VILNIUS Soviet Union; the Lithuanian parliament, in a bloodless revolution against the Kremlin, declared the Baltic republic’s independence from the Soviet Union on Sunday, March 11.
The parliament then elected the first non-Communist in Soviet history to serve as leader of a republic.
As crowds singing and chanting “Lithuania, Lithuania: stood in the chilly wind in the courtyard of the parliament building, deputies inside approved a landmark resolution that severed the republic of 3.5 million people from the country, presenting President Mikhail S. Gorbachev with a challenge as serious as any he has faced in five years of rule.
We are happy that Lithuania is already free in soul and in truth. Next Latvia will be free, Estonia will be free,” said the republic’s new leader, Vytautas Landsbergis, referring to Lithuania’s sister Baltic republics.
Deputies, who voted 124-0 in favor of the resolution, with six abstentions, then joined hands and began rhythmically chanting “‘Latvia will be free, Estonia will be free” as the Lithuanian national anthem resounded in the hall.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990
