The “Memorial Forests” initiative of the state enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” was created to honour forestry workers who have fallen in the war. The initiative — or, put more simply, the planting of forests — is a meaningful and lasting way of preserving the memory of the fallen in Ukraine's regions. More than 40 memorial forests have been created in Ukraine so far.
In March this year, the association “Forest Certification Council of Latvia” received a letter in which colleagues from the Ukrainian forestry sector invited people from Latvia's forestry sector to join the initiative as well.
Māris Liopa, Chairman of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia:
“Since Latvia's forestry sector has supported Ukraine from the very first day of the full-scale war, taking part in the initiative begun by our Ukrainian colleagues is both a symbolic act of remembrance and an expression of solidarity with and support for the values Latvia and Ukraine share – freedom, independence, development and the prosperity of the nation.”
As representatives of the Ukrainian forestry sector emphasise, Latvia is the first country to have responded to the “Memorial Forests” initiative and to take an active part in it.
This spring, people from Latvia's forestry sector took part in several “Memorial Forests” events in Ukraine (see photographs). On 19 April, under the leadership of LMSP representative Edvīns Zakovics and with the support of the State Forest Service and the National Soldiers' Association, a forest was planted in the Volyn region.
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On 23 April, the “Forest Certification Council of Latvia”, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, “Latvijas Finieris”, “Latvijas valsts meži”, the State Forest Service, “Laflora” and the Forest Research Station, and in the presence of a delegation of Ukrainian forestry representatives, planted a forest in Talsi municipality not far from Kamparkalns.
The event opened with short addresses by Māris Liopa, Chairman of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia, Ksenija Grigorjeva, Social Projects Manager at the Ukrainian state enterprise "Forests of Ukraine", Dainis Karols, Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Uldis Biķis, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AS “Latvijas Finieris”, Lauris Ķemlers, Head of Forest Management Planning for the Ziemeļkurzeme region at AS “Latvijas valsts meži”, and Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube, former Commander of the National Armed Forces and Chairman of the Board of the “Namejs” charitable foundation.
As work began, a “Memorial Forest” sign was set up beside the forest compartment. In total, 2000 pine seedlings were planted.
Thank you to all the participants for taking part, for the work, for the time spent together and for supporting our shared goals!
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About the planting of the “Memorial Forest” in Volyn:
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