Remembering Jan 13, 1991

Remembering Jan 13, 1991
Originally uploaded by Kritta.

I really smell of smoke. I spent a while earlier this evening hanging around a big fire outside Lithuania's Parliament. A decent crowd had gathered. Military and police ambled peacefully about. Old blokes with chiselled faces stood about in long army coats reminiscing. Little kids wearing beanies in the colours of the Lithaunian flag enjoyed the fire, but probably were left wondering what it was all about.

It was all in aid of the memory of the events of January 13, 1991. (Actually, it was the night of January 12 and the morning of January 13, if you want to be exact.) I don't have the time or inclination for a full history lesson here, but basically Lithuanians had gathered around Parliament, the TV Tower and other significant buildings to protect their recently declared freedom from the Soviets, who were not inclined to listen.

Soviet tanks stormed the TV Tower and 14 people wound up dead. The full story is covered in the current issue of Vilnius In Your Pocket. You'll also find a couple more photos if you click on the one above and explore my photos on flickr a bit.