On November 1, the Corner House (the former KGB headquarters) in Riga, a grim monument to Soviet repression, will host a memorial evening dedicated to the victims of the mass murder of the Belarusian intelligentsia in 1937.
The "Night of the Executed Poets" (October 29–30, 1937), when the Soviet government murdered over 130 Belarusian cultural and public figures in a single night—including twenty-two poets and writers—is considered the most tragic date in Belarusian history. It was the culmination of repressions aimed at eliminating the bearers of the Belarusian national idea.
The choice of venue serves as a reminder that the mechanisms of repression are still active: today, there are over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus.
The evening will begin at 16:00 with a Guided Tour of the Former KGB Building (in English; mandatory pre-registration is required via this link).
For those not attending the tour: An opportunity to hear about political repression in Belarus from Dmitrijs Mihailovs, a Latvian citizen and former political prisoner.
Mihailovs was sentenced by Belarusian authorities to four years in a penal colony in December 2022 for publicly criticizing Alexander Lukashenko and calling for sanctions. He was released early in June 2025 following efforts by the US Presidential Administration.
At 17:00, the programme continues with a lecture on Stalinist repressions by Valeria Chernomortseva, a researcher and former political prisoner. She will discuss the 1937 tragedy and how Belarusians preserve its memory despite attempts by the current regime to suppress it (the lecture will be in Belarusian with English translation available).
Following the lecture, the program will continue with a performance by Belarusian blues legend Yury Nesterenko (leader of the "White Night Blues" band). His Belarusian translation of the song "Sneg" even inspired Andrey Makarevich to perform it. Yury Nesterenko, together with Anton Sirotin, will present a programme of original songs dedicated to the executed poets.
We invite everyone to join the memorial evening on November 1 at the Corner House (Brīvības iela 61, Rīga).
Admission is free (donations are welcome).
The event is organised by the Association of Belarusians of Latvia "Supolka" and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.