1972 unrest in Lithuania
| Date | May 18-May 19, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Location |  Kaunas, Lithuania, Soviet Union |
| Also known as | Kaunas' Spring |
| Participants | Lithuanian high school students, workers |
| Outcome | the numbers of injured protesters unknown at least five militsiya officers injured 50 people faced civil charges, ten people faced criminal persecution |
1972 unrest in Lithuanian SSR, sometimes titled as Kaunas' Spring, took place on May 18–19, 1972, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Soviet Union. It was sparked by the self-immolation of a 19-year-old student named Romas Kalanta and prohibition in taking part in Kalanta’s funeral by officials. As a result, thousands of young demonstrators gathered in the central street of Kaunas, Laisvės Alėja in anti-government protests that started on May 18 and was suppressed by the Soviet troops on May 19 .
The wave of protests
On May 14, 1972, a 19-year-old high school student named Romas Kalanta poured three liters of gasoline on himself and set himself on fire in the square adjoining the Laisvės Alėja in front of the Kaunas Musical Theatre where, in 1940, the People's Seimas had declared the establishment of the Lithuanian SSR. Before the suicide, Kalanta left his notebook with a brief note that read "blame only the regime for my death". It was only in 1990, when Lithuania declared its independence, that the content of this note became publicly known.
Kalanta died fourteen hours later in hospital. On May 18, the Soviet authorities hastened Kalanta's burial by two hours to prevent publicity.[1] However, it provoked even bigger outrage among the gathered people, mostly high school students and young workers, who broke into a politically charged riot, which was forcibly dispersed by KGB, militsiya, and Internal Troops. A spontaneous rally resulted in the disturbance of traffic in the city centre, as well as four shop windows being smashed, five Militsiya officers injured and one Militsiya motorcycle burnt.
The next day, about 3,000 people marched along the Laisvės Alėja of which 402 were arrested. The New York Times reported numerous injuries and one death among Soviet troops.[2]
Of the arrested, over half were under 20 years old and about a quarter belonged to the youth branch of the Communist Party.[1] To avoid further politicizing, the arrested people were charged with hooliganism. 50 people faced civil charges, while ten faced criminal persecution. Eventually, eight people were sentenced to one to two years in prison. Demonstrations spread to other cities as well, where 108 people were arrested.[1]
Mass demonstrations, that had not been present since 1956, were ultimately suppressed by big squads of KGB, Militsiya and Internal Troops.
Aftermath
The public agitation was felt throughout 1972 and 1973 as the KGB registered 3–4 times more various anti-Soviet incidents.[1] Lithuania recorded 13 other suicides by fire in 1972, including 24-year-old V. Stonys in Varėna on May 29, 60-year-old A. Andriuškevičius in Kaunas on June 3, 62-year-old Zališauskas on June 10, 40-year-old Juozapas Baracevičius in Šiauliai on June 22.[1][3]
The crackdown on the demonstrations was followed by stricter censorship, youth organisations and gatherings came under more thorough surveillance. Lithuanian SSR officials blamed "so-called followers of the hippie movement" for organising the riots.
There were some rallies by the Lithuanian diaspora in other countries, such as the United States, in support. A political émigré Vytautas Alantas published a book dedicated to the events under the title Romas Kalanta: The Living Torches in the Nemunas Valley.[4]
The remembrance of events
The day when Romas Kalanta died and the subsequent demonstrations are called "kalantinės" and is observed annually in Kaunas. There is a monument for Romas Kalanta at the place where he set himself on fire.
In the popular culture
A 1990 Lithuanian drama film The Children from the Hotel America depicts some scenes from the Kaunas' demonstrations. A 2017 Lithuanian drama film Emilija contains a self-immolation scene, the course of events in the city centre and the subsequent crackdown by the militsia.
Notable participants
- Vytautas Kaladė, anti-Soviet activist; one of the most active during the protests, imprisoned
- Algirdas Vaclovas Patackas, Member of Seimas, one of the signatories of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania
External links
- ^ a b c d e Anušauskas, Arvydas (2003). "KGB reakcija į 1972 m. įvykius". Genocidas ir rezistencija (in Lithuanian). 1 (13).
- ^ Smith, Hedrick (May 28, 1972). "Some Cracks in the Kremlin Wall". The New York Times: E2.
- ^ Vidzgiris, Julius (September–October 1980). "Lietuvos laisvės kovos 1940–1980". Aidai. 5: 250–260. ISSN 0002-208X.
- ^ Supplement to a Lithuanian Bibliography