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	Topics Baltic Way Topic Home "Baltic Way" (also Baltic chain, EstonianEstonian language Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and by some ten thousands in va... : Balti kett, LatvianLatvian language Latvian , sometimes referred to as Lettish, is the official state language of the Republic of Latvia.... : Baltijas celš, LithuanianLithuanian language Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, spoken by about 4 million native speakers.... : Baltijos kelias) is the event which occurred on August 23, 1989 when approximately two million people joined their hands to form an over 600 kilometer (373 mi) long human chainHuman chain Summary A human chain is a form of demonstration in which people link their arms as a show of political solidarity.... across the three Baltic states. This original demonstration was organized to draw the world's attention to the common historical fate which these three countries suffered. It marked the 50th anniversary of August 23, 1939 when the Soviet UnionSoviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state that existed... and GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe.... in the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop PactMolotov-Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, also known as the Hitler-Stalin Pact or Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact or Nazi-Soviet P... divided spheres of interestSphere of influence A sphere of influence is an area or region over which an organization or state exerts some kind of indirect cultural, econom... in Eastern EuropeEastern Europe Eastern Europe is the eastern region of Europe variably defined.... which led to the occupation of these three states. Background In the light of glasnostGlasnost Glasnost was one of Mikhail Gorbachev's policies introduced to the Soviet Union in 1985.... and perestroikaPerestroika Perestroika is the Russian word for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.... , street demonstrations had been increasingly growing in popularity and support. In 1986 a handful of people in each capital gathered to make their protest and were quickly dispersed by police. On August 23, 1986, the first annual Black Ribbon Day Rally was held in 21 western cities including New York, Stockholm, London, Toronto, Seattle and Perth, Australia where tens of thousands of demonstrators drew public attention to the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In 1987 large demonstrations in all three capitals were interrupted by the authorities and ended in arrests. A year later, for the first time, mass protests were sanctioned by the authorities and passed off peacefully. A week before the event, the Soviet Union admitted the existence of the secret protocol but still insisted that the three states joined the union voluntarily. A couple of days previously, 170 members of the council of Lithuania's SajudisSajudis Sajudis is the political organization which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s.... movement (which won 36 seats out of 42 in the Congress of People's Deputies in March) had voted to seek an independent Lithuanian state "without political, cultural or administrative subordination to the Soviet Union". The protest The chain was sanctioned by local Communist Party authorities and well-planned to make sure that it had no gaps; most cities and towns had designated spots they needed to cover and provided free bus rides for those who did not have other transportation. Demonstrators linked hands for 15 minutes at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT). Special radio broadcasts helped to coordinate the effort. Later, a number of local gatherings and protests took place. In VilniusVilnius Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 553,904 as of December 2005.... , thousands of people gathered in Cathedral SquareCathedral Square in Vilnius The Cathedral Square in Vilnius is the main square of the city's downtown, right in front of the neo-classical Vilnius Cathe... , holding candles and singing national songs and Tautiška giesmeTautiška giesme "Tautika giesme" is the national anthem of Lithuania.... ; elsewhere, priests held masses or rang church bells. In one of the most spectacular moments of the protests, leaders of the Estonian and Latvian Popular Fronts gathered on the border between their two republics for a symbolic funeral ceremony, in which a giant black cross was set alight. A public holiday was declared in Estonia. The protest was completely peaceful. However, participants feared retaliation or other physical sanctions. In fact, Erich HoneckerErich Honecker Erich Honecker was a German Communist politician who led German Democratic Republic from 1971 until 1989.... from East Germany and Nicolae CeausescuNicolae Ceausescu Nicolae Ceausescu was the leader of Communist Romania from 1965 until shortly before his execution.... from RomaniaRomania Romania: is a country in Southeastern Europe.... offered the Soviet Union military assistance in case it decided to use force and break up the demonstration. In Moscow's Pushkin SquarePushkin Square Pushkin Square in Moscow, historically known as Strastnaya Square and renamed for Alexander Pushkin in 1937, is located ... , ranks of special riot police were employed when a few hundred people tried to stage a sympathy demonstration. TASSTelegraph Agency of the Soviet Union Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union at the USSR Cabinet of Ministers or TASS was the central agency for collection an... said 75 were detained for breaches of the peace, petty vandalism, and other offences. About 13,000 demonstrated in Moldova which also was affected by the secret protocol. The estimates vary, but ReutersReuters Reuters Group plc; pron. is best known as a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broa... News the following day reported that about 700,000 Estonians, 500,000 Latvians, and 1,000,000 Lithuanians joined the protests. These numbers rank much higher than 1,500,000 overall estimate before the event. About 8 million people in total live in the three states. The official Soviet numbers provided by TASS were 300,000 people in Estonia and nearly 500,000 in Lithuania. No official Soviet estimates for Latvia were released. Aftermath The human chain symbolized the Baltic peoples' solidarity in their struggle for more autonomy and eventual independence. It helped to establish the idea of three "Baltic States" and encourages cooperation to this day. For example, some politicians raised the idea that together the three republics could place a Summer Olympic bid. Also, the protest outlined the main features of future protests: massive and peaceful. It helped to attract those that were passive, sceptic, or afraid of persecutions. On November 9 1989 the Berlin WallBerlin Wall The Berlin Wall , an iconic symbol of the Cold War, was initially constructed starting on August 13, 1961 and dismantled in ... fell. In December 1989, Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991.... signed the declaration condemning the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact's secret protocol. Within six months, Lithuania became the first Soviet state to declare independence, on March 11 1990. Only two years after this demonstration, the independence of all three Baltic states was recognized by most western countries. This protest was one of the longest human chains in history. The Lithuanian record book lists the event as the greatest traffic jam: 100 km length Vilnius-KaunasKaunas Kaunas, is the former temporary capital and second largest city in Lithuania.... highway was clogged for a couple of hours. Similar human chains were later organised in many East European countries and regions of the USSR and, more recently, in TaiwanTaiwan Taiwan is an island in East Asia, but the term "Taiwan" is also commonly used to collectively refer to the territories gove... . See also Singing RevolutionSinging Revolution The Singing Revolution is the common title for events between 1988 and 1990 that led to the renewal of independence of Eston... Further reading Ann Imse, Baltic Residents Form Human Chain in Defiance of Soviet Rule, Associated PressAssociated Press Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the world's largest such organization.... , 23 August 1989 Robin Lodge, Human Chain Spanning: Soviet Baltics Shows Nationalist Feeling, ReutersFacts About Reuters Reuters Group plc; pron. is best known as a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broa... News, 23 August 1989 Mary Dejevsky, Baltic groups plan mass protest; Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia's struggle for independence, The TimesThe Times *The Times* is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 178... , 23 August 1989 Baltic residents entwine hands in defiance of rule by Soviets, Associated Press, The Harrisburg Patriot, 24 August 1989 External links , a virtual gallery hosted on Government of Lithuania website homepage dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Baltic way issued ten years after Baltic Chain The Baltic Chain: Ten Years After Speech of Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis PabriksArtis Pabriks Artis Pabriks is a Latvian politician and the current Foreign Minister of Latvia.... on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the Baltic Way A short 1989 documentary film by Arunas Matelis and Audrius Stonys Music video in three languages sang by singers from corresponding countries: "Wake up, the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania!"