Lithuania to mark Occupation and Genocide Day

Lithuania will mark Occupation and Genocide Day on Monday to honour those who died for the country’s independence.

Commemorations will be held in various locations across the country, including Vilnius’ Antakalnis Cemetery and Kaunas’ Aukštieji Šančiai military cemetery.

Monday also marks the 86th anniversary of the death of Aleksandras Barauskas, a border guard chief and the first victim of the Soviet occupation. Mass will be held at the Rudnia church at noon, followed by a tribute at the site of his death in the village of Uta, Varėna district.​On June 15, 1940, approximately 20 Soviet soldiers attacked the Uta border guard post and killed Barauskas. On the same day, the Soviets used over 150,000 troops to occupy Lithuania for the next 50 years.

The Soviets then imprisoned, killed, or deported over 23,000 between 1940 and 1941, according to the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania.

During the subsequent Nazi occupation in 1941 and 1944, over 29,000 people were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps, and approximately 240,000 were killed, including almost the entire Jewish population.