The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation was honored to host the Baltic Foreign Ministers for a discussion at the VOC Museum on March 25, 2025. H.E. Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, H.E. Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of… Read More
August 23rd is Black Ribbon Day—a day to remember injustice and to call for our vigilance against similar patterns of state terrorism and ethno-religious oppression. This date became known as ‘Black Ribbon Day’ to commemorate the date in 1939 of the… Read More
As war rages in Ukraine, the specter of a new era of captive nations looms across Europe’s frontline. This fear is something I knew all too well growing up under Soviet control in occupied Lithuania. My homeland’s oppression and march for independence is also why I know that we must continue to stand with the people of Ukraine—before it is too late.
Born in Soviet-occupied Lithuania in 1954, Boris Hoffman grew up hearing the brutal stories of Stalin’s Gulag from his family, friends, and neighbors. Raised by parents who refused to join the communist party, and grandparents whose farm was collectivized by the state… Read More
On a rainy August 23, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) joined with Baltic leaders; the embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; the Delegation of the European Union to the United States; Estonian American National Council; Joint Baltic American… Read More
One hundred years ago, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe declared their independence amid collapsing empires. A generation of Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, and others from the region set out to determine their own future and enjoyed independence until… Read More
On August 20-26, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation‘s (VOC) Dr. Murray Bessette and Kristina Olney, Directors of Academic Programs and Government Relations, completed a weeklong tour of the Baltics to support our European partners in public education and remembrance. Vilnius,… Read More
On June 9, the ten-year anniversary of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) Memorial statue‘s dedication, we gathered with 17 embassies, 3 delegations, 31 ethnic and human rights organizations, and over 150 guests for our Annual Roll Call of… Read More
