Commemoration of the Victims of Communism

On May 17, 2025, at 11:00 AM, the Roman Catholic Church will solemnly declare Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, S.J. blessed during the holy Mass to be celebrated at Town Hall Square in Tallinn. The beatification is, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the first step in the process of declaring someone a saint.

On the occasion of this historical event, the brothers of the Dominican Order of Tallinn and the lay members of the Fra Angelico Dominican Order are organizing a public reading of the names of 22,601 men, women, and children who died as victims of the communist regime in Estonia during the Soviet occupation from 1941 to 1990.

With this event, the Dominicans, who have been connected to Estonian history since 1226, wish to commemorate and honor all the victims who perished in Estonia and elsewhere in the territory of the USSR, who, like Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, suffered and died due to the repressions of the Soviet occupation. The sufferings of these victims, regardless of their religious beliefs, have not been forgotten. Their deaths remind us and call each of us to be peacemakers in today's world, where justice, freedom, and human dignity are still not guaranteed for everyone.

The reading of the names of Estonians who died as a result of repression is a way for the Roman Catholic Church to express its deep sympathy for the Estonian people. As Christians, the Dominicans believe that every person is created in the image of God and therefore deserves respect and love.

On May 15, 2025, from approximately 4:00 PM until around 5:00 PM on May 16, 2025 - over the course of about 24 hours - 180 readers from various fields of life will read aloud the names of 22,601 victims of communism, identified thanks to the tireless work of Memento and the Estonian Institute of Memory.

The memorial ceremony will take place in the chapter hall of the medieval Dominican monastery in Tallinn, and the reading can be followed live on the Dominican Order's YouTube channel (www.dominiiklased.ee), so that all those interested, wherever they may be, can take part in this event. Everyone who wishes to can come to the courtyard of the medieval Dominican monastery in Tallinn during the event to light a memorial candle and/or bring flowers in memory of the victims.

At the end of the ceremony, the list of victims will be solemnly taken to the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, where the vigil for the beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich will take place.

Organizer: Dominican Order Monastery in Tallinn

Event time: May 15 at 4:00 PM - May 16 at 4:00 PM

Location: Tallinn's medieval Dominican monastery (entrance through Theatrum Aida café) 

Watch on YouTube: www.dominiiklased.ee.

For questions and additional information: In Nomine - Toomas Kään: toomas@innomine.ee

Dominican Order Monastery in Tallinn

Müürivahe St 33-11 10140 Tallinn

Reg No: 80216197