Your story - barricades members' memories
30 years have passed since the January 1991 barricades, when Latvian independence supporters defended the freedom of the state against military shares and the opponents of independence. This time was full of excitement, when thousands of people went to Riga to participate in the barricades.
Also, Feimaņu parish peoples took part in these historical events. Stories from the parish population who went to barricades in 1991 were collected in order to preserve the memory of the barricades for future generations.
Barricade protector Juris Kudurs remember: “In 1991, i worked as a teacher AT Feimaņu in elementary school and was an active national frontiers. I regularly follow political events in Latvia and the world. In the early morning of 13 January, i heard about the events in Vilnius and the invitation of Diina Ivana to gather in the“ Vistatia protest manifestation ”held by the Latvian People's Front, which will be held at Daugavpils, i have no doubt – to go! In the early morning, I and Peteris Vilnius took a bus to Rezekne, where a bus trip to a manifestation was already organised at the district committee, involving around 500 000 people, in order to express support to Lithuanians and the Latvian government. After the manifestation, Dainis Evan and Romuald Rajuks invited people to stay in Riga to protect the most important strategic objects. It was my duty to stay in Riga to participate in these events. It was easy to make such a decision because a young woman and a little girl were waiting at home.
In the evening, the people of Riga began to build barricades from concrete blocks and also drive heavy machinery to protect – the highest Council, the Council of Ministers, the radio thought area, THE TV centre Zaķusala and the telephone and telegraph centres. Suddenly, on the ground, i heard a huge noise from the Daugava side, seemed to be driving the tanks, the first heavy cars to begin building the barricades. The first fires we warmed in the cold winter nights also gleamed. In these troublesome days and nights, i came to a number of sites. The brightest moments remained in memory, as a police officer had explained to the men on the ground how to stop the tanks. I saw the burning bottles on the top floor of the houses. Everyone was going to be the worst.
In the evenings we felt a sense of togetherness: the music, the tea, the warmth of the fires, but the whole time was not the excitement that would be tomorrow or tomorrow. There was no real clarity, so they all waited for what was going to happen. These events of January 1991 will always be vivid in my memory and i can tell my grandchildren like an eyewitness. '
Anton Reiniks remember, “Because i was a member of the People's Front, it was obvious to me that i had to go to Riga.” The parish President of the Council, Elman Pizane, announced that on the evening of 14 January, a bus to Riga would be coming from the Rēzekne District Council. Others were invited, but they said they had little children at home, they had to buy a farm. Elman took me to the Rēzekne District Council with the parish “Moscovitz”, where the men from other parish were gathered. On the bus, everyone was recommended to write a name, a surname and a blood group, and put it in his pocket. We knew the bloody events in Vilnius, not knowing what they would be, but they had to go. I remember how the decks got into the bus, patriotic men, and the spirit survived.
We went to Riga around midnight. We took us to Zalumma at THE TV tower. Heavy metal columns, logs of logs, stood on the island bridge. There were thousands of people on the television tower, burning fires, music. The wood had already been taken and we were burning our fire to warm up the night and be united with the rest of the nation. There were fewer people in the days, but there were full areas in the evenings and nights. Such strong People's Unity can only be on barricades. Thank God, the fate and the People's spirit, that today we have our own country and freedom. We'll be able to appreciate it. '
Peteris Vilnius there was an active national guardsman and Latvian patriot. He took part in the January barricades, unfortunately, in 2004, his life stopped.
These people are real Latvian patriots. Thank them for their memories. Today, we should all have a barricades unity.
Memory stories were collected by Inara Reinica
