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While Lithuanians all over the world celebrate March 11 - Day of Restoration of Independence of Lithuania, let's go back in time with dr. Joseph Kazickas to that special day 28 years ago:
"2007
Dear Friends,
When I read a beautiful congratulatory speech of Vidmantas for the Reinstaintment of Independence on March 11th, and memories of Mr. Jonas Dižiulis, inevitably I wanted to share with you my own story too. I believe that I was one of only a few Lithuanians from abroad who took part in this unforgettable celebration.
About one week prior to the March 11th, I started getting urgent notices from Prof. Landsbergis and other friends from Sajudis asking me to promply get to Lithuania. A trip was not going to be simple, first of all, because of the soviet visa. Fortunately, I had a very good relationship with Mr.Valdemaras Končius who at that time worked at the Soviet Embassy in Washington DC. I called him asking if he could possibly make an excepiton, and get me and my daughter Jūrate a visa. It looked like at that time, the Soviet Embassy did not anticipate an upcoming proclamation of Independence just yet.
Mr. Končius mentioned that it was not going to be simple, but he would do his best to help me out. I do not remember what the “dire” reason we came up with was but we were deeply surprised when in a couple of days Mr. Končius asked us to urgently come with our passports to Washington DC. Urgent messages from Lithuania pressed us to arrive no later than March 11th. We were lucky to get British Airline tickets for the 10th to London, and the following day to Riga. Without knowing precise final details, although feeling the significance of an upcoming event, we left New York in an uplifted mood. The flight was very successful until we reached Riga. In Riga, Jūratė went through the immigration and customs without a problem, but I was stopped by Russian immmigration officers. I was taken to a separate room, where they were especially interested where and how I had received the visa and what the purpose of my trip was. My explanations were not enough, and both of them ordered me to wait. The main problem was the fact that their English was hard to understand for me, while my Russian had not been used for a long time. They were surprised that I was born in Russia but did not speak Russian. In a good hour, their supervisor arrived and they spent more time arguing between each other than questioning me. They took time to inspect the return date on the flight ticket and asked me when was I going to return to America. Three of them sniffed and inspected my passort and the ticket with their fingers, and were not able to decide what to do with me. I started getting worried that my trip to Lithuania was going to end in Riga and with the next flight I could be leaving for New York. They disappeared for a half an hour and once they returned, I could go to Vilnius. After having lost two hours, I finally came out to the waiting area where I found my worried daughter and a driver sent to us by Sajudis people who had to take us to Vilnius. Our car ride was through muddy roads and patches of snow with a risk of getting stuck, but after my Riga experience, everything went well, and we even had to see an occasional sunshine.
In Vilnius, we were taken to Draugystės hotel, where one of the Sajudis people met us with a note that we should rush to the Parliament where entrance tickets were waiting for us and where a Solemn Ceremony of Proclamation of the Act of Independence was going to take place. We washed up in a rush, changed into more festive clothes, although they were a bit wrinkled, and rushed to the Parliament. We were welcomed and taken to a reserved area right away. We were surprised to be sitting in very good seats where guests, mostly foreign, high clergy representatives and many prominent but unfamiliar Lithuanians were sitting.
I do not know how to best describe this historic moment. At that time, one had to be there to be able transmit that feeling, that spiritual tention, that tremble that took over not only the heart but the whole body, the longing, the dream becoming a reality, which could be finally seen with your own eyes and reached with your own hands. Was it really the same enslaved and trampled upon body, whose spirit was resurecting and filling every fiber . We were there with the whole Lithuania.
Then Mrs. B in national costume entered the Hall holding the Bible of Faith and Freedom. Everyone lost their breath because of the tention, and tippy toed as if walking on the glass step by step to put their hands on it while making an oath to respect the resurecting Angel so it would never be enslaved again or hurt but would carry freedom, happiness and the joy of life for generations to come.
I will not name freedom fighters who spoke and will not try to describe their speeches. You will be able to find them in archives. What is impossible to find is the feeling when a dream of an indiscribable beauty becomes a reality.
When Jūratė and I left the assembly hall at about 1 a.m., we were faced with an unbelievable reality. The feeling we went through during the ceremony was just as powerfully radiating outside, in the most unfitted conditions, in the sleet, cold and wind. Crowds of people were singing songs and hymns. The youth up on the huge gate were tearing down symbols of oppression – hammer and sickle. It was impossible to get through a crying and singing crowd. It was very uncomfortable when older people tried to take our hands and kiss them, but those who were on their knees succeeded. They thanked us for freedom, happiness and human life. For me as well as for Jūrate, a 45 year old woman, this expression of emotions was such a revelation of what escape from slavery meant to people. Stunned we were moving towards our driver lost in the roaring crowd.
P.S
Just the same I am one of a few who joined life of the Independent Lithuania in its economic, social, charitable and political spheres. (With my character I did it more behind the scenes than in the public.) I do not claim being able to make a critical evaluation, while I am not disappointed in the progress we have achieved over the past
17 years. Summa summarum, I can see a beautiful and progressive Lithuania, a valuable member of EU, alhough in the constant shadow of Russia constantly causing internal and external problems. A teaching about the soviet period, should be a mandatory course in our schools."
Photo: Jurate and Joseph Kazickas at the Lithuanian Parlament March 11, 1990.
"Lithuania is free again. Applauds from the Lithuanians of the world, visiting from the USA, Canada and other countries."
Photo hanging in the halway of Parlament's III building in Vilnius, Lithuania.