It was a nonviolent, singing revolution against the USSR. And the Estonians won.
This is the trailer for the documentary in English that narrates this story:
Peace activists and Obama supporters should pay special attention to this story. It is about how common people got together and overcame what seem like an unsurmountable force.
Estonia is one of the Baltic countries which is located next to Russia. At one point it was part of the Russian Empire. It gain its independence in 1918. It lived as an independent country until WWII, when in 1940 it was illegally invaded and absorbed by the Soviet Union.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...
In 1988, at different song festivals, people began to spontaneously sing patriotic songs. They kept singing songs in public demonstrations until they eventually re-established their independence in 1991.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
http://www.laulupidu.ee/eng-hi...
The documentary is currently being screen in the U.S. Appropriately, the documentary screens at places where there is a grassroots effort to bring it to their cities: the movie will screen in places where at least 1500 people requested to see the movie. (DC is almost there: there are about 600 requests for it.)
If you are interested in watching this documentary, please request a screening through their website:
http://www.singingrevolution.com/
I am including one of the songs that were sang during the demonstrations. This performance happened in 2007. Below is a translation. I ignore how good it is since I don't know Estonian.
Keeping the beauty of our country
Keeping the beauty of our country.
Fighting against the enemy:
Pay attention, pay attention,
Pay attention, pay attention!
If you believe in yourself,
In opinions of the wise,
In shoulders of the strong,
In mightiness of the elders,
In nimbleness of young men,
In sisters, brothers,
Above all in yourself,
Then you get better life.
If you believe the talk of the wolf,
Fear the yelps of the dogs,
Hear the curses of the masters,
Complains of the underlings,
Bitings of the greedy,
Admonishments of the low ones,
Scolds of the blind,
Then you get nothing.
If you sink into lies,
Stooping into dreams,
On all fours under the order,
Bowing under the rouble,
Then you get fleas in groin,
Itches in your heart,
Halters on your head, bones in your stomach,
Then you go to hell.
If you believe in yourself,
Then you believe in the folk,
In the farms, in the wiseness,
In the teaching, in the rights,
In the birch grove of home place,
In the swallow by the clouds,
Then you get mighty spirit,
Then you get better life.