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The Barricades: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Background And Tensions —
The Barricades.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost and perestroika policies to salvage the failing Soviet economy. These reforms lessened restrictions on political freedom within the Soviet Union. The changes exposed crimes of the Soviet regime that had been kept secret for decades. Public dissatisfaction grew deeper due to the war in Afghanistan and the Chernobyl disaster starting in April 1986. National sentiments long suppressed in the republics began to surface. Massive demonstrations against the Soviet regime started across Latvia. An independence movement emerged with groups like the Popular Front of Latvia and the Latvian Green Party. Supporters won elections to the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR on the 18th of March 1990. They formed a faction leaving pro-Soviet Equal Rights forces in opposition. On the 4th of May 1990, the Supreme Council declared the restoration of independence from the Soviet Union. The USSR did not recognize these actions as legal under its own constitutions. Tension between the independence movement and pro-Soviet forces intensified rapidly. Pro-Soviet groups included the International Front of the Working People of Latvia known as Interfront. A series of bombings occurred in December 1990 targeting strategic infrastructure. Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Yazov admitted military responsibility for the first four attacks. Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze resigned on the 20th of December 1990 stating a dictatorship was coming. He confirmed rumors about an impending coup d'état. The government threatened to establish a state of emergency granting unlimited authority to President Gorbachev. Soviet troops, OMON units, and KGB forces were already stationed throughout Latvia.
Escalation And Attacks
On the 2nd of January 1991, OMON seized the national printing house of Latvia. Criminal police officers documenting the event were attacked during the takeover. Workers inside faced physical and verbal abuse while being held hostage. The Supreme Council officially recognized this seizure as an illegal act by the Communist Party of Latvia. On the 4th of January, OMON captured the telephone exchange located in Vecmīlgrāvis. Speculation suggests they targeted it because their communication lines had been cut off. Later that day, OMON seized the Ministry of Internal Affairs but left phone lines intact. Boris Karlovich Pugo and Mikhail Gorbachev both claimed ignorance regarding these specific attacks. That same day, an intelligence unit arrived in Riga with Soviet military movements accelerating. Dmitriy Yazov sent commando units into several Republics including Latvia following orders from Mikhail Gorbachev on the 7th of January. The Military Council of the Baltic Military District met on the 11th of January to arm officers and cadets with machine guns. Open movement of armored vehicles appeared in streets across Riga. Some 50,000 people participated in a meeting called by Interfront demanding government resignation. They attempted to break into the Cabinet of Ministers building after being asked by military personnel. On the 14th of January, the Commander of the Soviet army issued an ultimatum against Anatolijs Gorbunovs. OMON attacked Brasa and Vecmilgrāvis bridges burning seventeen cars during daylight hours. Nighttime violence continued when OMON twice assaulted the Riga branch of the Minsk Militia Academy.
Construction Of Barricades
At 4:45 on the 13th of January, Latvian radio broadcasted a call for citizens to gather in Riga Cathedral square. Around 700,000 people had gathered by midday despite warnings dropped from Soviet helicopters. Agricultural machines and trucks full of logs arrived to build physical barriers throughout the city. Construction began that evening taking approximately three hours to complete initial defenses. Large concrete blocks, walls, wire obstacles, and other materials blocked key streets. Strategic targets included Supreme Council buildings near St. James's Cathedral and Latvian Television on Zaķusala. The international telephone exchange offices remained critical for maintaining global communication links. About 300 foreign journalists worked in Riga documenting events for international audiences. Families including women, elderly members, and children joined the effort across all districts. Some participants armed themselves with pieces of metal or specially crafted shields. Molotov cocktails were prepared but confiscated to ensure fire safety standards. Trucks loaded with construction waste and demolition debris formed the backbone of these fortifications. Schools provided sleeping quarters where possible while others slept directly at barricade sites. Foresters supplied firewood for bonfires widely used by those manning the defenses. First aid points established teams composed of doctors from local hospitals treating injuries daily. Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis held regular meetings with commanders overseeing individual barricades. Supplies coordinated by the Popular Front ensured resources reached necessary locations efficiently.
