Edminas Bagdonas: “Vilnius Events of January 13, 1991 changed people’s consciousness”

A presentation of a documentary “Lithuania, January 13, 1991” took place on January 14 in the Embassy of the Lithuanian Republic in Belarus. The presentation was organized on the 17th anniversary of dramatic events of the modern history of Lithuania, when freedom and democracy were defended.

When presenting the film of Lithuanian TV, created in 1991 right after the events, Lithuanian Ambassador to Belarus Edminas Bagdonas stressed that the film contains recording shot by a few Lithuanian cameramen and a Norwegian TV journalist, and connected chronologically.

As said by the diplomat, the events covered in the film had been preceded by proclamation of renewed independence. On March 11, 1990 the Declaration on State independence of Lithuanian was adopted by the Lithuanian Parliament. The leadership of the Soviet Union was totally against. In January 1991, using the difficult economic and political situation in Lithuania, forces of reaction made an attempt to restore the previous state of affairs. Soviet tanks and weaned soldiers appeared in the streets of Lithuanian cities. In Vilnius military men occupied several strategic sites, including the TV tower. Soldiers were confronted by unarmed citizens. 14 Lithuanian citizens died near the TV tower, about 600 were injured.

However, the determination of hundreds thousands of people to defend independence of their country helped to prevent the assault of the parliament building, Edminas Bagdonas noted. On February 9, 1991 a referendum was held. Turnout was 84.73% of registered voters, 90.47% of them voted in favor of full and total independence of Lithuania.

As a participant of January events in Vilnius, E. Bagdonas says that he knows that the hardships his country and its citizens faced have changed not only consciousness of Lithuanians, but of many other people”. “We have proved we want and we deserve independence. And we are proud of that,” the Lithuanian diplomat underlined.

As said by him, then meetings in support of Lithuanian citizens were held in Kyiv, Lviv, Riga, Tallinn and other cities.

The Communist party was called a “criminal organization”, and is still prohibited in Lithuania. The Day of Defenders of Freedom, which is held in Lithuania annually on January 13, has become not just the day of paying tribute to the victims, but the day “of victory of will and reason of peaceful citizens over armed aggression and violence,” E. Bagdonas said.