On 19 April, the traditional song festival “Songs from the Exile” was held at the Varėna Cultural Centre. It is a traditional spring event held to commemorate the songs sung in exile and in the gulags.
“Songs from the Exile” was an engaging event where representatives of 16 schools showed their performances. The performances were not only traditional renditions, but also contemporary interpretations with new arrangements. The diversity of the event was further enhanced by the inclusion of a song by Ukrainian resistance fighters, performed in Ukrainian by students from Troškūnai Gymnasium.
The Songs from Exile Festival was a significant event, as evidenced by the presence of distinguished guests such as members of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and representatives of the Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Exiles. The strong community support was also evident in the presence of the local community.
The festival “Songs from Exile” was organised by the Secretariat of the International Commission in cooperation with the Tolerance Education Centre of the Ąžuolo Gymnasium in Varėna. 2024 was the tenth edition of the Song Festival. The first one took place in Vilnius in 2014, and since 2015 it has been held annually in Varėna.
