Latvia: a looming threat of Russian separatism [DOCUMENTARY]

Latvia is one of the three Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which broke free of the Soviet Union after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Decades of Russian occupation have left their mark and the country has a large Russian minority. Are their language rights being protected? For example, Vladimir Putin says there is discrimination against Russians and the Russian language. Could this be used as an excuse for an invasion, such as the Russian invasion of Georgia or the Russian invasion of Crimea and the Donbas in eastern Ukraine? What impact does the Russia-Ukraine war have on this situation? Is Latvia safe?

Daugavpils in Latgale has a large Russian-speaking minority. Are they pro-Russian, pro-War, pro-Putin? How does the situation look across the generations? Are young people integrating into Latvian society or are they subject to Russian propaganda? And is the proportion of Russian speakers in Latvia falling?

[Bille]

I don't understand why ethnic Russians want to stay in the Baltic States if Russia is so fantastic in their eyes. Russia is so geographically close and is apparently a 'superpower', so why not move back there to your prosperous homeland? The Baltic States are small in population and deserve their own identity in the safety of their own countries. There is no legitimate counterargument here

[MrVainia]

I'm from Vilnius, and one night in a bar I met a group of Latvians, great people, basically the first thing that we talked about was the Baltic way. It was heart warming. Latvians are great! Braliukai!

[DARDA]

Аs an ethnic Russian I disagree with the Russians in Latvia who strike a victim pose. Latvia was the most cultured country in the Baltics before the 1940 invasion. And as such Latvia suffered the most there. Russians were very diligent in destroying every thread in the fabrique of Latvian society. Singing was the only form of protest left to Latvians. And everything they did they did with dignity. This is my childhood recollection from the 1970s. Repeat: Russians are not the victims there!

[Stinky.Stickleback]

The part with Olga Petkeviča (around 9min of the vid) was 'funny'- asking for the right to speak Russian in private lives (listening to music and so on), completely ignoring the fact that NO ONE is prohibiting her to do that, and NO ONE is planning to prohibit that. I grew up with Russian as my 2nd language. I have no problem speaking it. But the parasitic nature of Russians regarding their holy grail of 'keeping the tensions high' just shows the true (ruscist) nature of people like the mentioned Olga Petkeviča.

[macaccount]

Russia has no place in Latvia. People who feel otherwise can go to Russia

[russellesimonetta]

I, m seventy and regularly eat Latvian oatmeal and Latvian corn flakes!! I live in Japan and those products are reliably available. I got cornered by a Russian from the old East Germany. He gave me a headache with all his talking points and Russian propaganda!!

[Kakdela]

I am a Russian-speaking Latvian and simply do not understand those who live here and associate themselves as "Russians" and refuse to speak/learn Latvian language. It is ok to remember your heritage and ancestral roots, but you must respect the place where you live. It is puzzling hearing Russian-speaking minority talk about how bad it is in Latvia and yet they refuse to move to Russia. I wonder why hehe.

[oceyocelot]

As an American who lives on the west coast I have to say that I am very far from Latvia geographically. However, I grew up just down the road from a Latvian church that twice a year would have sales of things like plants and baked goods to help fund them. My mother and I would go there frequently and they were always very nice people. Since the war in Ukraine started, I wanted to learn more about Eastern Europe at the very least just to stay informed about current events. I support Latvia and the Baltic states when it comes to staying independent from Russia! Stay safe guys!

[artursbondars]

Is it normal, that I, as a native Latvian, felt discriminated by Russian speakers in Latvia? Russians should look into mirror and stop damaging Latvia further!

[altersee]

It was a major mistake to keep the primary and secondary education taught in Russian. The transition period from Russian to Latvian in all schools should have been completed 20+ years ago. Not only it would have partially deflated the "USSR bubble", it also would have been beneficial to the Russians themselves, as without Latvian proficiency acquiring higher education and having a high-paying job is much more challenging to achieve. By following the call from Russian propaganda to "protect" their language, and with the help of Latvians who were taking an uneasy stance in this question, Russians brought discrimination upon themselves.

Petkevica's apologist stance on the 60+ aged supposedly being victims through "forced" learning of basic Latvian vocabulary and grammar is despicable. First of all, when the USSR collapsed, these people were aged 25 to 55. They have lived in Latvia for more 33 years (that is more than 12 000 days), each day passing by writings in Latvian, in the shops, on the food packaging they eat. I genuinely cannot understand how even passively they failed to acquire A2 level of Latvian. It is not like the language is completely different as well, apart from a different writing system, some vocabulary is also shared or similar. For example, I know a few hundred words in Estonian due to the language being visible on packaging and while visiting Estonia.

[connorhadley]

If I'm a native English speaker and move to China I would not expect China to just change their government institutions to my language. You live in Latvia, you should speak Latvian in public and government institutions

[artursbondars]

Olga, if You want to live good and peaceful life in Latvia, respect Latvian basic law – our constitution – and do not force Your Russian identity and thinking upon Latvian residents.

[mantasbarcys]

Lies, LSM, Latvian national broadcaster publishes articles in russian. You are not being discriminated, you are being asked to learn basic Latvian A2 (or is it B1).

[kvassman_]

Listening to the "Saskaņa" party representative was just unbearable.. nobody wants to make speaking russian at home illegal, we just want all people to know basic, VERY BASIC Latvian. I feel like she doesnt have a malicious intent, she just lives in the Daugavpils bubble

[rloredo]

Mexican-American here. It's very simple. If "Russians" want to live and stay in Latvia, learn to be more Latvian. Embrace the country you live in, otherwise go back to be with like-minded people. My parents immigrated to America from Mexico, but regardless of their reasons, political, economical, religious, etc, they raised their children to be AMERICAN. We fly the American flag and sing the American National Anthem. I am an American. Now, we can never forget where we came from, so of course we speak Spanish too and acknowledge our Mexican heritage, thankful to God for who we are, but we are MORE thankful for having a better life in the country that gave us an opportunity to be something better. I would never "go back" to Mexico because I am not from there, so I don't understand how people all across the world can go to another country and not even try to assimilate but instead have the audacity to demand the people there embrace THEIR foreign identity. Baffles my mind so bad.

[KSfreaky]

What latvians are doing is just a common sense

[zeffster]

So basically, Putin has made it hard for russians to live in the EU. They should blame him for their integration issues

[lovebaltazar]

Having Russia on your border while having ethnic Russian areas in your country is a huge security risk... Good on Latvia for joining NATO as soon as they could

[nvdolcevita]

16:07 Olga didn’t reply how exactly is she discriminated from legal and legit perspective.

I’m a Russian speaker from Latvia and I never been discriminated even in periods of my teenage age when I was brainwashed by Russian propaganda and for example would reply Latvian store assistant Russian in the shop even if I could speak good Latvian, but I felt I had to justify that we have to speak Russian just because that what I’ve heard on TV and from all these prorussian Latvian parties.

Only now I understand how awful was my behaviour and how bad I made Latvian people feel in their own country….

[acmelka]

The fact we are seeing these radical ethnic Russians and hearing their complaints tells you all you need to know. How would a similar critism be greeted in Russia.