August 23 will mark thirty-five years since nearly two million citizens of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined their hands forming a human chain that united the capitals of the Baltic States – Tallinn, Rīga and Vilnius. By commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way we are paying homage to this historic event, which was a crucial step for Latvia in regaining its independence, and inviting you to come and enjoy a full program of cultural events – the concert United for Freedom, international exhibit Demonstration THE BALTIC WAY – UNITED FOR FREEDOM and other activities organised by the Rīga City Council.
At 11 a.m. in honour of the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way and the meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Eight's (NB8) chairpersons in Latvia a flower-laying ceremony will take place at the Freedom Monument.
At 1 p.m., an international exhibit Demonstration THE BALTIC WAY – UNITED FOR FREEDOM will be unveiled in Freedom Square. The National Archives of Latvia created the exhibit in cooperation with the National Archives of Estonia, the Lithuanian Central State Archives and the Lithuanian State Modern Archives, and it will feature various photographs from the events that took place on 23 August 1989. The exhibit was made with the support of the Education, Culture, and Sports Department of Rīga City Council. The exhibit will be open until September 10 of this year. After its demonstration in Rīga, the exhibit will be available for visitors in Prague from September 16 until September 29 in collaboration with the Embassy of Latvia in Prague.
On the evening of August 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the concert United for Freedom will take place at the Freedom Monument. Before the concert the attendants will be addressed by the first chairperson of the Popular Front of Latvia Dainis Īvāns, the Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, the Minister for Culture Agnese Lāce and the chairperson of the Rīga City Council Vilnis Ķirsis.
On the evening of August 23 in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way you will have the joy of hearing the first performance of the concert programme created by the composer Mārtiņš Miļevskis in Freedom Square where the bagpipe and drum music band Auļi will join the orchestra Rīga. The opening of the concert will be performed by the men's ensemble Vilki.
The attendants will have the opportunity to experience the symbiosis of the orchestra Rīga and the bagpipe and drum music group Auļi – the rich sound of the orchestra intertwined with the power and mightiness of Auļi through the new creations of Mārtiņš Miļevskis, as well as the arrangements of the most popular compositions of Auļi. The content and dynamics of the concert programme created for the orchestra and Auļi by Mārtiņš Miļevskis show great contrasts. The programme features elements, harmonies and rhythms characteristic of contemporary academic music, jazz, and many other types of world folk music.
Valdis Butāns – the artistic director and the main conductor of the orchestra Rīga says: “Musically it will be a very bright and diverse message – ranging from lyrically pastoral, at times meditative tones to a mighty, epic sound filled with vibrant pulsations where the timbres of academic and folk musical instruments intertwine.”
The concert is being organised with the support of the Rīga City Council and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
The live coverage of the concert will also be available on the evening of August 23 on www.lsm.lv or as a live broadcast on LR1 radio station, as well as a broadcast delay on the LTV1 channel at 8:40 p.m..
From August 23 till September 10 those interested can also visit the environmental object Join the Baltic Way! in the Freedom Square. Everyone is invited to join the historical Baltic Way by taking a photo, thus supporting the demonstration symbolically and upholding freedom and democratic values.
Everyone will also have the opportunity to send a special postcard dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way by the Freedom Monument from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The postcard can be sent to any place in Latvia free of charge.
On August 23 at 10 a.m. an event dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way will take place on the border of Latvia and Estonia. The president of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs will meet with the president of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis at the Latvian–Estonian border crossing point Unguriņi-Lilli to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way. It is planned that at the memorial place dedicated to the Baltic Way both presidents will address the attendants, there will also be musical performances, as well as informal conversations with the participants of the event.
Whereas at 3 p.m. an event dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way will be hosted in Pasvalys. Edgars Rinkēvičs with the president of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda will participate in an event dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way in Pasvalys, Lithuania, where both presidents will address the attendants. After the event, a mutual meeting of both presidents and a joint press conference is scheduled.
At 7 p.m. Rīga Cathedral will hear the concert 35 years since the Baltic Way with the participation of Aigars Raumanis (saxophone) and Aigars Reinis (organ). The tickets are available on bilesuparadize.lv.
Meanwhile on August 21 and 22 the cinema K.Suns located at 83/85 Elizabetes Street will be hosting the Baltic Film Days during which all screenings will be free.
For more information on the events in Latvia and the Baltic States go to: https://www.mk.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/baltijas-celam-35
On 23 August 1989 fifty years after the signing of the unlawful Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact nearly two million citizens of the Baltic States joined their hands forming a live, uninterrupted chain in a route of 660–670 km that united all three Baltic States for 15 minutes.
The Baltic Way served as an unofficial referendum clearly showing the occupying power the unity of the Baltic States in their desire to regain freedom. This unique demonstration attracted great international attention, which, in turn, gave a strong impulse for the subsequent democratisation processes, starting with the collapse of the totalitarian regime and the Baltic States regaining their independence in 1991. In 2009 UNESCO recognised the documentary evidence of the Baltic Way as a part of the international register of the Memory of the World programme, thus signifying the importance of the Baltic Way on a global scale.
Information was prepared by: Aira Ancāne, project coordinator of the Department of External Communications of Riga City Council Communication Department, email: aira.ancane@riga.lv