{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O193545"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O193545/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA2308/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA2308/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CA2308","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O193545","accessionNumber":"E.98-1991","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Estonian Freedom. Latvian Freedom. Lithuanian Freedom. The Popular Front [of Estonia] in Pärnumaa county","type":"generic title"},{"title":"Pro-democracy Poster Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This Poster-calendar from 1990 is composed of photographs depicting the Baltic Way, a peaceful political protest held on 23 August 1989.\r\n\r\nOn 23 August 1939 Nazi-Germany and the Soviet Union concluded the Nazi-Soviet Pact. In a supplementary secret protocol of the pact the two powers agreed their spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Eastern Poland, Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia were assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. These territories, with the exception of Finland, which was able to defend its independence in the Winter War, were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939–1940. The Soviet Union denied the existence of the secret protocols until 1989, although they had been published in the West in the late 1940's. The disclosure of the secret protocol and the declaration of its illegality by the USSR Congress of People’s Deputies in December 1989 played a substantial role in the restoration of independence in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.\r\n\r\nOn the 50th anniversary of the Nazi Soviet Pact, the Estonian Popular Front together with the corresponding Latvian and Lithuanian political organisations, Tautas Fronte and Sajudis, organized the Baltic Way – a 600-kilometre human chain of people holding hands, reaching from Tallinn in Estonia to Vilnius in Lithuania. The Baltic Way reminded the world of the secret protocol concluded between the two totalitarian regimes, resulting in the loss of statehood and the 50 years of occupation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It symbolised the desire of the peoples of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to restore their sovereignty.\r\n\r\nThe Baltic Way reached from the tower of Tall Hermann in Tallinn to the Gediminas Tower in the heart of Vilnius and involved approximately 2 million people linking the three Baltic capitals. The event was supervised over the radio and topical speeches were broadcasted in a joint Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian radio programme. People chanted \"Freedom! Freedom!\" and Boris Rezniks's song ‘Wake up, Baltic Countries’ was aired. Later that night people lit candles along the way to commemorate the victims of the pact. Candles and car headlights formed a chain of light, visible from space in a photo taken by a US satellite.\r\n\r\nThe Baltic Way provoked a worldwide response. Soviet newspaper ‘Pravda’ called it a manifestation of nationalist hysteria. However, demonstrations and speeches were made in support of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Novosibirsk, Stockholm, Toronto, Bonn (then capital of West-Germany) and elsewhere. The Baltic Way increased the presence of international press in the Baltic countries and media interest in events there.\r\nIn 2009 European Parliament and the OSCE declared August 23 as a day of commemoration for the victims of communism and nazism to remember all those who lost their lives to Stalin's and Hitler's totalitarian regimes. In 2009 the Baltic Way was included to the UNESCO World Heritage list.","physicalDescription":"Poster","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tamm, V","id":"A25108"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Maask, Voldemar","id":"A25109"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Popular Front in Pärnumaa county","id":"A25111"},"association":{"text":"issued by","id":"x36339"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Colour offset lithograph on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Propaganda","id":"THES48902"},{"text":"Politics","id":"THES48908"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2009CA2308"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLC (VA)","id":"THES49171"},"free":"","case":"MB2E","shelf":"DR109","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Estonia","id":"x30327"},"association":{"text":"designed and printed","id":"x37573"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed and printed","id":"x37573"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Kevin Probert","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"86","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"57","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Political poster, Estonia ca 1990. RF 90/1332","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.98-1991"],"accessionNumberNum":"98","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1991,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-03-02","availableToBook":false}}