PARTICIPANTS OF YOUTH EXPEDITION TO SIBERIA RECEIVE A NOVEL BY AMERICAN AUTHOR, WHICH WILL HELP THEM GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MISSION
On August 3 in Vilnius, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius welcomed back participants of the expedition “Mission Siberia 2012” and presented them a book about a Lithuanian family exiled to Siberia, which will help young Lithuanians to better understand what they saw in places of exile, the significance of the mission and the perpetuation of the memory of this tragedy.
The Vice-Minister presented a historical novel “Between Shades of Gray” by Rūta Šepetys to young Lithuanians who came back from the expedition to the Republic of Khakassia, Russia. It is a story about a young Lithuanian girl and her family who were deported to Siberia.
During the two-week long expedition to Siberia, a group of sixteen people who visited cemeteries of their countrymen, and met Lithuanians who continue to live in places of exile. The participants of the project that highlights the significance of historical memory have already visited Abakan, Arbaty, Tsibula, Imek, Mizyugol, Matur, Sarala, and Tanzibey.
“I am glad that the mission to Khakassia, Russia, was successful. This mission must be continued even with greater enthusiasm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to remain your reliable partner,” Ignatavičius told the participants at the meeting.
Previous Lithuanian expedition reached Khakassia, which is more than 5 thousand kilometres away, about 20 years ago.
The project of civic and patriotic education of youth “Mission Siberia 2012” was launched in 2006 and is organized by the Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT). The project is also run in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lithuanian diplomatic representations abroad and LiJOT inform Lithuanians living abroad about “Mission Siberia”.
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