Latvia's uncertain future: life across the Russian border

Рет қаралды 12,817

Күн бұрын

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

Пікірлер: 101

@carognavacca 5 ай бұрын

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!

@love__and__hope__ 6 ай бұрын

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.

@ervinvonhimmel 2 ай бұрын

2000 in Germany it is pretty low, whereas in Riga it is OK

@Jonjs99 22 күн бұрын

90% of population earning less than 1k

@IgorIgorovitch 6 ай бұрын

Best wishes to Latvia

@vrado441 4 ай бұрын

not

@stephenschuit7880 2 ай бұрын

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!

@yts4106 2 ай бұрын

Happy you are excited to come to Latvia 🇱🇻 I recommend you learn about the language(s) from several people. Get various perspectives. Most people are sensible despite insane official language politics 😢

@kraanz Ай бұрын

Daugavpils? Be prepared to hear mostly, if not only, Russian.

@laslar9872 28 күн бұрын

Thank you maybe i'll meet you and I live in Jēkabpils

@laslar9872 28 күн бұрын

Im from Latvia and i would say "It's maybe small, but it's beautaful

@dzintrarowe4272 3 ай бұрын

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.

@erglis1145 Ай бұрын

Most people speak Russian as they think tourist will know it too. I find it very common in overseas when Latvian who barely speaks english, switch to Russian, which makes no sense. :D Biggest problem with the second biggest language in Latvia is to blame Solviet Union. They brought thousands of people in the country and when it collapsed they still here.

@artursbondars7789 5 ай бұрын

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.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

Hi, do let us know your issues with the data and we'll cite our sources for clarification. Indeed, what you're saying is precisely what we said in the piece: new requirements are for Russian speakers without the Latvian citizenship.

@artursbondars7789 5 ай бұрын

Almost 40% native Russian speakers is not true. Use latest information and better use information from Statistical bureau of Latvia. Foreign media information about Latvia usually are inprecise or false.

@artursbondars7789 5 ай бұрын

Other corrections: We already changed government to centrist-liberal, nationalists and others are in opposition. Also You are confusing foreign residents with citizens. There aren't mass recruitment in Latvia at the moment.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

@@artursbondars7789 We said this started with the 2018 nationalist government, not that said government is still in power. No confusion regarding foreign residents and citizens, the issue of citizenship is very complex and detailed, so we couldn't get into the specifics, which is why we were careful with the wording.

@purpplekushh Ай бұрын

@@enentr Why you French propogandists come here? What is nationalist goverment? And in 2018 most votes got Russian backed political party, their leader still in 2024 can't say that Russia occupied Latvia in 1939. Do you know how our system works? We don't have dictator like Macron. Go back to France, because of you propogandists there is a wars.

@fizzyizzy8115 Ай бұрын

Paldies! Great video! ❤ I just spent two weeks here, (born here then adopted) and I absolutely fell in love with Latvia. 😍 I can’t wait to return and I hope everyone there the best. It is true, it takes time to make a Latvian warm up to you, but once you do you’ll honestly not find anyone more loyal and just lovely in my opinion. Be respectful to their language, culture and way of life and you’ll get along in Latvia just fine. Best wishes from 🇺🇸 until next time. ♥️

@unohoo214 Ай бұрын

In the beginning she CLAIMS to be latvian who speaks latvian with her mum. Followed by a clip where she's casually talking to her mum in russian. Then she talks about how her co-workers refused to speak with her in russian. At the end of the video she says that she's russian and used to be proud of being russian and now is shy and doesn't like to talk about it. Am I the only one who's super confused? BTW they didn't mention how the young people are struggling to get a job because they are expected to know russian language. Reason being russian people being unable or not wanting to speak latvian.

@srtlg896 5 күн бұрын

It is not her co-workers, it is general in shops, people who by their age know Russian, won't answer in Russian anymore. Maybe the difficulty you have, is equating citizenship with ethnicity. Currently, there are at least two ethnicities living in Latvia. Look at Belgium, you have the Dutch speaking north and the French speaking south, yet all are Belgians.

@jamessolomon5876 2 ай бұрын

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

@vikramad36 6 ай бұрын

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

@huanghermann5207 5 ай бұрын

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

@MiSt3300 Ай бұрын

Latvia is a beautiful country. It's interesting how some of the ex eastern block countries are dealing with their past. I am from Poland, and Polish people don't speak Russian in general, and it's interesting to see how a country where many people speak Russian is dealing with it's past.

@IgorIgorovitch 6 ай бұрын

🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻👍👍

@lowrillewelyn2368 Ай бұрын

Great video.

@carolinab.2458 Ай бұрын

What about a video of growing up in Melilla ? (that could be so interesting for this channel)

@piggyraccoon5464 6 ай бұрын

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

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

Hey there! It's just our designs that make it look larger, but we did not include the region! It's been de facto Russian since 1944 and Latvia gave up all demands about it in 2007, so we did not include it. Hope it helps!

@Minepuffik 2 ай бұрын

Honestly we should get that back

@rafaelsanz3441 5 ай бұрын

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.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

Hi Rafael. Have a look at the timeline at 2:27, we're speaking about the three consecutive invasions that followed its independence. Such invasions started in 1940: so Russian, then German, then Russian again. Have a good day

@rafaelsanz3441 5 ай бұрын

@@enentr Thanks for your answer. But don’t forget the foreign invasions of 1919 , from the German Freikorps, not Germany as state but German nationalist militias and last but not least, the Russian bolchequiks. Both invasions of 1919 were extremely cruel and destructive, with countless war crimes against Latvian civilian population, as both German and Russian troops committed mass murder against local population. You just need to read Ernst von Salomon memoirs to see what they did to the Latvian male population in the villages: they just killed them all. They wanted to kill as Latvians as possible to let space for German colonists and germanize the whole Baltic area.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

@@rafaelsanz3441 Absolutely! We just had to go back to the country's history starting from Latvian independence onwards as we didn't have enough time to explain what you're pointing out -- but thank you for doing so.

