Risti train station bore the name “Cherepanovo” for the duration of the project, signifying one of the destinations in Siberia of the deportation train that left Risti. Photograph: Anne Kaljas, 2019

Communal singing at the memorial to the deportations. Photograph: Anne Kaljas, 2019

Communal singing around the “Flowering Monument” (Õitsev monument). Photograph: Anne Kaljas, 2019

Procession and communal singing along the former railway tracks. The historic photograph depicts deported Estonians who organised a song festival in Siberia at the end of the 1950s. Photograph: Anne Kaljas, 2019

Procession along the former railway tracks. Photograph: Anne Kaljas, 2019

Lines from a song by deportee Anette (1906-1972) and communion with wild Siberian flavours. Photograph: Lylian Meister, 2019

We offered visitors some vegan nettle cake incorporating some flavours from Siberia. Photograph: Lylian Meister, 2019

Steaming Ivan chai (fermented fireweed) tea. Fireweed is an important tea plant in Russia and Siberia, which is also significant since it is one of the first to reappear on land ravaged by wildfires. Photograph: Lylian Meister, 2019

“Blossoming Monument” (Õitsev monument), a Novosibirsk bird cherry tree next to the water tower near Risti train station. Photograph: Marika Alver, 2019

​On 15 June, we held a ritual finissage of the art programme "Siberian Childhood" (Siberi lapsepõlv) at Risti train station at which we offered ivanchai (fermented fireweed) tea and sang Siberian songs. As part of the finissage, we discussed the importance of remembering and singing at difficult moments.
 
Artist Katarina Meister presented the song "Memory of Siberia" (Siberi mälestus) written by her deportee great grandmother and singer Anna Hints led the song. Through the songs we discussed the possibilities for healing collective trauma and how the deportations have affected subsequent generations.
 
The deportation train left Risti train station on 27 March 1949 with 1,027 people on board. They reached their destination of Cherepanovo station in Novosibirsk Oblast on 7 April.
 
As part of the programme, we hung a "Cherepanovo" sign on the Risti train station building and planted a Novosibirsk bird cherry tree near the water tower close to the train station building.