On August 21, 1991, the Soviet power made one last, desperate bid to re-assert itself by staging a coup (putsch) 'in Moscow. With Special Purpose Mobile Unit OMON armored vehicles in Doma Square, the Supreme Council adopted a constitutional law on the status of Latvia as an independent state.
Two days later, a red-and-white flag flew over the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia. The putschists had lost.
On this day, President Edgars Rinkēvičs says on X: "One who has tasted freedom will not give it away."
🇱🇻 Pirms 33 gadiem tika pieņemts Konstitucionālais likums "Par Latvijas Republikas valstisko statusu”, atjaunojot mūsu valsts neatkarību de facto.
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) August 21, 2024
🇱🇻 Kas reiz sajutis brīvības garšu, tam to vairs neatņemt.
🇱🇻 Sveicu Latvijas Republikas faktiskās neatkarības atjaunošanas dienā!
If you wish to take a look at additional materials on the August coup in Latvia, you can watch a short documentary here or an informative video by the Saeima here, complete with English subtitles. A full documentary was produced by LTV last year, available here, also with English subtitles.
