Damage Caused by the Soviet Union in the Baltic States Damage Caused by the Soviet Union in the Baltic States
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN THE BALTIC STATES DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN THE BALTIC STATES International conference materials, Riga, 17-18 June 2011 Social, economic and environmental losses/damage caused by the Soviet Union in the Baltic States DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN THE BALTIC STATES International conference materials, Riga, 17-18 June 2011 Social, economic and environmental losses/damage caused by the Soviet Union in the Baltic States Conference organizers: – The Occupation of Latvia Research Society – Inese Vaidere, Member of the European Parliament Conference supporters: – European Commission office in Latvia – EPP group, European Parliament – European Parliament Information office – Daugavas vanagi (Latvian Veterans and Relief Association) – American Latvian Association (ALA) – World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA) The book is published with financial support of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Prof. Inese Vaidere, Member of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. Free copy The Occupation of Latvia Research Society www.loib.lv First edition in English First edition in Latvian 2012 Editorial Board: Translation – Ltd. Rīgas tulki, Aija Abene Scientific editor – Aija Abene, Juris Prikulis Layout design – ООО «E-Forma» Authors are responsible for the information provided in the papers. Publisher: Publisher Ltd. E-forma, Riga, 2017 © The Occupation of Latvia Research Society, 2011 © Authors ISBN 978-9934-8363-1-2 Contents Introduction (Prof. Dr. oec. Inese Vaidere) ....................................................................................................................4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DAMAGE I ......................................................................................................................................9 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND (1939–1991) (Andrejs Mežmalis) ..............................................................................9 2. DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN LITHUANIA – DEPOPULATION OF 1940-1941 AND 1944-1953 (Dr. Arunas Bubnys)..................................................................................................22 3. ECONOMIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET OCCUPATION TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY OF ESTONIA (Dr. Kalev Kukk) ...........................................................................................................31 4. ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN POLAND FROM 1945-1947 (Dr.hist. Dariusz Rogut) ............................................................................................36 5. DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET UNION TO GEORGIA (Teimuraz Papaskiri) ..................................................43 6. SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN THE BALTIC STATES (Dr. Hans-Georg Wieck) ................................................................49 7. LATVIAN INDUSTRY – 1940-1960: EXCESSIVE EXPANSION AND INCREASING REGIONAL DISPARITY IN THE USSR (Juris Prikulis) ............................................................................................51 8. DETERMINING THE DAMAGE OF OCCUPATION: HYPOTHETICAL EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PATH OF LATVIA, HAD IT NOT BEEN OCCUPIED (Jānis Kalniņš, Gunta Piņķe) ...........................59 9. DIRECT DEMOGRAPHIC LOSSES SUFFERED BY LATVIA AS A RESULT OF SOVIET CAMPAIGNS (Pēteris Zvidriņš) ...............................................................................................................65 10. INDIRECT DEMOGRAPHIC LOSSES SUFFERED BY LATVIA AS A RESULT OF THE SOVIET OCCUPATION (Edvīns Vītoliņš) .......................................................................................................76 11. METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING HUMAN VALUE (Jānis Počs) ....................................................................82 12. DAMAGE SUFFERED BY THE BALTIC STATES AND POSSIBILITIES OF COMPENSATION (Boris V. Sokolov) ....................................................................................................................85 ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE II ....................................................................................................................................89 13. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET REGIME; PERSPECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (Radvile Morkunaite-Mikuleniene) ..............................................................................89 14. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SOVIET REGIME TO LATVIA (Rolands Artūrs Bebris)...........................................................................................................................93 15. POLLUTION CAUSED BY INDUSTRY AND OIL PRODUCTS (Ināra Krūmiņa, Ivan Semyonov) ............................113 16. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED TO LATVIA BY PESTICIDES USED IN THE SOVIET AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM (Daina Pužule, Ināra Krūmiņa) .....................................................................119 17. ESTIMATION OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY OF LATVIA BY THE SOVIET ARMY AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (Ilgonis Upmalis) ....................................129 18. DAMAGE CAUSED TO LATVIA BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SOVIET ARMY IN KURZEME IN 1939 (Ēriks Tilgass) .......................................................................................... 134 19. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED TO LATVIA BY THE SOVIET BALTIC NAVY AND ESTIMATED LOSSES (Ojārs Gērke) ................................................................................................................... 139 20. METHODS AND RESULTS OF REMEDIATION OF THE HISTORICALLY POLLUTED TERRITORY, FORMER SOVIET AIR FORCE BASE AT LIELVĀRDE (Oļģerts Aleksāns) ......................................... 145 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ............................................................................................................................... 149 Resolution ................................................................................................................................................................. 149 4 Introduction Prof. Dr. oec. Inese Vaidere Member of the European Parliament Occupation of Latvia Research Society, Chair of the Advisory Board More than 25 years have passed since the three Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – regained their independence. However, the world has little information about the negative impact of the Soviet occupation on the economy, environment, demography, and societies of these nations. To this day, not enough is known about the Soviet regime’s ongoing negative effects on the occupied countries. It is also uncertain how long our nations will have to endure the adverse consequences of this brutal occupation. Although Russia and the former republics of the USSR are now independent, disinformation continues to be published regarding the “benefits” that the Baltic States received under Soviet rule. In particular, the accent has been that the Baltics received more than they had contributed. Russia, the legal and spiritual heir of the USSR, continues to spread this disinformation by investing heavily in propaganda institutions and mass media and actively censoring facts and disseminating myths. Russia also continues to prohibit access to archives that could reveal facts about the true nature of the Soviet regime and its crimes against humanity. Before Soviet occupation in 1940, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were developed European nations. The standard of living and manufacturing and agricultural intensities were similar to those, for example, in Finland and Austria and exceeded, by far, that of the grim reality of the USSR. In order to validate the occupation, Moscow created the myth that the Baltic States had “willingly” joined the Soviet Union, by claiming, for instance, that Latvia’s economy was in such a poor state that the workers (proletariat and farmers) had looked longingly upon the advanced Soviet state. Such false assertions continue to be propagandized by today’s Russia throughout the post-Soviet sphere. If we review the circumstances of 1918 when Latvia declared its independence, the situation for economic growth was extremely unfavourable. War activity on Latvian territory was intense, resulting in the loss of almost 40% of its population – mostly young men. Many families had been forced to leave their homesteads and move to Russia’s interior as labour for the war effort. Industry was dismantled and shipped SOCIO-ECONOMIC DAMAGE I 5 to Russia, as was the mercantile fleet. One-quarter of all buildings, roads, railway lines, and agricultural land was destroyed. No other European nation had suffered such losses by the end of WWI. Industry was virtually destroyed during the First World War and needed to be rebuilt. Three sugar factories and the Ķegums Hydroelectric Station were built using the most modern technological advances available in Europe. Factories were built to make flour and baked goods, sweets, timber and lumber, fabric, and other goods, much of which was exported. In 1930, the largest and most modern central market in Europe was opened in Riga. The State Electrotechnical Factory (VEF) manufactured telephones, telegraphs, radios, communications central stations, and the famous miniature Minox (125 g) camera, which became very popular around the world. VEF also built various airplanes, automobiles, motorcycles, and small appliances. In addition, Latvia developed the most modern socialized medicine system in Europe. In 1940 after 20 years of independence, Latvia had succeeded in creating a highly developed economy.