@rafaelsanz3441 5 ай бұрын

@@enentr Thanks a lot for your interesting video. Unhappily, most of the Russian speaking-community are not as loyal as the Russian girl from your doku.

@Xover112 16 күн бұрын

"German invasion" you mean when 200.000 Latvian males gave oath to Adolf to serve him?

@artnouveau-travel 20 күн бұрын

Love Latvia

@TV-eu3jb 14 күн бұрын

We have 1/4 (at least) part of russian-speaking Latvians I will specify) live in Latvia and russian language is lot of restrictions and this all not after 2022. They have lived here historically since the 13th century and arrived after the war, but despite this, Russian has the status of a foreign language. In other countries even 5% of national minorities is already a reason to introduce another state language. I will probably be the first to die before they introduce Russian as a regional or 2nd state language.

@elitaviksna4985 2 күн бұрын

Majority of them came here after 70ies. There were only 5% Russians in 1918.

@rh7018 Күн бұрын

you said "In other countries even 5% of national minorities is already a reason to introduce another state language" - you mean Finland and Swedish? That is because Swedes in Finland and Sweden do not beahave aggressive like a**holes towards Finns and Finland (anymore) and unlike many russian and russia towards Latvia. Sweden as Swedens have moved on and are respected and even loved nation, umlike russia... russia and many russians live still in 12th century...

@JurğisKokins 2 ай бұрын

From Latvia

@wisdomovermoney3394 12 күн бұрын

Well we from Balkans know where Latvia is.

@norashizm 2 ай бұрын

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

@EllaElla-np5ri Ай бұрын

Its not a joke, its reality and russians still call us fascists

@ervinvonhimmel 2 ай бұрын

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

@aivisabele 10 күн бұрын

What uncertain future? Latvia is NATO and EU member. What are you talking about?

@MrDevels 5 ай бұрын

Piece between communities 🙏❤️🥹

@davisivuskans3762 3 ай бұрын

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

@zcrib3 3 ай бұрын

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

@piuswanyaga8361 5 ай бұрын

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.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

That's precisely the opposite of what he's saying. He's arguing that he'd like to change the view that Russian is not well-regarded in the country

@piuswanyaga8361 5 ай бұрын

@@enentr 22.5% of Estonian population are ethnic Russian. That's like 300k population of Estonia. Do you want them to stop speaking Russian. Over half of Estonia population speaks and understand Russian language. Stigmatising people based on the language they speak is outright discrimination and racism. He doesn't represent the majority of the country.

@enentr 5 ай бұрын

@@piuswanyaga8361 again, this is the opposite of what he said, precisely because it’s not a minority he’s saying Latvians should be more accepting.

@piuswanyaga8361 5 ай бұрын

@@enentr Well actually confused the two countries and it's funny coz a quarter of Latvian population are Russian. Have bigger population there than Estonia. So my original argument still stands

@aziatix1168 5 ай бұрын

@@piuswanyaga8361well, Russia basically screwed the entire Eastern Europe in the 20th century, it is destroying right now Ukraine, there are people being killed and millions of people had to escape the country because of Russians brutal aggression. They shot down the aeroplane of Polish politics with president of Poland in 2010 and since then refused to give back the remainings of the plane and dead bodies to Poland. It still to these day provokes Poland with sending drones and rockets over Polish territories only to withrawn it from the country after minutes/hours. One of their rockets fell on the ground and killed 2 Poles. On top of that, Russians are refusing to learn Latvian in Latvia, and it is lack of respect to the country they live in. The worst part is that Russians themselves, normal citizens, are turning a blind eye on what their country is doing and never say sorry to the hurt nations by them. They turn the tables outside down and always put themselves in the role of victims whereas Eastern Eurpean nations...idk, maybe they actually have a right to not like Russians, have you ever thought about that? Tell me why Russians sit silent and talk nothing. Their ignorance on destroyed and killed nations by them is what brings them enemies, it's not Latvians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Estonians nor Poles fault. If you're Russuan maybe you should say sorry, idk? Not many Russians are capable of doing so and it's not even a lie.

@thomaslanders2073 6 ай бұрын

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

@TheTerkzzz 6 ай бұрын

We don't really bury this information anywhere. We have jews still living here peacefully. This is a complex part of our past for sure and nothing that we celebrate.

@martinskesteris8664 6 ай бұрын

It was nazis, equally bad as ruscists back then and, unlike Germans, still today, and it's ruzzia that must be held responsible. Latvia has been the victim, not the agressor.

@NEO-jb7bb 5 ай бұрын

So the Soviets were so amazingly insufficient that they could not hold people accountable for the crimes against humanity during the following 50 years of occupation?

@aziatix1168 5 ай бұрын

Yeah, blame poor Latvia, Lithuania Poland for something they didn't do and pretend like Russia and Germany weren't the ones phucking up the entire continent and nations in the 20th century, nice.

@tracywright6908 4 ай бұрын

thomas the slanderer, Your ignorance on the matter shows