March 11, 2023. Lithuania marks its 33rd anniversary of independence.
Nobody could have thought that even this year the anniversary would have been a day not only to remember the regaining of the independence of the Baltic state in 1990, but also a day to support Ukraine after the outbreak of the war unleashed by the Russia Federation against a sovereign country.
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March 11, it was raining in Vilnius, Kaunas and other parts of Lithuania. Nevertheless, people wanted to participate in events marking the anniversary of independence regained after almost fifty years of occupation. It was 1990.
In 1990Lithuania was the first Soviet Republic to declare its independence.
A historic day for Lithuania and for all countries that were under USSR occupation or under control of the soviet regime. It was one of the first events leading to the collapse of the USSR.
How happy Lithuanians were that day! Even kids. Maybe, they didn’t understand what was exactly happening. However, they saw the happiness of their parents and relatives. Something important was changing their lives. Even if hard times were still coming, because the Red Army was still in the country. In January 1991, Mr. Gorbačëv sent tanks to Vilnius to re-establish the Soviet Regime. He was defeated by Lithuanians
The will of the Lithuanians, their will of freedom was stronger than ever.
Yesterday Lithuanian flags were next to others, those Ukrainian and Belarusian. We’ve been going through difficult times. The war against Ukraine and the dictatorship in Belarus, the difficult situation in Sakartvelo and Moldova, remind us that freedom, independence, and democracy must be protected every day of our lives.
We are Europe. We are stronger together. Our values are stronger than every terrorist state, than every dictatorship.
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