Thirty-five years later, the Baltic Way still inspires the fight for freedom
Thirty-five years ago, my parents and my eldest brother got in the car and drove toward the A2 motorway, which runs between the cities of Vilnius and Panevėžys. People had gathered all along the motorway, and the horizon looked like a sea of flags. That day, my family joined hands with more than two million people, without even the slightest thought that after fifteen minutes the history of the Baltic states and the world would change.
There’s a saying that extraordinary things can happen when ordinary people come together, and the Baltic Way is a living example of this belief. The peaceful movement demonstrated the power of an unwavering desire for independence and became a symbol of hope. It showed that when people unite, they can change the course of history—Lithuania would declare independence on March 11, 1990, soon followed by Latvia and Estonia, starting the collapse of the Soviet empire.
The turning point in the Baltic states’ fight for freedom was August 23, 1989. That day marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, an agreement signed by Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler’s Germany in 1939 that divided Europe into spheres of influence and sealed the dark fate of several European nations, including the Baltic states. In protest of the pact and its consequences, people from the three Baltic states formed what became known as the Baltic Way. More than two million people from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined hands in a breathtaking display of unity. They created a chain stretching more than 430 miles, connecting the Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, the Freedom Monument in Riga, and the Hermann Tower in Tallinn. All of them symbolically stood with their faces turned toward the west and their backs to the east, declaring to the world their choice for freedom.
It is hard to believe that this peaceful, yet powerful movement transformed fifteen minutes into a lifetime of independence. Despite the Kremlin’s aggressive rhetoric about overstepped boundaries, the movement received significant support and encouragement from the West. In December 1989, the Soviet Union acknowledged its past crimes against the Baltic states and denounced the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. As a result, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia returned to the world map as free, democratic, and sovereign states.
In the past thirty-five years, the Baltic Way has inspired peaceful and democratic movements around the world, and people in their own fights tried to replicate the determination and solidarity that defined the Baltic Way. From the human chains in Bangladesh in 2004 to the protests in Catalonia in 2013 and the demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019, the Baltic Way’s legacy has been felt far and wide.
However, the fight for freedom in the Baltic region is far from over. Following the fraudulent Belarusian elections in 2020, a human chain was formed between Lithuania and Belarus. Lithuanians once again joined hands amid growing concerns about Russian influence and the ongoing struggle for democracy in the region.
Today, as Russia continues its brutal war against Ukraine, the Baltic states stand united alongside a war-torn country, echoing the same spirit of solidarity they demonstrated more than three decades ago. This unwavering support for Ukraine is rooted in the deep historical trauma the Baltic states experienced during decades of Soviet repression, killings, and deportations, which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands people in the region. This shared and painful history fosters a heightened sense of empathy and solidarity with Ukraine’s struggle for freedom.
Civil society initiatives continue to amaze the world, as ordinary citizens have raised millions of dollars to purchase essential military equipment, such as Bayraktar drones and air-defense radars, to aid Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. This strong support reflects the Baltic countries’ firm belief that the future of the democratic world depends on the outcome of this war, and there can be no doubt: Ukraine must win.
The Baltic countries’ experience during the five decades of Soviet occupation underlines the importance of not letting authoritarian regimes continue their brutality today. In addition, the Baltic Way denounced the cooperation between two of history’s authoritarian regimes, a precedent that echoes today as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea align their positions.
Today, the Baltic states see Ukraine as a reflection of their past struggles, and they’re advocating for Ukraine’s rightful place in NATO and the European Union. They remind the world that this integration is crucial not only for Ukraine’s security but also for the entire region’s stability.
Perhaps most of all, the story of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia is a reminder that the commitment to freedom and against repression is deeply and widely held, but it is not always visible. Oppression can obscure it. In 1989, the Baltic Way did not create this commitment to freedom; it made visible what was already there.
Inga Samoškaitė is an assistant director with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.
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Image: Baltic Way participants on the Vilnius-Ukmergė motorway, August 23, 1989. (Saulius Gruodis, Lithuanian State Central Archives.)