Crimes of the Soviet Totalitarian regime in Lithuania

Crimes of the Soviet Totalitarian regime in Lithuania

According to researches of the International Commission

The ethnic structure of Lithuania before the first Soviet Occupation

Out of 3.14 million inhabitants:

• 2.3 million Lithuanians (74.6 %)• 330.000 Poles (10.5 %)• 210.000 Jews (6.7 %)• 130.000 Germans (4.1 %)• 24.000 Russians (2.5 %)• Over 50.000 other nationalities (1.6 %)

The tragedy of Lithuania began in August 1939, when Hitler and Stalin

signed a cynical agreement dividing up European

territories between two totalitarian states

(the USSR and Germany).In June 1940 the Soviet Union

annexed Lithuania in accordance

with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

The final discussion on the plans for Lithuania’s military occupation took place on

11 June 1940.

• 14th of June 1940 – the ultimatum;

• 15th of June, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania;

• On 3 August 1940 unlawful elections to the so – called People’s Parliament (Seimas)

Lithuania’s map of event in 14th of June, 1940

Economic Annexation of Lithuania

• Lithuania was made a “Soviet republic” – it was started to eradicate private ownership.

• The Soviet nationalization was carried out by way of confiscation (the owners didn’t receive any payment).

• The introduction of the rouble was the process of economic anexation (it was exchanged at a rate 1 litas - 90 kopecks, the real value of the litas was by 3 – 4 times higher).

Illegal imprisonment and detentions in 1940 - 1941

• Political repression was planned for groups of people on the basis of their social background and professional and political activities.

• 2785 people were imprisoned the first wave of political repression in 1940.

• Political prisoners in Lithuania were all ethnic groups: 58.1% - Lithuanians, 25.2 %- Poles, 5.1% - Jews, 4.0% - Russians.

The imprisonment until Great deportation of June, 1941

• 6 606 people were arrested after being accused of political crimes.

• Death penalty was applied against 618 residents of Lithuania and 568 citizens of Lithuania were executed.

• Nearly 40 former ministers suffered from repressive measures.

Politicians, statesmen and public figures were subject to repressions as “socially dangerous

elements” Mr. Aleksandras

Stulginskis, the former President of Lithuania in 1922 – 1926.

He was imprisonment in 1941. The USSR NKVD send A.Stulginskis to the prison in Vladimir.

The mass deportations to Siberia started on June 14, 1941 and lasted one week

The deportation applied about 17.500 people. 72.7% Lithuanians, 13.5% – Jews, 10.4%- Poles

After a period of German

occupation Red Army for the second time

occupied Lithuania. Lithuanian

partisans started armed Anti-

Soviet resistance. It took place in

Lithuania during

1944-1953

About 20.000 people were killed during the armed resistance. The vast majority of them were 16 - 21 years old.

The part of partisans was sent to Siberia, to work camps for

25 years...

Soviets renewed the deportations to Siberia at the same time as the partisan war started in Lithuania. The greatest extent of

deportations took place in 1948-1952. The most popular accusation – the violation of 58 article of the

Criminal Code. It means that a person was involved in Anti -Soviet activities.

These people were deported for 15-25 years

The majority of people were sent to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Kazakhstan and the North part of Soviet Union

(Siberia) Lithuania lost 280 000 people during the 1944-

1953 period. More than half of them dead in Siberia

When Stalin died the mass deportations were over But Lithuania was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union. It became a Soviet republic, which

had to obey Moscow orders.

Lithuania has regained the independence in 1990.

Lithuania is a member of European Union from 2004; it is also a member of the other

international organizations.

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