Commemoration of the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews “The Path of Memory 1941–2026” Held in Šiauliai

On 23 September 2026, Šiauliai commemorated one of the most painful dates in Lithuanian history – the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews. The commemoration “The Path of Memory 1941–2026”, held across the city, brought together commemorative speeches, music and a procession dedicated to honouring the victims of the Holocaust and remembering the tragedy that befell the Jewish community of Šiauliai. The event aimed to preserve historical memory and encourage the city community to remember these events together.
Organised by the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, Šiauliai City Municipality and the Šiauliai County Jewish Community. Partner – the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania.

23 September is commemorated in Lithuania as the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews. The date was chosen for a reason – on 23 September 1943, the Vilnius Ghetto was liquidated. Every year on this day, the victims of the Holocaust are commemorated throughout Lithuania. Before the war, more than 8,500 Jews lived in Šiauliai. In 1941, following the beginning of the German occupation, the number of Jews in the city increased to around 14,000, as refugees from other parts of Lithuania also sought shelter here. Shortly after the occupation began, a ghetto was established in Šiauliai, encompassing the Kaukazas and Trakai areas. Thousands of Jewish residents were imprisoned there. The ghetto remained in operation until 1944, and the majority of its prisoners were killed or deported to other Nazi camps.

The commemoration of the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews began at 11:00 AM on Žalgirio Street, at the site of the first ghetto gate, where brief commemorative speeches were accompanied by a musical tribute performed by young musicians from the Šiauliai Saulius Sondeckis School of Arts on guitar and cello (teacher Marius Būda). A procession then proceeded from the first ghetto gate, past the Square of the Righteous, to the second ghetto gate – symbolically connecting the two former ghetto areas and recalling the path taken by the Jewish community of Šiauliai more than eighty years ago.

Residents of Šiauliai and visitors to the city took part in the commemoration, coming together to honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Photo by Liubov Yarmoshenko.

For further information, please contact Edita Smindriūnaitė, Head of the Exhibitions Department at the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, tel. +370 656 13 886, email edita.smindriunaite@siauliukc.lt.