Singing Revolution
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The Singing Revolution[a] was a series of events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence of the three Soviet-occupied Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War.[1][2] The term was coined by an Estonian activist and artist, Heinz Valk, in an article published a week after the 10–11 June 1988 spontaneous mass evening singing demonstrations at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.[3]
Background
Eastern Bloc |
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During
In 1985, the last leader of the former Soviet Union,
Hitherto unrecognised issues previously kept secret by the Soviet central government in Moscow were admitted to in public, causing further popular dissatisfaction with the Soviet regime in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Combined with the war in Afghanistan and the nuclear fallout in Chernobyl, grievances were aired in a publicly explosive and politically decisive manner. Estonians were concerned about the demographic threat to their national identity posed by the influx of individuals from foreign ethnic groups to work on such large Soviet development projects as phosphate mining.[4]
Access to Western émigré communities abroad and, particularly in Estonia, informal relations with Finland, and access to Finnish TV showing the Western lifestyle also contributed to widespread dissatisfaction with the Soviet system and provoked mass demonstrations as repression on dissidents, nationalists, religious communities, and ordinary consumers eased substantially towards the end of the 1980s.[citation needed]
Massive demonstrations against the Soviet regime began after widespread liberalisation of the regime failed to take into account national sensitivities. It was hoped by
Estonia
The Soviet government's plan to excavate phosphorite in the Lääne-Viru county with potentially catastrophic consequences for the environment and society was revealed in February 1987. That started the "Phosphorite War", a public environmental campaign.[5] The MRP-AEG group held the Hirvepark meeting in the Old Town of Tallinn at the anniversary of Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 23 August 1987, demanding to disclose and condemn its secret protocol.[citation needed]
The "Five Patriotic Songs" series by
The Singing Revolution lasted over four years, with various protests and acts of defiance. The revolution was led by three different groups: the Heritage Society, the Popular Front, and the National Independence Party. The Heritage Society, established in 1987, focused on spreading awareness about Estonia's history to gather support for Estonia's independence from the Soviets. The Popular Front, founded in 1988, wanted to reform Estonia into self-government within a loose confederation of the Soviet Union. The National Independence Party, established in 1988 as well, was more radical than the other two organizations and demanded complete independence from the Soviet Union. [11][12]
In 1991, as the central government in Moscow and the Soviet Army attempted to stop the Estonian progress towards independence, the newly elected legislature of Estonia together with an elected grassroots parliament, Congress of Estonia, proclaimed the restoration of the independent state of Estonia and repudiated Soviet legislation. Large groups of unarmed volunteers went to shield the parliament, radio and TV buildings from any attacks by Soviet troops. Through these actions Estonia regained its independence without any blood shed.[13]
Independence was declared on the late evening of 20 August 1991, after an agreement between different political parties was reached. The next morning Soviet troops, according to Estonian TV, attempted to storm
On 22 August 1991, Iceland (independent country since 1944) announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with Estonia, and Iceland thus became the first foreign country to formally recognise the fully restored independence of Estonia in 1991. Today, a plaque commemorating this event is situated on the outside wall of the Foreign Ministry, which is on Islandi väljak 1, or "Iceland Square 1". The plaque reads; "The Republic of Iceland was the first to recognise, on 22 August 1991, the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Estonia", in Estonian, Icelandic and English. Some other nations did not recognise the annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union.[15][16]
Latvia
During the second half of the 1980s as
In 1986, it became widely known to the public that the USSR was planning to build another
On 14 June 1987, the anniversary of the
On 1 and 2 June 1988, the Writers' Union held a congress during which the democratization of society, Latvia's economic sovereignty, the cessation of immigration from the USSR, the transformation of industry, and the protection of Latvian language rights were discussed by delegates. Over the course of this conference, for the first time in post-war Latvia, the secret protocol of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, which had determined Latvia's fate after 1939, was publicly acknowledged.[citation needed]
The congress of the Writers' Union stirred up public opinion and provided an additional stimulus for the general process of national revival.[citation needed]
In the summer of 1988, two of the most important organizations of the revival period began to assemble themselves—the
On 23 August 1989, the fiftieth anniversary of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the People's Fronts of all three Baltic countries held a huge demonstration of unity—the "Baltic Way". A 600 km (373 mi) long human "chain" from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius was assembled. This was a symbolic demonstration of the people's call for independence from the Soviet Union.
