up too soon."

However, tens of thousands of Estonians stayed abroad, found work, and built new lives.

"A strong Estonian expat community helped keep the memory of their country alive and carried their homeland in their hearts during a time when Estonia had been virtually erased from the world map due to agreements between totalitarian regimes," said the head of state.

"Both on this side of the Baltic Sea and beyond, Estonians did not allow their country to fade into oblivion. The Estonian desire for freedom was stronger than foreign rule, and in the end, victory was ours: we restored our Republic of Estonia."

Karis spoke about the injustice that scattered the Estonian nation in the 20th century, the Cold War's Iron Curtain, and how the same nation came together again without fear at the end of the last century.

It was fear that drove people to flee Estonia 80 years ago. Now, 80 years later, we are confident, capable, and able to defend ourselves. Standing at the border of the free world, alongside our NATO and European Union allies, Estonia can feel secure and protected," the president said.

Estonia is now establishing a database of people who fled.

A documentary - with English subtitles – about Estonians fleeing to Sweden in 1944 can be watched here.

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