DISINFO: The first colour revolution in USSR took place in Lithuania
SUMMARY
The members of “Sajudis” from the moment of its inception, acted on the instructions of American advisers, mastered the technologies of “nonviolent resistance”, looked for the moment and object to strike a decisive blow, capable of finally “exposing the anti-popular, collaborationist nature” of the Soviet regime in Lithuania, and sticking a powerful stigma on the Soviet Union “aggressor”.
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For the sake of achieving such goals, the instructions do not exclude and even assume human casualties among the “civilian population.”
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The legitimacy of power that has been ruling Lithuania for 30 years is based on legalized mythological interpretation of the events of January 13. Other two pillars are the myths about the “Soviet occupation” of Lithuania and the “long-term struggle for independence”. All this time, the events of January 13 are used both in the interests of Russophobic politics and for reprisals against opponents of the regime.
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I believe, and many agree with me, that in Vilnius, the “color revolution” technologies were tested for the first time on the territory of the Soviet Union.
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If in the case of Lithuania all this was done for the first time, today there are already many examples of successful (from the planners’ point of view) “color revolutions” in the post-Soviet space. For example, the Kiev Maidan or the ongoing events in Belarus. They are like two drops of water similar to each other, differ only in scale and more and more cynicism and sophistication.
RESPONSE
Historical revisionism advancing recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the January 13 events in Lithuania and colour revolutions.
The claim that Lithuanian independence movement was "directed" from abroad or shaped as a "colour revolution" is false. Since 1988 when the "Sajudis" movement was formed hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians participated in peaceful rallies denouncing Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and demanding the end of the Soviet occupation.
Eventually, Lithuania restored independence from the USSR in March 1990. Moscow tried to foil the secession with an economic blockade. When that proved ineffective, Soviet troops still garrisoned in the capital Vilnius attacked its TV broadcast tower and sole TV station, deploying tanks against unarmed civilians, and killing 14 of them. The events of the January 13th, 1991, and crimes committed by the USSR troops have been extensively documented See also BBC reporting from 1991.
"Colour revolution" is a prominent trope of pro-Kremlin disinformation. For more see: Colour Revolutions everywhere: pro-Kremlin media cover the popular protests.