New elections to the Supreme Soviet took place on 18 March 1990, in which the supporters of independence gained a victory. On 4 May 1990, the new Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted a motion, "Declaration of Independence", which called for the restoration of the inter-war Latvian state and the 1922 Constitution.
In January 1991, however, pro-communist political forces attempted to restore Soviet power. With the use of force, attempts were made to overthrow the new assembly. Latvian demonstrators managed to stop the Soviet troops from re-occupying strategic positions, and these events are known as the "
On 19 August 1991, an unsuccessful attempt at a
Lithuania
Between 1956 and 1987, open public resistance to the Soviet regime was rare. It became more persistent in the 1970s and 1980s. One example of this could be the Kaunas events of 1972. Many popular singers often used the poetry of nationalist poets such as
In 1987, various organisations (mainly environmental ones) were founded. On 3 June 1988, the Sąjūdis, a political and social movement, was established. Some initiators of this movement were active members of environmental organisations, established in 1987 (e. g. Zigmas Vaišvila, Gintaras Songaila). Initially, this organisation supported the regime, but in early autumn of the same year after Lithuania-wide growth, it became an opposing force to the CPL.
In response to this, Sąjūdis became a more centralised organisation. The active nationalist opposition (mostly the Lithuanian Liberty League) towards the regime culminated in various public protests. The most notorious of them took place on 28 October 1988, which ended up with violent dispersal. The resulting public anger caused resignations in the Communist Party of Lithuania (including the then-First Secretary of the party, Ringaudas Songaila, who served just over a year) and replaced them with more moderate members.[18]
As the CPL leadership changed, it decided to return
It was followed by the gradual rebuilding of national symbols, which included erecting or restoring independence monuments throughout the country in late 1988 and 1989.
During 1989, various organisations (e. g. The Writers Union) split from the Soviet ones. Prior to the election of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, Sąjūdis media became more restricted, but after the defeat of the CPL (it won just 6 seats of 42, other seats were won Sąjūdis supported candidates), restrictions were lifted. By the end of the year, the CPL gave up its power monopoly and agreed to hold free elections for Supreme Soviet of Lithuanian SSR in 1990, which it lost.
Five decades after Lithuania was occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union, Lithuania became the first republic to declare its independence from the USSR on 11 March 1990, while Estonia and Latvia declared Soviet rule to have been illegal from the start and since full restoration of independence was not yet feasible, started a period of transition towards independence, culminating with the failure of the August coup. For the same reason, almost all nations in the international community, except Iceland, hesitated to recognise independence for Lithuania until August 1991.[citation needed]
The Soviet military responded harshly. On 13 January 1991, fourteen non-violent protesters in Vilnius died and hundreds were injured defending the
International governments began recognizing Lithuanian independence after the failure of the
Notable protest songs
- "The Baltics Are Waking Up" (Lithuanian: Bunda jau Baltija, Latvian: Atmostas Baltija, Estonian: Ärgake, Baltimaad) (LIT/LAT/EST)
- "Brīvību Baltijai"[20] (LAT) ("Freedom for the Baltics")
- "Dzimtā valoda"[20] (LAT) ("Mother tongue")
- "Lāčplēsis" (LAT) ("Bear slayer")
- "Manai Tautai"[20] (LAT) ("To My Nation")
- "Gaismas pils"[21] (LAT) ("Castle of Light")
- "Pūt, Vējiņi!"Livonian wedding folk song ("Pūgõ tūļ") and often used in place of the national anthemduring the Soviet era. (LAT) ("Blow, Winds!")
