Black Ribbon Day
August 23
About Black Ribbon Day
Black Ribbon Day, also known as the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, is observed annually on 23 August. The date marks the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on 23 August 1939, the secret agreement between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that divided Europe between the two totalitarian powers and paved the way for the occupation of the Baltic States, the partition of Poland, and the outbreak of the Second World War. The day is observed across Europe, Canada, the United States, and among diaspora communities worldwide to honour the memory of those who suffered under both regimes.
What is Black Ribbon Day?
Black Ribbon Day is an international day of remembrance for the victims of two of the twentieth century’s most destructive totalitarian ideologies: Stalinism and Nazism. The black ribbon is worn as a symbol of mourning for those who were killed, imprisoned, deported, or subjected to systematic persecution under Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and as a statement that such crimes must be remembered and must never recur.
The day holds particular resonance for the three Baltic nations, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which were occupied by the Soviet Union under the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact’s secret protocol, and which endured decades of Soviet rule, including mass deportations to Siberia, the suppression of national identity, and the murder of political opponents. Tens of thousands of Baltic citizens were deported in a single week in June 1941. By some estimates, the Baltic nations lost more than ten per cent of their populations to deportation and Soviet repression.
Black Ribbon Day is not a commemoration of any one nation’s suffering alone. It encompasses the victims of the Holocaust, the Ukrainian Holodomor, the Stalinist purges, the Soviet deportations, and the broader catastrophe inflicted on Central and Eastern Europe by the collision of two totalitarian systems. Its scope is deliberately wide, insisting that the crimes of all tyrannies, not only those of the defeated power, be named and remembered.
When is Black Ribbon Day?
Black Ribbon Day is observed each year on 23 August, the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact in 1939. The date was chosen by the organisers of the original 1980s protests for precisely this reason: to draw attention to the pact that had made possible the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States and other Central and Eastern European nations.
Why It Matters
Black Ribbon Day carries profound historical and contemporary significance. It insists on the equal condemnation of Nazi and Soviet crimes at a time when this equivalence was, and in some quarters remains, contested. The crimes of Nazi Germany were the subject of extensive international documentation, prosecution, and public education from the end of the Second World War onwards. The crimes of Stalinism, including the systematic murder of millions, the forced deportation of ethnic populations, and the repression of national cultures across the Soviet empire, received far less attention in Western European public discourse for many decades.
For the nations of Central and Eastern Europe, Black Ribbon Day represents an assertion that their experience under Soviet rule must be acknowledged alongside the crimes of the Nazi era. The European Parliament’s formal designation of 23 August as a day of remembrance in 2008 was widely hailed in these nations as an important act of recognition.
The day is also forward-looking. In an era when authoritarian movements continue to emerge and historical revisionism seeks to rehabilitate or minimise the crimes of the twentieth century, Black Ribbon Day serves as a reminder of where such ideologies lead. The Baltic Way of 1989, which took place on the fiftieth anniversary of the pact, demonstrated the power of peaceful civic action in confronting authoritarian legacies.
History
The origins of Black Ribbon Day lie in the activism of Central and Eastern European refugee communities in Canada during the 1980s. These communities, many of whom had fled Soviet rule in the Baltic States and elsewhere, organised peaceful protests on 23 August to draw attention to the ongoing Soviet occupation of their homelands and the human rights abuses perpetrated under Soviet rule. They wore black ribbons as a symbol of mourning for those lost under both Nazi and Soviet terror.
The movement gained international momentum on 23 August 1989, the fiftieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, when approximately two million people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania formed a continuous human chain stretching more than 675 kilometres across all three countries, from Tallinn in the north to Vilnius in the south. Known as the Baltic Way, this peaceful demonstration was one of the most extraordinary acts of collective civic action in the history of the late twentieth century, and it took place just months before all three Baltic nations declared independence from the Soviet Union.
The European Parliament formally adopted a written declaration on 23 September 2008 designating 23 August as the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism. Canada passed a comparable recognition in 2009. The designation was not without controversy: some argued that equating Soviet and Nazi crimes was historically inappropriate or politically motivated. Supporters countered that to remember the victims of one system while ignoring those of another was itself a form of injustice.
In 2019, on the eightieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, large commemorations were held across the Baltic States and in diaspora communities worldwide, reaffirming the importance of the day for communities whose history had been shaped by both regimes.
How to Get Involved
Black Ribbon Day is observed through acts of remembrance, education, and civic engagement.
- Attend a commemoration: Many cities with significant Baltic, Polish, Ukrainian, or Eastern European diaspora communities hold commemorative events on 23 August. These may include wreath-laying ceremonies, candlelit vigils, and public lectures.
- Learn the history: Take time to read about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Baltic Way, the Soviet deportations, and the experience of nations that lived under both Nazi and Soviet occupation. First-person testimonies from survivors are widely available.
- Wear a black ribbon: The black ribbon is a simple, visible act of solidarity with the victims of both totalitarian systems and a statement against historical revisionism.
- Share educational content: Use social media to share accurate historical information about the day, the pact, and its consequences, particularly the human cost for ordinary people in the affected nations.
- Support cultural heritage organisations: Many organisations in the Baltic States and the broader Central and Eastern European diaspora work to preserve the history, language, and cultural memory of communities that were subjected to systematic repression.
Noteworthy Facts
- The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed on 23 August 1939 by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. Its secret protocol divided Eastern Europe into Soviet and German spheres of influence.
- The Baltic Way on 23 August 1989 involved approximately two million people forming a human chain across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. At around 675 kilometres in length, it remains one of the longest human chains in recorded history.
- In June 1941, the Soviet Union deported approximately 40,000 people from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in a single week. Many died during transport or in the Siberian camps to which they were sent.
- The existence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact’s secret protocol was denied by the Soviet Union until 1989, when the Congress of People’s Deputies officially acknowledged and condemned it.
- The European Parliament’s 2008 declaration was followed by a 2009 resolution which called on EU member states to proclaim 23 August as a day of remembrance and to ensure that the crimes of both totalitarian systems are taught equally in European schools.
Hashtags
Mark Black Ribbon Day on social media using these hashtags:
- #BlackRibbonDay
- #BalticWay
- #EuropeanDayOfRemembrance
- #MolotovRibbentropPact
- #NeverAgain
- #RememberThePast
Featured image: Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash.
2026 Awareness Days Wall Planner
Every key awareness day at a glance. Perfect for offices, staff rooms, and team planning.
View Calendar →
