Baltic Way Footprint: A Reminder of Unity

Located on Kaļķu iela 28, the Baltic Way Footprint serves as a lasting reminder of a remarkable event in Baltic history. The Baltic Way, also known as the Baltic Chain, was a peaceful political demonstration that took place on August 23, 1989. Approximately two million people joined hands, forming a 675-kilometer human chain across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This powerful act of solidarity connected Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius, the capital cities of the three Baltic states.The demonstration marked the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. This pact led to the Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic countries in 1940. The Baltic Way was organized by pro-independence movements in each country to draw international attention to the desire for freedom and self-determination.The small red granite 'footprint' at the crossroads of Kaļķu and Vaļņu serves as a reminder of that amazing event. Identical tiles containing the impression of a set of footprints were installed in prominent public locations in all three capital cities. In Riga, the footprints were placed in front of the Freedom Monument.