Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

Interviewer.

The positive feeling of 4 May, the human energy and light of kindness, as well as concentration of this light which was so great, bright and clear and which linked the past with the present – all that gave strength to overcome problems and hardships that were experienced later in January 1991 and afterwards during the Putsch in August. What were your feelings during these final steps on the way towards Latvia’s de facto independence?

P. Simsons.

You see, the outcome of 4 May was approved by the majority of citizens. Therefore, we were protected, fed and loved, if I may say so, during the Barricades of January 1991. But that ended soon because in August we were not in charge; we could only guess the possible future scenarios for Latvia, what would change and which direction would be taken, because in reality Moscow determined everything. 21 August was the day when I realised how helpless we were… when OMON troops entered Dome Square to dismantle the barricades. We won only because for some reason they didn’t come in the morning but at noon. Seeing the real situation, it was clear to me that we had maybe 20 minutes or half an hour at most. We had to do what we had decided to do – we will have accomplished our mission.

Interviewer.

All those moments during the de facto restoration of Latvia’s independence and adoption of the declaration that marked the end of the transition period… How do you remember the course of events? Hour by hour… let’s say, how did you perceive it back then and what were your emotions?

P. Simsons.

As I already said. From the Plenary Chamber I could see what was happening in Dome Square, at least what I could see of that corner… I saw our supporters dispersed with clubs and tear gas. I saw armoured personnel carriers with steel cables approaching the large granite blocks in order to remove them because it would have taken just minutes to demolish the barricades made of concrete blocks. And I saw that troops were stronger. And actually I had the feeling we were doomed; I had the feeling that we have to manage to adopt that document in time to prevent a recurrence of 1940 and to ensure that in future years neither we nor future generations would have any doubt that violence was directed against an already independent state contrary to the will of the legislature and the people. And actually I had the feeling that we would either be lined up against the wall or sent far far away for many years. But since I had already been there, it didn’t worry me; therefore, the main goal and task was to manage to vote on this constitutional document in time. We did it.

Interviewer.

What was the collective mood back then… that feeling of a supportive shoulder… At that moment there really was a feeling of fatality… of a great burden. But at the same time, as you said, the majority understood, I think, that this mission should be accomplished.

P. Simsons.

Yes, I had the feeling that we would manage to do that in time and that we had enough votes. If on 4 May we doubted whether we would have those 134 votes because we had only 132 definite votes – but we got 138 – then in August we were not counting how many votes we would need because there was a general feeling that we can do it. We did not have any doubts; no one had objected or proposed any other option or solution. We remembered that on 4 May the opposition in different ways tried to lure us into other activities. But in August I was certain that we would succeed and accomplish our mission; what would happen afterwards was less important.

Interviewer.

The response from people who held various offices… state appointed and all… at that moment was diverse. Of course, there were some who were intentionally, let’s say, organised in expectation of a certain outcome… if the Putsch… if it had succeeded. And therefore there were discussions with people who were outside Latvia… And there were also those who had fled for other reasons. Did you see that and did you feel that?

P. Simsons.

It is strange that I actually did not notice that. I wasn’t paying attention to who was there and who wasn’t. It was important for me to know whether we had a quorum. And, let’s say, with the worst possible outcome in mind, I had taken some precautions – I had packed all the most important documents in one suitcase which I gave to my assistant, and he took it somewhere for safekeeping with people that I didn’t know. And we had agreed on our communication system – a special code – so that we could find out where each of us was and if there was a need to meet. But, thank God, there was no need to use it.

So I was not paying attention to what others were doing. I knew what I had to do because if we hadn’t succeeded, all my efforts would have been meaningless.

Interviewer.

Failure of the Putsch and that historic morning when other countries rapidly began to recognise Latvia’s independence – the moment for which we had been waiting for more than a year… for several decades… What do you remember about that day?

P. Simsons.

There was one coincidence… If I’m not mistaken, on 6 September the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union recognised our independence. After some time, I had a chance to be on the team that went to Moscow to draft the decision on recognition. We contacted Jānis Peters [member of the Supreme Council of the USSR from Latvia and poet] on the phone, and he edited the text of the document – which phrases should be included, which phrases should be deleted because… That is one situation which I was able to experience for myself. Since I was not on the Committee of Foreign Affairs but a member of the Committee of the Interior, I didn’t know anything about the activities of other countries, and I didn’t have any contact with foreign legislators or those who recognised our independence – I didn’t have that opportunity. Therefore, I am glad that it went so smoothly and rapidly. The sequence of countries which recognised our independence is a matter of international politics.

Interviewer.

When the OMON troops and other special units were leaving the buildings they had captured – radio, television and others – were you involved in taking over any of these buildings from them? What did it all look like?

P. Simsons.

I think that those guys with blue berets whom we saw out of the radio building could tell their children and grandchildren how weird those Latvians are because remember when we entered the radio building and saw it demolished… When the commandoes came out and got on the bus in order to leave, people saw them off with songs, not with clenched fists or stone throwing. People sang “Time to go, time to go…” [Latvian folk song]. And I saw surprise in their faces.

So it shows us once again… If we compare 13 January a couple of years ago, when the crowd didn’t have an actual enemy, and the time back then, when there was an enemy, we can see a change in people’s attitude and maybe even nature.