Romas Kalanta (22 February 1953 – 14 May 1972) was a 19-year-old Lithuanian high school student who killed himself by self-immolation in an act of protest against the Soviet regime in Lithuania.

The note read "blame only the regime for my death" (Lithuanian: Dėl mano mirties kaltinkite tik santvarką).

[4] After his death, rumours spread that a few of his classmates had formed a patriot group, and that they had held a lottery to determine which of them would have to carry out the mission.

[2] His funeral procession touched off two full days of rebellion in which thousands of people took to the streets shouting: "Freedom for Lithuania!"

The people gathered, mostly high school students and young workers, broke into a politically charged riot, which was forcibly dispersed by the KGB, militsiya, and Internal Troops.