Latvia's uncertain future: life across the Russian border

In Latvia, a little-known Baltic country sharing a border with Russia, the daily lives of young people have been turned upside down by the war in Ukraine.

With the reintroduction of mandatory military service and the increased pressure on the country's Russian-speaking community, imagining a peaceful future is not an easy task.

Jānis and Ieva tell us about the fears and hopes they have for a country with such rich, unique traditions.

#Latvia #Baltics #Balticstates #balticulture #militaryservice #folklore

[stephenschuit]

Hi guys, nicely done. I discovered your video because I am about to move to Latvia for a year from the USA. I will be teaching English at Daugavpils University. I am very excited to learn more about your culture, history and language. I respect the cultural challenges you've described and I hope I can be a positive influence to my students and community in Latvia. Thanks!

[love__and__hope__]

I have loved in Latvia. Really easy life compared to Germany. Wages are kinda low but expenses very low. With 2000 per month can easily save better part and afford everything you need at same time. Getting a job is easy as well. One of best counties I have lived. Probably 2nd after Norway.

[carognavacca]

Hey! So, originally I’m from Latvia, with some Russian and Polish roots, but I identify myself as Latvian, especially when I’m out of Latvia. I speak Latvian, love our culture, and have Latvian friends. But since 2015, I've been living in different cities - Moscow, Madrid, Berlin. I recently moved back, and here are my thoughts.

1. I’ve never seen Russians so brainwashed by Russian propaganda like in Latvia, seriously, not even in Moscow. Here, I first encountered these ‘vata’ people, which means zombie-like, always glued to Russian propaganda. And I'm like, why the heck didn’t we shut down that propaganda translation since independence? Why did we let our people watch that crap and become so disloyal to our government?

2. I don’t feel this huge division between Latvian and Russian-speaking people here in Latvia if you know Latvian. But yeah, there are folks who only speak Russian. And here’s my beef with our education system - why did we decide to keep these Russian schools still going since independence? What’s the point if after school, everyone's gotta get their bachelor's and master's in Latvian and work using that language? Personally, it blows my mind that after school, my Latvian was only at a B1 level (thanks to my parents sending me to a Russian-speaking school, which was closer to home 😬🙃), and now I'm better at English than Latvian.

3. Latvians are just the sweetest and friendliest people ever. They’re so warm and welcoming. I don’t know any other country where a native speaker would go out of their way to speak the language that’s more convenient for the other person. You’d never see that in Germany, Spain, or even Russia, haha.

God bless Latvia!

[vikramad]

Absolutely gorgeous👏🏼💝 work; really loved it. Good luck 👍🏼

[artursbondars]

I understand intention of making such report about Latvia, but why charts, maps and numbers are off? Important correction: New requirements are ment for Russian citizens living in Latvia, not Latvian citizens or Latvian non-citizens.

[jamessolomon]

I really want to go to Latvia 🇱🇻 someday....I want to see Riga and alot of the beautiful countryside and maybe meet a Latvian woman that I have been talking too

[piggyraccoon]

Look at the map 0:55, they included Abrene which was taken by Russia

[davisivuskans]

imagine being latvian in latvia and having adusity to speak latvian XD, poor oprest rushens

[huanghermann]

Mutual respect for each other is the way to go for all ethnicities. Small countries can do nothing when caught between superpowers.

[rafaelsanz]

This video is not correct at all. Latvia has suffered 6 invasions in XXth century: German invasion in 1914 that lasted until 1920, Russian invasion in 1919, that lasted until 1920, after the Russian invasion of 1940, that lasted until 1941, German invasion from 1941 until 1945, Russian invasion again from 1944 until 1990.

[dzintrarowe]

I went to Latvia in 90's after USSR fell and I went in Riga and everyone was speaking Russian and refused to speak Latvian when I asked for directions. They also didn't like me being from the USA. So now years have passed and many Russian left but the remaining elderly seems to hold to the USSR thoughts that Latvia should still be part of Russia as it was during the Czarist times. I also have relatives that married Russians which I think is good and will help intergrade the two nationalities. Generalized statement but I think I am right in this.

[ervinvonhimmel]

This is the point - doesn't matter your genetic origin, or what language you spoke as a kid, your today's identity is the place, being ruzian, it is like being not healthy, to put it politely. I don't speak russian to the people around me, BTW it is my first language, so you might understand, what kind of marker it becomes

[norashizm]

with Latvians we have a joke:
when we be 9 latvians and 1 russian, all latvians speek in russian
this is not fanny, but....and why we do this, I don't understand

[KevinPhillips_kw]

Love your country and love your language. The ruskees can go live in Russia if they refuse to learn your language.

[zcrib]

Oh, don't worry, Estonia will bail you out.

[piuswanyaga]

5:25, Talk about racism and arrogance. The Ukrainian language is not even banned in Russia, and you want Russian to be canceled in estonia, a country not at war with Russia.

[thomaslanders]

Speak about what Latvia and the other Baltics did to the Jews in WW2.
They must be held accountable.
They will be held accountable...

[norashizm]

0:50 what is big country? for my Latvia is big, but russian rashism is smoll - poor country