Lithuanian Partisans Declaration of February 16, 1949

By signing the declaration, the ULFF assumed responsibility to lead the restoration of independent democratic state of Lithuania, where equal rights for all citizens and social care is guaranteed.

In July–October 1944, as Red Army continued to push Germans westward in the Operation Bagration and Baltic Offensive, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania again and reintroduced harsh Sovietization policies – drafting of men into the Red Army, arrests of anyone suspected of anti-Soviet attitudes, mass deportations to Siberia, nationalization of property, forced formation of collective farms, etc.

The resolutions mentioned in the minutes of the meetings foresaw the organizational structure of the movement and leadership, the tactics of activities, relations within the organization and with local people.

Together with other documents passed at the meeting, the Declaration provided the legal and political basis for the Lithuanian armed resistance, ensured a new format of freedom fighting, and legitimized the Union as an organized armed resistance to the Soviet occupation and its council as the sole legitimate authority in the territory of the occupied country.

It was recognized that the Council of the Union, which signed the Declaration of 1944, exercised functions of the highest political and military structure and was the only legitimate authority in the territory of the occupied country.

On the basis of the February 16 Declaration, Seimas passed a resolution on March 12, 2009 affirming that from February 16, 1949 until his death on May 30, 1953, Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas was “the head of state of Lithuania fighting against the occupation, who actually performed the duties of the President of the Republic of Lithuania.”[3] On November 20, 2018, Seimas passed a resolution declaring that after the death of Žemaitis-Vytautas, Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas became the President of the fighting Lithuania.

[5] In May 2019, the partisan bunker was reproduced at the Center for Civil Education and an exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Declaration, “19490216: Apsisprendimo šifras” [19490216: The Code of Self-Determination] was opened.