Klaipėda hosts series of events commemorating Soviet deportations and Day of Disaster and Hope

From June 6 to June 14, Klaipėda held a programme of cultural activities marking the "Day of Disaster and Hope" that recalls Soviet occupation and deportations. Events included a meeting with actress Eglė Jackaitė, a classical‑music concert by the Klaipėda Musical Theatre string quartet, and open‑door days at the Museum of Small Lithuania’s Resistance and Deportation exhibition, where visitors could see former Soviet prison cells and learn about the Gulag system. An exhibition of painted glass by Dalia Stalauskienė was on display at the city’s Ethnocultural Centre until June 30.

On June 12, a lecture‑discussion titled "From Disaster to Hope: Occupation Experiences and Longing for Freedom" was scheduled at the Imanuelio Kanto Public Library. The talk, led by Renata Mauzienė, a doctoral candidate at Klaipėda University, focused on the historical trauma of deportations, oral testimonies from survivors and the persistence of Lithuanian identity. Musical pieces were performed by the Marinis guitar studio. The series of events also noted local births and funerals during the period.