- "Saule, Pērkons, Daugava"[21] (LAT) ("Sun, Thunder, Daugava")
- "Ei ole üksi ükski maa"[20] (EST) ("There is no land alone")
- "Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään"[20] (EST) ("Estonian I am and Estonian I will be")
- "Isamaa ilu hoieldes"[20] (EST) ("Keeping the beauty of fatherland")
- "Sind surmani"[20] (EST) ("Until I Die")
- "Mingem üles mägedele"[20] (EST) ("Let's go up the mountains")
- "Laisvė" (canonical perf. Eurika Masytė ) (LIT) ("Freedom")
- "Palaimink Dieve mus" (LIT) ("God bless us")
- "Dėl Tos Dainos" (LIT) ("For That Song")
- "Pabudome ir kelkimės" (LIT) ("We woke up, now let's get up")
- "Kokia nuostabi, Lietuva esi" (canonical perf. Kipras Mašanauskas ) (LIT) ("How amazing you are, Lithuania")
- "Šaukiu aš tautą" (canonical perf. Vytautas Kernagis) (LIT) ("I call the nation")
- "Tėvyne dainų ir artojų" (canonical perf. Rondo) (LIT) ("Homeland of songs and sons of the soil")
- "Mano mylimoji / per pasaulio sniegą ..." (canonical perf. Gintarė Jautakaitė) (LIT) ("My beloved / through the snow of the world")
- "Broli, neverk!" (LIT) ("Brother, don't cry")
- "Pīmiņ bruoļ" (LTG) ("Remember, brother") Latgalian awakening song.
See also
- Baltic Way
- Forest Brothers
- Revolutions of 1989
- Dissolution of the Soviet Union
- Nonviolent revolution
- Chervona Ruta (festival)
Notes
- ^ Estonian: laulev revolutsioon; Latvian: dziesmotā revolūcija; Lithuanian: dainuojanti revoliucija.
References
- ISBN 0-7181-3459-1.
- S2CID 154588618.
- ISBN 978-1571818959. Retrieved 1 January 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Estonia and the Estonians, Toivo U. Raun, Hoover Press, 2001, p. 223
- ^ Phosphorite War Estonica. Ecyclopaedia about Estonia
- ^ a b "The Singing Revolution". www.estonica.org. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "10th June 1988 – the Singing Revolution". Dorian Cope presents On This Deity. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Estonia's Singing Revolution (1986–1991)". ICNC. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "1988 – Rock Summer I – Rock Summer". www.rocksummer.ee. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "Song of Estonia". Estonica.org. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ "Estonia's Singing Revolution (1986–1991)". ICNC. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "You are being redirected..." tavaana.org. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "State of World Liberty". Archived from the original on 30 September 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "ETV". Etv.err.ee. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ISBN 978-5875231827.
- ^ Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "President of the Republic at the State Dinner hosted by President T. E. Mary McAleese and Dr. Martin McAleese, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, 14 April 2008". President Republic of Estonia. Estonia. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
The President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves said: "... ... we are thankful that Ireland never recognised the illegal annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union after the Second World War. We will never forget John McEvoy, Estonia's honorary consul in Dublin from 1938 to 1960.
- ^ "JĀZEPS VĪTOLS'S "GAISMAS PILS": a ballad for mixed choir". Latvian Cultural Canon. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ "Anapilin iškeliavusio sovietinės Lietuvos vadovo klystkeliai: po "bananų baliaus" tapo visų užmiršta praeities šmėkla". Delfi.lt. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "1988 m. lapkričio 18 m. lietuvių kalbai grąžintas valstybinės kalbos statusas". Vki.lrv.lt. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Latvijas neatkarības atjaunošana" (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
External links
- A Lithuanian history, including information about Bloody Sunday
- Tallinn-Life: A Brief Guide to the Estonian Singing Revolution
- Aadu Jogiaas: Disturbing soviet transmissions in August 1991 Museum of Occupations
- The Singing Revolution, US documentary film of the Estonian Singing Revolution
- General information about The Singing Revolution
- Washington Newsletter – When Songs Trumped Rifles
- Singing Revolution Cantata performance at UIC pavilion, Chicago, IL, Summer, 2015