Other events in Baltic States

The city government of Estonia's capital Tallinn is preparing grand celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Baltic Chain, LETA/Postimees Online reports.

"Undoubtedly the around 600 kilometres long human chain that was organised in 1989 and that ran from Tallinn via Riga to Vilnius and consisted of two million people, which drew attention to the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that set the fate of the Baltic states, played an invaluably big role in the fight of the Baltic states for freedom. We have set an aim of remembering that event in a dignified way," Mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar said.

One of the focal events will be a concert tour with thematic and historic atmosphere in Tallinn and two more Estonian towns that the Baltic Chain passed through. A travelling exhibition dedicated to the Baltic Chain starts in May from the People's Front Museum and travels from Tallinn via Estonia along the chain's route. A documentary and a book on the Baltic Chain will be worked on. Tallinn hosts also the Baltic Chain bicycle tour that starts from Pärnu and ends in Tallinn.

 On Wednesday, a working group for arranging events of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Baltic Way held its first sitting. Various ideas, proposals and tasks to be done were discussed.

According to Deputy Chancellor of the Government, Chair of the working group Remigijus Motuzas, the working group will seek to involve public figures, historians, scientists in its activities.

"A great job was done in previous years commemorating the 20th, the 15th anniversaries of the Baltic Way, cooperating with Latvians and Estonians; therefore, we will continue this tradition, and we will seek to implement new proposals," said Motuzas.

On 23 August 1989, two million Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians made a continuous human chain – The Baltic Way. This peaceful campaign marked the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact which divided Europe and led to the occupation of the Baltic States.