Lithuania’s second-largest city of Kaunas will on Thursday mark the anniversary of Romas Kalanta’s self-immolation, honouring the anti-Soviet protester whose death became a symbol of resistance..
To mark the 54th anniversary of his death, a concert will be held in Kaunas City Garden. Officials and administration staff will lay memorial wreaths at the site of Kalanta’s self-immolation, at his grave in Romainiai Cemetery, and at the memorial stone near his former home.
In 1972, the 19-year-old Kalanta doused himself in petrol and shouted "Freedom for Lithuania" in Kaunas City Garden near the Musical Theatre in protest against Soviet rule. He was rushed to the hospital with severe burns and died the following day.
Further reading
His sacrifice and his final message, "Only the system is to blame for my death," became one of the most prominent symbols of civil resistance in Lithuania.
Spontaneous protests erupted in Kaunas after Soviet authorities moved the funeral forward to prevent public gatherings. Young people gathered in the city centre, laid flowers at the site of the self-immolation and expressed opposition to the Soviet occupation.
The protests later escalated into mass demonstrations on May 18–19, 1972. Thousands of people took part in the events, which became some of the largest anti-Soviet demonstrations in the USSR at the time.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
