Signatory of the Lithuanian Act of Independence Virgis Pikturna

January 13

There are wounds that leave scars for a lifetime.  The January 13 massacre is for me a wound that will not heal.  On the night of January 13, 1991, Soviet military tanks and armed soldiers attacked the television tower in Vilnius, as well as the buildings in which Lithuanian Radio and Television programs were produced.  Fourteen people were killed and more than 500 were injured.  The youngest killed was Loreta Asanavičiutė

Despite the passage of time, I am still chilled each time I visit the cemetery in Antakalnis or the memorial to the television tower victims.  Did we do everything we could to reduce the number of those who sacrificed themselves for independence in 1990-1991?  Maybe, or maybe not.

When I met my brother at 3:00 am inside the Supreme Council building [today, the Seimas building], it appeared that he had been sent there by our father to protect that building. 

That night adults and children protected Lithuanian independence.  It was successful.  To those who lost their lives for our freedom, Thank You:  Loreta Asanavičiūtė, Virginijus Druskis, Darius Gerbutavičius, Rolandas Jankauskas, Rimantas Juknevičius, Alvydas Kanapinskas, Algimantas Kavoliukas, Vytautas Koncevičius, Vidas Maciulevičius, Titas Masiulis, Alvydas Matulka, Apolinaras Povilaitis, Ignas Šimulionis, and Vytautas Vaitkus.

Virgis Pikturna
Signatory of the Lithuanian Act of Independence