Russian Minority in Latvia EXHIBITON CATHALOG Foundation of MEP Tatjana Ždanoka “For Russian Schools”, Riga-Brussels 2008-2009 Riga-Brussels 2008-2009 The Exhibition “Russian Minority in Latvia” is supported by the Foundation of MEP Tatjana Ždanoka “For Russian Schools”, by European Parliament political group “Greens/EFA” as well as the External Economic and International Relations Department of Moscow City Government and the Moscow House of Fellow Nationals. Author Team: Tatjana Feigman and Miroslav Mitrofanov (project managers) Alexander Gurin, Illarion Ivanov, Svetlana Kovalchuk, Alexander Malnach, Arnold Podmazov, Oleg Puhlyak, Anatoly Rakityansky, Svetlana Vidyakina Design by Victoria Matison © Foundation “For Russian Schools” ISBN 978-9984-39-661-3 The authors express their gratitude for assistance and consultation to the following: Metropolitan of Riga and all Latvia Alexander Kudryashov and priest Oleg Vyacheslav Altuhov, Natalia Bastina, Lev Birman, Valery Blumenkranz, Olga Pelevin, Bramley (UK), Vladimir Buzayev, Valery Buhvalov, Dzheniya Chagina, Yury Chagin, Chairman of the Central Council of Latvian Pomorian Old Orthodox Church Biruta Chasha, Alexey Chekalov, Irina Chernobayeva, Nataliya Chekhova, Elina Aleksiy Zhilko, Chuyanova, Vitaly Drobot, Yevgeny Drobot, Dmitry Dubinsky, Nadezhda Dyomina, Editor in chief of daily newspaper “Vesti Segodnya” Alexander Blinov, the Vladimir Eihenbaum, Xenia Eltazarova, Zhanna Ezit, Lyudmila Flam (USA), vice-editor in chief Natalya Sevidova, journalists Yuliya Alexandrova and Ilya Svetlana Frantzman, Alexander Gavrilin, Yury Glagolev, Valentina Goldinova, Dimestein, photographer Vladimir Starkov, Iraida Gorshkova, Viktor Guschin, Svetlana Hayenko, Alexander Ivanov, Nikolay Editor in chief of daily newspaper “Chas” Xenia Zagorovskaya, Ivanov, Elvira Ilyahina, Alexander Yemelyanov, Tatyana, Varvara, Irina and Mariya Kachalova, Nina Kayak, Jelena Kirillova, Nina Lapidus, Jevgeny Matison, Yelena The State Archives of Latvia, Matyakubova, Andris Melnbardis, Svetlana Milovskaya, Tamara Nikiforova, Latvian State Historical Archives, Tatyana Pavele, Lyudmila Pestova, Tatyana Pravdina, Boris Ravdin, Alexey Rozanov, Latvia State Archive of Audiovisual Documents, Yury Sidyakov, Grigory Smirin, Vladimir Steshenko, Nataliya Trofimova, Dmitry Latvian Academic Library, Trubetskoy, Vera Tsitovich, Margarita Tuns, Alexander Shamrov, Pyotr Shaporin, Latvian National Library, Tatyana Vlasova, Ina Volkolakova, Dmitry Zhilin, Yury Zhitluhin Museum and Documentation Centre “Jews in Latvia” and personally Margers Preparing the stands of the exhibition the authors’ team was not able to use all Vestermanis and Ilya Lensky, of the historical documents and graphic materials which were at our disposal and Latvian Sport Museum, had been provided by persons and organisations. We hope that these materials will Jekabpils Historical Museum, be enjoyed in work related to similar projects in the future. Museum of Latvian Architecture, Museum of REZ Factory, The majority of Russian personal names and surnames in this issue are given VEF Workshop Museum, in accordance with BGN/PCGN (United States Board on Geographic Names and the Information Centre of the Art Academy of Latvia, Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use) romanization system for Russian. At the present time the names of Latvian citizens and non-citi- Business and Information Centre “Moscow House in Riga” zens of Russian minority origin have only one official spelling in accordance with the rules of Latvian language. But the Latvianised variants of Russian names often do not correspond to the original pronunciation, especially when such names are used in English texts. The BGN/PCGN system provides much better result. Latvian personal names as well as contemporary placenames of Latvia are given in Latvian spelling (with some exclusion). Dear Friends I am sure that reading this collection as well as visiting the exhibition of the same name will contribute to a better understanding of the realities of present day Latvia and Europe in general, where rich national diversity and different interpretations of history need not weaken cultural and political integrity. Since 2004 I have been an MEP, elected mostly by the votes of the Russian minority of the Republic of Latvia. At my request, over the period 2007-2008 a team of professional historians and journalists prepared a review exhibition on the history and present day realities of the Latvian Russian community. The exhibition has been presented in several towns in Latvia, as well as in the European Parliament. All exhibition materials have also been published in the special issue you are reading now. The materials are selected in 37 sections, reflecting the most significant historical periods and spheres of life