Does Latvian society care about its Soviet past?

Only fragments of the Berlin Wall remain in Germany's capital. After Soviet occupation the newly liberated countries were desperate to tear down the signs of Russian colonialism. Latvia chose the same path. Will Russia's exploitation of Latvia be entirely deleted from its history?

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 provided a further impetus to remove the symbols of Latvia's colonial Russian past. The Monument to Victory in Riga's Victory Park came down with little response from Russia, despite threats from the Russian government.

The process of stripping Russian-speakers of Latvian citizenship has proven controversial and is lagging behind somewhat.

Picture of monument by Jaime Silva.