In 2017, the 40th Finno-Ugric expedition of the Estonian Academy of Arts took place, which was an important starting point for the establishment of SLED artist group The research expedition took place in collaboration with the Museum of Occupations and Freedom (Vabamu), which houses historical materials pertaining to the March deportation and the lives of the deportees in Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk in the 1950s. This is how we got in contact with people who were deported to Siberia as children in 1949 and who were interested in joining the expedition, to see the land of their childhoods 60 years later. This was a perfect opportunity for us to study the March deportation from the perspectives of children. Travelling back to Siberia provided us the opportunity to also observe a journey back in time in the symbiosis between body, landscape and memory: We climbed a steep slope surprised that we were up to it. At times, it felt like I had shed 60 years somewhere between Tallinn and Siberia and I felt like I was a 12 or 13-year-old girl again tirelessly running up and down slopes. (Quote by Asta Tikerpäe from Triin Kerge's master's thesis "Siberian Children and Memories of Landscape") Read more about the aspects that affected the memories of children deported to Siberia in Marika Alver's article "Palverännak Siberisse" (Pilgrimage to Siberia) Research was supported by Rahvuskaaslaste Programm, Eesti Üliõpilaste Toetusfond USAs and Eesti Kultuurkapital |