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Lithuanian Communist Party

political party, Lithuania
Also known as: LKP, Lietuvos Komunistu Partija

Quick Summary

The Lithuanian Communist Party (LKP) was the sole political party in Lithuania during the Soviet era. It was a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Following the Soviet reoccupation of Lithuania in late 1944, the LKP implemented policies of repression and Russification, alongside deportations to Siberia and Central Asia.123

During the 1950s and 60s, the party became more nativized under Antanas Sniečkus, coinciding with industrialization and urbanization. Despite this, national consciousness grew, leading to a dissident movement and the publication of underground materials like The Chronicle of the Lithuanian Catholic Church. In 1989, the Lithuanian legislature legalized other political parties, ending the LKP's monopoly. The party lost power, and by August 1991, its legal rights were removed and its property seized.31

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