Participants of the mission will also meet with Lithuanian people still living in Khakassia.
"Confusion, a lot of emotions inside. A bit of fear, concern and anticipation," Stasė Narkevičiūtė, 18, one of the participants who left Vilnius at 5 PM, commented to BNS.
Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania's former head of state and member of the European Parliament, said the mission showed that not only material things were important for young people.
"Your determination, you activities are the best testimony and message to other young people that money is not everything in life, not everything is fun and career," he said.
Meanwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis thanked Russian diplomats who helped solve the visa issue. He also expressed hope that Vilnius and Moscow would manage to solve the issue of upkeeping Lithuanian cemeteries in Siberia.
"I would like to express hope that the long-term talks Lithuania and the Russian Federation have been holding on an inter-state agreement on the upkeep of graveyards will be successfully finished and then every expedition to Siberia will not become a certain challenge to Lithuania's diplomatic capabilities as well," the foreign minister said, adding that it was important to tend to both Russian cemeteries in Vilnius and Lithuanian cemeteries in Siberia.
The last expedition to Khakassia was organized 20 years ago.
The latest expedition will return to Lithuania on 3 August.
Organized by the Lithuanian Youth Council since 2006, Mission Siberia has facilitated the upkeep of nearly 100 Lithuanian graveyards.
The missions are held in an effort to encourage interest in young people in the country's history, promote a dialogue between generations and mutual understanding.
Over 130,000 Lithuanians were deported from their country in 1940-1953. The deportee lists included elderly and ill people, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, children and infants. About 28,000 people were killed in deportation, in addition to another 23,000 who were shot to death or who died in Soviet camps.
