We Invite You to the Choir Concert "Believe. Your Land Will Remain" in Remembrance of the 15 March Deportation

A concert, dedicated to the victims of the Communist genocide,  was held on 25 March 2018 at 14:00 in the Riga Culture and Folk Art Centre “Mazā Ģilde”, Amatu iela 3/5. You can watch the concert on our Facebook page.

The concert  offered the music of Pēteris Plakidis, Lūcija Garūta, Emīls Dārziņš, Zigmārs Liepiņš, Jānis Ivanovs and other Latvian composers. It was performed by SONORE, the mixed choir of the Riga Culture and Folk Art Centre “Mazā Ģilde”. The artisitc director was Andis Groza, the conductor was Andris Pujāts. Kuldīga Culture Centrer’s chamber choir – RĀTE performed, as well as Elise Shere (Cello) and Evija Auziņa (Piano). 

The concert was based on the poet Vizma Belševica's words “Believe. Your land will remain” symbolizing both the hope for a free Latvia and the belief that those deported will return to their homeland. During the March 1949 deportation, secretly named “Coastal Surf”, 94,000 people were sent to distant parts of the Soviet Union. 13,248 families were sent from Latvia, totalling 42,125 people. Mass deportations were one of the worst crimes of Communism carried out against the people of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 

The concert was organised by the Riga Culture and Folk Art Centre “Mazā Ģilde” in cooperation with the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.