“Thirty-five years have passed since the Barricades of 1991, yet many still remember the bonfires, the sound of gunfire near Bastejkalns, the tension and anxiety. In those days, Latvian patriots exchanged their personal safety and comfort for the security and future of Latvia. The barricades remind us that a state is not just border posts, buildings or slogans. A state is people who, in times of crisis, understand that ‘together’ is not a beautiful word but a practical choice. In 1991, this meant standing in the cold shoulder to shoulder and supporting one another. Much has changed over these 35 years, yet some things have remained the same. Even today, it seems that nothing is more important than supporting one another and caring for our fellow human beings.
People defended Latvia not because they were born with some special hero gene. They took part in the barricades because it was the logical thing to do. If we did not take part, others would. Others whose values do not align with ours.
The participants of the 1991 barricades were a great force, united in the right place at the right time. And today, we too are a great force – right now and right here in Latvia,” President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote on his Facebook profile on the morning of 20 January, the Day of Remembrance of the defenders of the 1991 barricades.