January Events

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The January Events (Lithuanian: Sausio įvykiai) were a series of events that occurred on January 11-13, 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania. As a result of Soviet military actions at least 14 civilians were killed and more than 600 injured.

Contents

[edit] Background

Vilnius TV tower, the main site of tragic events
Vilnius TV tower, the main site of tragic events

After declaring independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990, the Lithuanian Republic was undergoing hard times. Economic and energy shortages were undermining faith in the newly restored state. The Inflation rate was reaching 100% and rapidly increasing. The fact that Lithuania had unilaterally proclaimed its independence was also keeping residents discontent, mainly supporters of the Moscow-backed branch of the Lithuanian Communist Party and the largely communist-dominated "Jedinstvo" workers' movement.

Tensions rose sharply during the first days of 1991, when food prices were increased and food rationing was introduced. On January 8, the "Jedinstvo" movement responded by organizing an unsanctioned rally in front of the Supreme Council. Protesters tried to storm the parliament building, but were driven away by unarmed security forces using water cannons. Despite a Supreme Council vote on the same day to abolish price increases, the scale of protests and provocations backed by "Jedinstvo" and the Communist Party was increasing. The Speaker of the Supreme Council, Vytautas Landsbergis, called independence supporters during his radio and television address to gather around and protect the main governmental and infrastructural buildings.

On January 8-9 several special Soviet military units were flown to Lithuania (including the famous counter terrorist Alpha Group and paratroopers of the 76th Airborne Division of the VDV based at Pskov) with an explanation that this was needed to ensure constitutional order and effectiveness of laws of the Lithuanian SSR and the Soviet Union.

On January 10 president of Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev issued an ultimatum-like request addressing the Supreme Council, demanding restoration of the constitution of the USSR in Lithuania and the revocation of all anti-constitutional laws. He mentioned a military intervention to be possible within days; when Lithuanian officials required Moscow's guarantee not to send armed troops, Gorbachev did not reply.

[edit] Timeline of events

[edit] January 11

In the morning, Speaker of the Supreme Council Vytautas Landsbergis and Prime Minister Albertas Šimėnas were presented with another ultimatum from "Democratic Congress of Lithuania" demanding that they comply with Gorbachev's request by 15:00 on January 11.

  • 11:50 – Soviet military units seized the building of the National Defense Department in Vilnius.
  • 12:00 – Soviet military units surrounded and seized the Press House building in Vilnius. Soldiers used live ammunition against civilians. Several people were hospitalized, some with bullet wounds.
  • 12:15 – Soviet paratroopers seized the regional building of the National Defense Department in Alytus.
  • 12:30 – Soviet military units seized the regional building of the National Defense Department in Šiauliai.
  • 15:00 – In a press conference held in the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania, the head of the Ideological Division Juozas Jermalavičius proclaimed the creation of the "National Salvation Committee of Lithuanian SSR" and that from then on it would be the only legitimate government in Lithuania.
  • 16:40 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Algirdas Saudargas sent a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union, in which he expressed his concerns about violence by the Soviet army in Lithuania.
  • 21:00 – Soviet military units seized a TV re-translation centre in Nemenčinė.
  • 23:00 – Soviet military units seized the dispatcher's office of the Vilnius railway station. Railway traffic was disrupted, but restored several hours later.

[edit] January 12

A sketch of Soviet plan to attack the tower
A sketch of Soviet plan to attack the tower

During an overnight session of the Supreme Council, Speaker Vytautas Landsbergis announced that he had tried to call Mikhail Gorbachev three times, but was unsuccessful. Deputy Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union, General Vladislav Achalov, arrived in Lithuania and took control of all military operations. People from all over Lithuania started to encircle the main strategic buildings: the Supreme Council, the Radio and Television Committee, the Vilnius TV Tower, the main telephone switch.

  • 00:30 – Soviet military units seized the base of the Lithuanian Special Purpose Detachment of Police (OMON) in a suburb of Vilnius.
  • 04:30 – Soviet military units unsuccessfully tried to seize the Police Academy building in Vilnius.
  • 11:20 – Armed Soviet soldiers attacked a border-line post near Varėna.
  • 14:00 – After breaking driving regulations, a Soviet military truck collided with a civilian vehicle in Kaunas. One person died and three were hospitalized with serious injuries.
  • 22:00 – A column of Soviet military vehicles was spotted leaving a military base in Vilnius and moving towards the city center. Employees of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania instructed special worker groups (druzhinas) to be ready “for special events.”
  • 24:00 – Another column of military vehicles (including tanks and BMPs) was spotted leaving the military base and heading towards the TV tower.

