Regional/Cultural Day
Laisvės Gynėjų Diena
The anniversary of the January 13, 1991 events, when Soviet troops attacked the Vilnius TV Tower and the Parliament building, killing 14 civilians and injuring 700. The Lithuanians had formed a human chain to protect the buildings, and the unarmed civilians stood in front of the tanks. The 14 who died are honored as the Defenders of Freedom, and their names are inscribed on the monuments at the TV Tower and the Parliament. The day is observed with candles (the candle-lighting is a tradition: Lithuanians place candles in their windows on January 13th to remember the dead), and the candles burn in the dark as a symbol of the light that the Lithuanians defended.