Today, June 16, the public organization “Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem” will install two headstones on the graves of individuals who died after crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border and were buried as unidentified.
The work will take place at the Zaširina cemetery in the Ezernieki parish of the Kraslava region and in Grinvalde in the Šeder parish.
According to the organization, from October 2023 to April 2026, 11 individuals have died in Latvia after crossing the border from Belarus, whose identities could not be established. The burial of such individuals is provided by local governments, however, further maintenance of the graves is usually not carried out.
The society “Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem” considers it important to preserve burial sites so that in the future, relatives of the deceased can find the graves of their loved ones and honor their memory. To this end, the organization collaborates with local governments and works on the maintenance of the burials.
This work has been ongoing for several years. In November 2024, the first two memorial plaques were installed at the Old Silene cemetery in the Augšdaugava region, and in June 2025, another seven plaques were placed at the Zaširina cemetery. This year, memorial signs will be installed on the graves of two women who were buried in May of last year.
All expenses for the production and installation of the headstones are covered by donations from residents and supporters of the organization.
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