Land Force Headquarters at the Lithuanian Military (formerly Defence Department House). Viršuliškių Street 36

On January 11, 1991, a day and a half before the bloody events of January 13, the Defence Department House (which now houses the Lithuanian military) was one of the first targets of the Soviet troops.

The building was surrounded with armoured vehicles and was fired upon. Witnesses say there was some resistance to the intruders. Several employees of the Defence Department were beaten by the soldiers who took over the building and raised a red Soviet flag above it.

Historians say the Defence Department played a core role in Lithuania’s resistance to Soviet aggression during the January 1991 events.