Deadliest Confrontations
At 4:45 pm on the 16th of January, a driver named Roberts Mūrnieks was shot in the back of the head. He died from his injury at 6:50 pm becoming the first fatality recorded during the barricades. Two other people suffered injuries during attacks on Vecmilgrāvis bridge that same afternoon. On the 20th of January, about 100,000 people gathered in Moscow supporting Baltic states against Soviet aggression. That evening became the deadliest day when OMON attacked the Latvian Interior Ministry. Two policemen named Vladimirs Gomanovičs and Sergejs Konoņenko were killed alongside camera operator Andris Slapiņš. A seventeen-year-old schoolboy named Edijs Riekstiņš also lost his life during the assault. Gvido Zvaigzne sustained fatal injuries dying later on the 5th of February after being wounded. Four Bauska policemen suffered injuries along with five participants including Hungarian János Tódor. Finnish journalist Hannu Väisänen and Russian camera operator Vladimir Brezhnev were among those hurt. Attackers themselves suffered casualties though exact numbers remain unknown. After the battle, OMON moved into the Latvian Communist Party building. The government urged transfer of control to state forces causing some disaffection among defenders. Part of the barricades were demolished following this handover decision.
Responsibility And Accountability
Major attacks were carried out by OMON units stationed in Riga throughout January 1991. Another combat unit appeared during the attack on the Ministry of Interior Affairs possibly Alpha Group. An interview with film director Juris Podnieks revealed an officer claimed plans originally targeted Riga before shifting focus. Viktor Alksnis transplanted Baltic OMON forces to Transnistrian territory supporting separatist regimes there. Commander Vladimir Antyufeyev took roles as Minister of Security under assumed names until 2012. On the 9th of November 1999, the Riga District Court found ten former officers guilty for involvement in attacks. Many others escaped conviction despite evidence presented against them. The Communist Party of Latvia and Interfront organizations were banned by parliament for attempted coup d'état. Two leaders of CPL and ALPRC faced treason trials resulting from these events. Boris Pugo denied ordering any attack on the interior ministry while Mikhail Gorbachev also denied knowledge. Dimitry Yuzhkov admitted military responsibility for initial bombings but no one claimed credit for subsequent ones. Pro-Soviet press blamed Latvian nationalists for remaining unexplained explosions. These legal proceedings marked significant steps toward establishing accountability for actions taken during January.
Legacy And Commemoration
In 1995, a support fund for Participants of the Barricades of 1991 was created to assist families of victims. The fund gathered information about participants and established the Museum of the Barricades of 1991 in 2001. Twenty January became an official commemoration day honoring those who died defending independence. Additional remembrance occurred annually on the 18th of November, the 4th of May, and the 21st of August marking key historical dates. Participants received the Commemorative Medal for Participants of the Barricades of 1991 awarded since 1996 by state authorities. Around 32,000 people have received this medal recognizing their participation or support efforts. Numerous monuments stand across Latvia commemorating specific locations where fighting took place. Remaining barricade blocks near the Saeima remained visible until autumn 1992 when finally removed. A poll held in March showed three-quarters voting in favor of full independence from Soviet Union. Latvia declared full independence recognized by the Soviet Union on the 6th of September following further attacks later that year. The Soviet Union dissolved completely in December 1991 ending decades of occupation. Public Broadcasting of Latvia released video documentation titled 'The Keys' tracing events throughout January 1991.
What caused the 1991 series of confrontations in Riga Latvia?
The 1991 series of confrontations in Riga Latvia resulted from tensions between an independence movement and pro-Soviet forces following the restoration of independence declaration on the 4th of May 1990. Public dissatisfaction grew due to the war in Afghanistan and the Chernobyl disaster starting in April 1986 while Soviet reforms exposed crimes kept secret for decades.
Who organized the barricades during the January 1991 events in Riga?
Citizens including families with women elderly members and children built physical barriers throughout the city after a call by Latvian radio at 4:45 on the 13th of January. The Popular Front coordinated supplies while Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis held regular meetings with commanders overseeing individual barricades.
When did the first fatality occur during the Barricades of 1991 in Riga?
The first fatality occurred when driver Roberts Mūrnieks was shot in the back of the head at 4:45 pm on the 16th of January 1991. He died from his injury at 6:50 pm becoming the first recorded death during the barricades.
What happened on the 20th of January 1991 during the confrontation in Latvia?
On the 20th of January 1991 OMON attacked the Latvian Interior Ministry killing two policemen named Vladimirs Gomanovičs and Sergejs Konoņenko alongside camera operator Andris Slapiņš. A seventeen-year-old schoolboy named Edijs Riekstiņš also lost his life during the assault while Gvido Zvaigzne sustained fatal injuries dying later on the 5th of February.
How many people received the Commemorative Medal for Participants of the Barricades of 1991?
Around 32,000 people have received the Commemorative Medal for Participants of the Barricades of 1991 awarded since 1996 by state authorities. This medal recognizes participation or support efforts related to the events that took place in January 1991.