The video features the Baltic Way day in 1989. The song is sung in Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian and is called “Bunda Jau Baltija” (in Lithuanian) which means “Baltica is waking up”.
23rd of August, 1989. 50th anniversary of the infamous Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Three Baltic countries, still under the odious wing of USSR, stood up against its aggressor. Almost 2 million people from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined their hands from Vilnius to Tallinn and made over 600 km long live chain.
Those were the times when every of Baltic sisters felt the need to fight for its identity. People drove hundreds of kilometres to be able to stand in the chain. There were traffic jams everywhere. People brought tons of flowers that were passed to people in the chain. At 19:00 people joined their hands for 15 minutes. From Vilnius to Tallinn.
I was only 3 years old. Dressed up in my national dress with a sowthistle in my hand I didn’t know the importance of the event at that time. But it felt magical. Not everyday you see so many cars in one place or planes flying above your head. Less than 7 months later Lithuania declared its independence from USSR and never looked back.
The Bloody Sunday (13th January)
11th of January, 1991 USSR sent its tanks and army to Lithuania with a demand to restore the power of USSR constitution. Soviet army tried to take over Lithuanian media places, post offices, Parliament, TV Tower. The head leader gave army the order to attack unarmed civil people. 13 were killed. People from all over Lithuania drove to Vilnius to guard the main buildings and symbols. In the morning of 13th of January there were about 50 000 people protecting the building of Supreme Council (today there is the main building of Parliament).
20 years later Lithuania is its own independent country. I can’t not tear up everytime I watch that video or everytime I watch movies/TV shows that are meant for these important dates. You have to have had the similar experience to understand the feeling when you can proudly say you’re Lithuanian. We fighted back and we won.
Sorry for me being this sentimental.
