On this Tuesday, the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — mark the 76th anniversary of Operation Priboi, one of the most traumatic mass deportation campaigns carried out by the Soviet Union in the post-war period.
Between March 25 and 28, 1949, nearly 100,000 people were torn from their homes and forcibly sent to remote regions of Siberia. The operation was organized by the Soviet regime with the aim of eliminating nationalist resistance and consolidating control over the newly annexed territories after World War II.
Official commemorations held across the three countries include ceremonies, speeches, and moments of silence in memory of the victims. Local authorities emphasize the importance of preserving historical memory to strengthen democratic values and national sovereignty.
“This is a painful reminder of what can happen when freedom is suppressed by totalitarian regimes. Honoring these victims is also about protecting our future,” said a representative of the Lithuanian government.
What was Operation Priboi?
Operation Priboi was a coordinated mass deportation campaign carried out by the Soviet Union between March 25 and 28, 1949, in the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The name “Priboi” in Russian literally means “surf” or “wave,” symbolizing an overwhelming and unstoppable force.
The main goal of the operation was to eliminate real or potential opposition to the Soviet regime. Many of the deportees were labeled as “kulaks” (wealthy peasants), “nationalists,” “anti-Soviet elements,” or relatives of forest resistance fighters (known as the “Forest Brothers,” who fought against Soviet occupation).
The campaign was part of a broader effort to forcibly collectivize agriculture and to russify the region, while also serving as a tool of repression and intimidation against the local populations.
The scale of the repression
Around 94,000 people were deported:
It is estimated that more than 70% of the deportees were women and children.
Families were removed from their homes, often at night, given only minutes to prepare, and transported in cattle wagons under inhumane conditions to destinations like Siberia, Kazakhstan, and other remote areas of the Soviet Union.
The fate of the deportees
Many deportees died during transit or in the first months due to extreme cold, starvation, forced labor, and poor sanitary conditions. Those who survived spent years in forced settlements under constant surveillance by the Soviet regime. Few were able to return to their homelands before Stalin’s death in 1953 — and even then, under severe restrictions.
Operation Priboi remains one of the darkest chapters of Soviet occupation in the Baltic states. Today, the date is commemorated with official remembrance events, survivor testimonies, educational activities, and the preservation of historical archives and documents — many of which were only declassified after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Mass deportations like Priboi are remembered by many in the Baltics as crimes against humanity and are internationally recognized as part of the Soviet Union’s repressive policies.
Source and images: Official account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia X @MFAestonia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
