January Events

The January Events (Lithuanian: Sausio įvykiai) were a series of violent confrontations between the civilian population of Lithuania, supporting independence, and the Soviet Armed Forces. The events took place between 11 and 13 January 1991, after the restoration of independence by Lithuania. As a result of the Soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and over 140 were injured. 13 January, was the most violent day. The events were primarily centered in the capital city Vilnius, but Soviet military activity and confrontations also occurred elsewhere in the country, including Alytus, Šiauliai, Varėna and Kaunas.

January Events
Lithuanian: Sausio įvykiai
Part of the Revolutions of 1989, the Singing Revolution, and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union

A man with a Lithuanian flag in front of a Soviet tank, 13 January 1991
Date11–13 January 1991
Location
Result

Lithuanian victory

  • Soviet forces withdraw from the cities
  • Lithuanian statehood preserved
Belligerents

 Lithuania

 Soviet Union

National Salvation Committee of the Lithuanian SSR
Commanders and leaders
Vytautas Landsbergis
Albertas Šimėnas  (AWOL)
Gediminas Vagnorius
Audrius Butkevičius
Mikhail Gorbachev
Vladislav Achalov
Mykolas Burokevičius
Casualties and losses
14 civilians killed
1 civilian died due to heart attack
702 injured
1 KGB soldier (friendly fire)

January 13th is the Day of the Defenders of Freedom (Lithuanian: Laisvės Gynėjų Diena) in Lithuania and it is officially observed as a commemorative day.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.