Vytautas Landsbergis

Vytautas Landsbergis in 1990

**Vytautas Landsbergis** (born 18 October 1932) is a Lithuanian politician who was the first Head of state of Lithuania - Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania (1990-1992) and President from 1993 to 1998 after its independence restoration declaration from the Soviet Union on 11 March 1990.

## Biography

Vytautas Landsbergis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. His father was the architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis. His mother, ophthalmologist Dr. Ona Jablonskytė-Landsbergienė. In 1955, he graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music (now Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre). In 1969, he wrote his thesis for his PhD degree. In 1978, he became a professor at the Lithuanian Conservatory. From 1978 to 1990, he was a professor at both the Lithuanian Conservatory and the Vilnius Pedagogical University. In 1994, he wrote a thesis for his doctor degree.

## Political Career

   In the wake of perestroika and glasnost policies and the national revival beginning in Lithuania, Landsbergis entered politics in 1988, as one of the founders of the Homeland Union, the pro-independence political party. In 1989 elections to the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, Landsbergis was elected as one of the People's Deputies from Lithuanian SSR. After Homeland Union won the 1990 parliamentary elections, he was elected as the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania.

On 11 March 1990, he headed the parliamentary session during which the restoration of Lithuanian independence from the Soviet Union was declared. Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to do so. According to the Temporary Primary Law (*de facto* temporary Constitution, until the permanent Constitution comes to power) of Lithuania, Landsbergis was both: the highest officer of State and the Speaker of the Parliament. He held this post from March 1990 until becoming president in February 1993.

The Soviet Union attempted to stifle this activity by economic blockade, separatism in Lithuania's easternmost regions as well as an attempt to overthrow legitimately elected authorities in 1990 and 1991. Other Soviet Republics followed soon and declared their independence from Moscow as well. Landsbergis played a crucial role during the confrontation between the Lithuanian independence movement and Soviet armed forces in January 1991. Iceland was the first state that officially recognized the restoration of Lithuanian independence on 11 February 1991. Once taking the lead of the country, Landsbergis began to seek to establish full diplomatic relations with the Western powers such as the United States and United Kingdom.

Homeland Union party gained a victory in the 1992 parliamentary elections. Landsbergis served as Speaker of the Seimas from 1990 until 1993. He then ran for president in 1993 and in the face of internal turmoil and war in the Vilnius Region, he was elected by popular vote and became president after the new constitution came in force.

Homeland Union lost to Lithuanian Democratic Labour Party (LDDP) in the 1996 parliamentary elections. LDDP was the successor of the Lithuanian Communist Party (LKP), led by the former 1st Secretary under occupied Soviet Lithuania Algirdas Brazauskas. Landsbergis then became the leader of the parliamentary opposition.

He initially had plans to run for president for the second time in 1997. However, during the runoff, he decided to support Valdas Adamkus, who had finished second in the first round. Adamkus eventually became president.