[edit] January 13

  • 01:25 – On arrival to the vicinity of TV tower, tanks started to fire empty rounds.
  • 01:50 – Tanks and soldiers encircled TV tower. Soldiers fired live ammunition overhead and into civilian crowds gathered around TV tower building. Tanks drove straight through lines of people. 14 people were killed in the attack, most of them with shot wounds, several crushed by tanks. One Soviet paratrooper (Viktor Shatskikh) was killed by friendly fire. Loudspeakers on several BMPs transmitted the voice of Juozas Jermalavičius: "Broliai lietuviai, nacionalistų ir separatistų vyriausybė, kuri priešpastatė save liaudžiai, nuversta. Eikite pas savo tėvus, vaikus!" ("Brothers Lithuanians! The nationalist and separatist government which confronted itself to the people has been overthrown! Go [home] to your parents and children!")
  • 02:00 – BMPs and tanks surrounded the Radio and Television Committee building. Soldiers fired live ammunition into the building, overhead of civilian crowds. Live television broadcast was terminated. Last pictures transmitted were of a Soviet soldier running towards the camera and eventually switching it off.

Following these two attacks, large crowds (20 000 during night, more than 50 000 in the morning) of independence supporters gathered around the Supreme Council building. People started building anti-tank barricades and setting up defenses inside surrounding buildings. Provisional chapels were set up inside and outside the Supreme Council building. Members of the crowd prayed, sang and shouted pro-independence slogans. Despite columns of military trucks, BMPs and tanks moving into the vicinity of the Supreme Council, Soviet military forces receded instead of attacking.

[edit] List of victims

The memorial of the victims in Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius
The memorial of the victims in Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius

Out of the victims, thirteen Lithuanians were killed by the Soviet army, one person died at the place of the events due to a heart attack and one Soviet soldier was killed by friendly fire. All victims, except that soldier, were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (the Knight) on January 15, 1991.

  1. Loreta Asanavičiūtė (b. 1967) - the only female victim, she worked as a seamstress in a factory. Died in a hospital after she fell under a tank. Noted for her shy character, she became the most famous victim.
  2. Virginijus Druskis (b. 1969) - a student at Kaunas University of Technology. Was shot in the chest.
  3. Darius Gerbutavičius (b. 1973) - a student at a vocational school. Was shot five times (legs, arms, and back).
  4. Rolandas Jankauskas (b. 1969) - a student. He was hit by an explosive device in the face. His mother is a native Russian from Altai Krai.
  5. Rimantas Juknevičius (b. 1966) - a senior at Kaunas University of Technology. He was shot.
  6. Alvydas Kanapinskas (b. 1952) - a worker at a Kėdainiai biochemy factory. He was shot.
  7. Algimantas Petras Kavoliukas (b. 1939) - a butcher at a grocery store. He was wounded by a rubber bullet on January 11, 1991, when he protested against the Soviet troops by the Press House. He was hit by a tank. According to some witnesses, he was the first victim that night.
  8. Vytautas Koncevičius (b. 1941) - a shopman. Died from a bullet wound in a hospital, about a month after the attacks. He was born in Siberia, to an exiled Lithuanian family.
  9. Vidas Maciulevičius (b. 1966) - a locksmith. Died from bullet wounds to the face, neck and spine.
  10. Titas Masiulis (b. 1962) - a Kaunas resident who was shot in the chest.
  11. Alvydas Matulka (b. 1955) - a Rokiškis resident who died from a heart attack.
  12. Apolinaras Juozas Povilaitis (b. 1937) - a metalworker at an institute. Died from bullet wounds to the heart, right lung, upper arm, and thigh.
  13. Viktor Viktorovich Shatskikh (b. 1961) - a Soviet soldier. He died from a ricochet bullet shot by his fellow soldier inside the TV tower.
  14. Ignas Šimulionis (b. 1973) - a high school student, friend of Gerbutavičius. Was shot in the head.
  15. Vytautas Vaitkus (b. 1943) - a plumber at a meat plant. Died from bullet wounds to the chest.

[edit] Aftermath

Immediately after the attacks, the Supreme Council issued a letter to the people of the Soviet Union and Western World denouncing the attacks and calling for foreign governments to recognise that the Soviet Union had committed an act of aggression against a sovereign nation. Following first news from Lithuania, the government of Norway appealed to United Nations. The government of Poland expressed their solidarity with the people of Lithuania and denounced the actions of the Soviet army.

During the following day, meetings of support took place in many cities (Kiev, Riga, Tallinn).

Although occupation and military raids were still ongoing for several months following the attacks, there were no large open military encounters after January 13. Strong Western reaction and actions of Russian democratic forces put the President and government of the Soviet Union into an awkward situation, as news of support from Western democracies started to appear. This influenced the future Lithuanian-Russian negotiations and resulted in the initialization of a corresponding treaty on January 31.

During a visit of the official delegation of Iceland to Lithuania on January 20, Foreign Minister Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson said: "My government is seriously considering possibility to establish diplomatic relations with Republic of Lithuania". Iceland kept its promise and on February 4, 1991, just three weeks after the attacks, recognized Republic of Lithuania as a sovereign independent state and diplomatic relations were established between the two nations.

The events are considered one of the main factors that led to the overwhelming win of independence supporters in a referendum on February 9, 1991 (turnover was 84,73% of registered voters, 90,47% of them voted in favor of full and total independence of Lithuania.)

Streets in the neighborhood of the TV tower were later named after victims of the attack.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../j/a/n/January_Events_2f88.html"
In other languages