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(Latvian Public Broadcasting) In January 1991, people took to the streets of Baltic capitals and erected makeshift barricades around strategic locations to defend them against Soviet troops wanting to crush the Baltic nations independence drive.
IT specialist Jānis Blūms was fifteen at the time of the barricades event. He was surprisingly well-read for his age, and happened to be near the Interior Ministry. He remembers the events well and spoke to LSM on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the event.
Where did you live and what did you do at the time of the barricades?
I was fifteen and living right here in Mežaparks. I was lucky back then. I was interested in religion, as a teenager. We had an impromptu group which came together, initially at an Ausekļa street apartment. There were many interesting people there, intellectuals, and we talked. And later on we held meetings at the Anglican Church. At the evening of the notorious shootout at