The Baltic Nations – Modern History

Making flower wreaths is a popular pastime during spring and summer in Latvia. Photo by Valdis Kupris

At the end of the 18th century Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were under the harsh rule of the Russian czar. Following the Russian Revolution, the three Baltic countries declared themselves independent in 1918 and were finally marked on the maps of Europe.

Independence was short lived: in 1940 Soviet troops invaded. The World War II years were especially brutal, with thousands of citizens arrested and sent to the Siberian labor camps. During the German occupation (1941 – 1944) thousands of Jewish citizens of the Baltic states perished. Once the Soviets returned in 1944, thousands more Balts fled to the West as refugees.

In the late 1990’s, Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika policies allowed for more freedom in the different areas of life. At ass meetings in the capital cities national flags were flown, and speeches openly criticized the forced incorporation into the Soviet Union. People came in ethnic dress, rallied together, and sang patriotic national songs, including the banned national anthems. They formed a human chain linking hands from Tallinn to Riga to Vilnius. They called it the Baltic Way. And all the time they sang, danced, and played their instruments.

Estonia:

Geographic size: 1,375 sq. miles; Population: 1.5 million; Language:Estonia (official); Religion: Lutheran, Russian Orthodox; Ethnic groups: 60% Estonian, 39% Russian, 10% Other

Latvia:

Geographic size: 24,950 sq. miles; Population: 2.7 million; Language: Latvian (official); Religion: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox; Ethnic groups: 57% Latvian, 30% Russian, 4% Belarussian, 9% Other

Lithuania

Geographic size: 25,175 sq. miles; Population: 3.7 million: Language: Lithuanian (official): Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Russian Orthodox Ethnic groups: 85% Lithuanian, 8% Russian, 7% Other.

They sang until August 1991, when the coup in Moscow failed and the Soviet Union collapsed. So it is not surprising that all three countries refer to their recent historical moment as the singing revolution.

Society in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is undergoing many changes since the restoration of independence. The transition to a market economy affects daily life, and Western popular culture has a great influence, especially on the younger generation. Thus, the people of the Baltics face new challenges in maintaining their cultural identity. But if their history is a guide, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are sure to survive these changes as well.