of Latvian Russians. Some items are covered exhaustively in this study whilst other themes are only highlighted. For example the history of Soviet Latvia deserves a separate study and deep reflection. After some discursions the editorial team rejected the idea of dedicating a part of the exhibition to contemporary politicians and businessmen of Latvian Russian minority origin. The historical contribution of these persons can only be judged impartially by future generations. Now we have an opportunity to prepare an overview of previous historical experience and we must seize it. The journey of the Russian community did not begin yesterday. It is sourced in antiquity. From the ages of the proximity of old Baltic and Slavonic tribes as well as the spread of Orthodoxy in ancient Latvian lands through to those times when contacts between nations were limited to war and trade. The traditional Russian minority emerged in the territory of present day Latvia in the 17th century and was related to the migration of the Old Believers’ religious refugees. They were the first wave of Russian settlers followed by another three waves which eventually merged into the contemporary Russian minority of Latvia. During the 18th and 19th century the territory of Latvia was part of the Russian Empire, but of the conditions comfortable for Russian cultural and social life in what were then the Baltic provinces of the empire came about only for a short period at the end of the 19th and beginning the of 20th centuries. Over the past 300 years, the Russian minority of Latvia has experienced two periods of rapid industrialisation, eight changes of politi- cal regimes, several terrible wars, evacuations, repressions, stagnations and awakenings. The history of the Latvian Russians is inseparably interlaced with the fate of the Latvian nation as well as with the history of some other national communities. Without any doubt the names of many outstanding Latvians, Germans, Jews, Poles, Byelorussians, Ukrainians and representatives of other peoples must be inscribed in the Golden Book of our history. The modern Russian community of Latvia was formed through the peaceful coexistence of several ethnic groups and under the influence of different cultures. Latvian Russians are a natural part of the global Russian speaking community. At the same time they are an important component of Latvian civil society and one of the appreciable ethnic minorities of the EU. The development of this com- munity isn’t without its problems. The Russian minority in Latvia still has to resolve some painful problems related to the legal status of one half of the people belonging to this community, as well as to the development of Russian culture and education in the complicated political conditions of the present day Republic of Latvia. Respect for national history is a precious source of our confidence and moral force, our openness and consistency, our common sense and friendliness in relation to other peoples. I wish you fascinating reading! Tatjana Ždanoka MEP Latvia in the Family of European Nations Latvia joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. The area of Latvia is around 64,600 square kilometers. Latvia consists of 4 ethnographic regions: Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Latgale. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The state language is Latvian. An independent Latvia was proclaimed on 18 November 1918. In 1940 Latvia lost its independence and became one of the republics of the USSR. On 4 May 1990 the Supreme Council of the LR adopted the resolution on the restoration of independence, and on 21 August 1991, the constitutional law on the state status of the Republic of Latvia, which fully restores the state structure in ac- cordance with the LR Constitution of the 15 February 1922. On the 25 August 1991 Latvia’s independence was recognized by Iceland, which was the start of international recognition of the new state. On 6 September 1991 the Soviet Union officially recognized Latvia’s independence. Latvia became a member of the United Nations Organization on the 17 Septem- ber 1991 and after only a few days joined the Organization for Security and Co-op- eration in Europe (OSCE). In February 1995 Latvia became a member of the Council of Europe. Latvia has been a member of NATO since 2004. The population of the country is about 2,270,000. Latvia’s population has his- torically been formed on a multi-ethnic basis, especially in the towns Diagram B 1- Latvians, 2 – Russians, 3- Byelorussians, 4 – Ukrainians, 5 – Poles, 6 –Lithua- nians, 7 - others Ethnic Latvians are the majority of Latvia’s population (59%). Russians are the largest national minority of Latvia. Their numbers exceed 638,000, or 28% of the country’s population. The traditional Russian