ESTONIA / LATVIA: Georgia conflict highlights differences between Baltic people and Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia

Record ID: 240972

  • Title: ESTONIA / LATVIA: Georgia conflict highlights differences between Baltic people and Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia
  • Date: 5th September 2008
  • Summary: (EU) DAUGAVPILS, LATVIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH LUTHERAN CHURCH VARIOUS OF DAUGAVPILS (EU)RIGA, LATVIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT NIL USHAKOVS SAYING: "It's too easy for political forces to politicise the conflict which results in a worsening situation here in our homeland and it doesn't help at all to any side of the conflict in Georgia, neither the Georgians or the Ossetians."
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8TDGHUKU566N26WR4MFTAHULM
  • Story Text: Daugavpils, Latvia's second largest city, is home to around 110,000 people, of which 53 per cent are Russian. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, they and others in the Russian-speaking community faced a choice: integrate and become Latvian or, in the eyes of the law, remain a non-citizen.
    The same happened in neighbouring Estonia and their status and situation have since been a source of contention with Russia.
    Many Russian speakers in both Latvia and Estonia believe they are being mistreated by the governments, paid lower wages and denied participation in public and social life.
    Events in Georgia have highlighted the divisions between the two groups.
    Since Russia crushed its southern neighbour in a brief war last month after Georgia tried to recapture by force its pro-Moscow, separatist region of South Ossetia, the three Baltic states have been strong supporters of Georgia.
    According to an opinion poll, 80 per cent of Latvians were worried by the conflict and were following the events closely.
    The poll also showed that Russians living in Latvia tended to support Russian actions whereas Latvians sided with the West.
    Nil Ushakov who is the leader of the Concord Centre, a party which is being formed as the first inter-ethnic political party, said these differences in opinion were being used by political forces on both sides.

    "It's too easy for political forces to politicise the conflict which results in a worsening situation here in our homeland and it doesn't help at all to any side of the conflict in Georgia, neither the Georgians or the Ossetians," he said.
    In Daugavpils, both Latvians and Russian-speakers said that although they might have differing opinions on the Georgia conflict, they did not think it had harmed their relationship.

    "They (Russian speakers) say we (Latvians) are having it better.
    In what way do we have it better? It's the same," said Anna as she waited for a tram.
    And Vanda Vilnovska said the different groups got along with each other well.

    "Here Latvians and Russian live happily. We don't make the distinction 'you are Latvian - you are Russian'," she said Viktor Emelyanov, who lives and works in Ireland with his family was visiting his hometown.
    He strongly believed Georgia was in the wrong but did not think the conflict would have a lasting impact on relations between Russians and Latvians in Latvia.

    "I think that among intelligent people, this conflict won't have any lasting influence. Perhaps some radical nationalists will stir things up.
    But what has Latvia to do with Georgia?" he said.
    But the issues of citizenship and integration remain big in both Estonia and Latvia.
    Political scientist and former Latvian integration minister Nils Muiznieks said that at the moment Latvia did not really have a policy towards its minorities, with the political elite in a deadlock. He said the integration office he once helped setting up and ran, was being dismantled due to budget cuts. Muiznieks also said there were many things that could be done to further integrate the Russian-speakers into Latvian society.

    "A lot can be done to promote the participation of minorities in public affairs, both in acquiring citizenship, but also in working in the state sector. I think much more attention should be devoted to the carrot rather than the stick in language policy," Muiznieks said.
    Ushakov said he saw the lack of people with Russian as a first language in official positions as a big problem and has proposed the introduction of positive discrimination.

    "What would be really important is to see Russian speakers being also in charge of running this country. Because since 1991 there has never been any single Russian speaking minister in government, since 1991," he said.
    Estonia also has 300,000 strong Russian-speaking minority and faces the same kind of problems as Latvia.
    There, as in Latvia, most Estonians have sided with Georgia while the Russian-speakers have sided with Russia.
    Andrei Titov, who is a journalist at a weekly newspaper in Russian, in Estonia, said the Russians and Latvians were living in different "media rooms". Whereas the Estonians tended to watch Estonian news, Russians were turning to Russian media for their news.

    "Our polls show that Estonian Russians have a different point of view because they mostly watch Russian TV and, as we know, Russia has their own opinion on these events," he said.
    Although many issues remain unsolved, many young people grow up bilingual and history does not play the same role to them as for the older generations.
    Twenty-one-year-old Timoshenko Dmitri studies in Finland and has many Estonian friends.

    "From my point of view, as a musician, I have a lot of contact with Estonians, I work a lot with Estonians and can't imagine what could be improved. I don't know. Everything is just fine," he said.
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