The Baltic Way.
On August 23, 1989, the Baltic Way or Chain of Freedom, saw approximately 2 million people form a human chain across the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to protest Soviet occupation and assert their desire for independence, a powerful demonstration of unity that took place exactly 50 years after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The Baltic Way was a massive, nonviolent protest where people joined hands to create a human chain stretching over 675 kilometers (419 miles) across the three Baltic republics.
The demonstration was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret Nazi-Soviet agreement from 1939 that led to the Soviet Union’s occupation and annexation of the Baltic states in 1940.
It was a significant step towards independence for the Baltic states, demonstrating their collective will to be free from the USSR and serving as a symbol of their unity and desire for self-determination.
The Baltic Way is remembered as a historic event that highlighted the people’s courage and determination, paving the way for the Baltic states to regain their independence in 1991.
Russia was part of the USSR along with 14 other republics. Ukraine, where I was born, and Uzbekistan where I worked for 20 years, were also part of the Soviet Union. I spent the first half of my life there before escaping to freedom in America, just before the Soviet Union collapsed.
Now, I am petrified to witness the rise of a fascist, totalitarian regime here—in the very country I fled to for a better life!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, while we were bound to our homes, I took time to reflect on my life—and that’s when my memoir, Camel from Kyzylkum, was born.
For those interested in the history and everyday life behind the ‘Iron Curtain,’ my memoir is available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. My journey—from Ukraine to Uzbekistan, Austria, Italy, and finally the United States—offers a rare and vivid window into a world many have never seen, yet one that speaks to universal human experiences.
The American people should follow the powerful example of the Baltic countries and form a peaceful Chain of Freedom stretching from the East Coast to the West Coast. And it should be the Democrats who organize and lead this event.
Our country needs it now more than ever!
Keep the faith. And perhaps, that is the vehicle. If we can find others with faith and courage. That way, it becomes a movement of many faiths rather than of politics, which would be suppressed.
It is in our spirit and our minds now. I hope it becomes a reality. I’ll do what I can to spread the word and be ready to help make that happen. Thank you, Lara.