Latvia's Terrible Error

Latvia’s Terrible Error

One can easily understand (though perhaps not forgive) Latvian hatred for and mistreatment of ethnic Russians living in that country. The 1940 “integration” of Latvia into the USSR was not exactly “benevolent.” Add to that mass deportations – one in June 1941 when the NKVD deported nearly 20,000 Latvian citizens to Siberia and a second in 1949, and there is ample reason to hate the Russia. But there will never be just cause for the events which took place in Latvia in March, with the approval of Latvian authorities.

First, on March 3, police in the Latvian capital of Riga broke up a protest rally held by septuagenarian Russian pensioners by hitting and shoving them to the ground. Strangely, only Moscow voiced condemnation of this blatant violation of human rights. Western countries abstained, seemingly believing that, in relations between Riga and Moscow the latter is always wrong.

Inspired by its impunity, on March 13 Latvians authorities blessed a march of Latvian Waffen SS veterans through downtown Riga; Latvian Army Commander in Chief Juris Dalbinsh took part in the march. Thankfully, this time, even the traditionally pro-Baltic Western world protested. During the March European troika summit in Moscow, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (whose government is paying pensions to many SS victims worldwide) spoke out strongly against Latvia’s and Estonia’s policies towards ethnic Russian minorities. Tallinn and Riga, he said, should not “overestimate the amount of support for them from Western European states.”

Interestingly, while anti-Russian sentiments run high in Latvia and Estonia, things are different in Lithuania: it is the only Baltic country which gave full citizenship to all persons living permanently in the republic in 1991. And Lithuanian travel agencies seem to want to distance themselves from anti-Russian sentiments in the neighboring Baltic states. One company’s brochure declares: “No anti-Russian mood here, helpful Russian-speaking personnel.” The strategy seems to be paying off: Russian tourists are traveling heavily to this Baltic state.

Not so in Latvia, whose once-popular health-resorts are operating at well under capacity. It seems that old scars inflicted in the Soviet era are taking longer to heal in Latvia. The “elder brother” to the East now looks weak and sick, and Latvia could be said to be imitating the donkey from Ivan Krylov’s fable, savoring long overdue revenge by kicking the sick lion.

But even the best analogy has its weaknesses, as they say. The Russian lion is not as sick and desperate as it may seem. And Latvia is surely not a donkey among nations. Having taken two visits to Latvia in the 1980s, I very much want  to regard Latvia as a civilized nation with a strong economy, justly aspiring to become a full-fledged member of European community, and not one that will make an ass of itself by carelessly allowing fascists to march its streets.

Seventeen years ago, I, along with a group of students and tourists visiting Latvia from all over the then Soviet Union, visited a monument to those that suffered in the Nazi concentration camp at Salaspils, near Riga (see photo). Many a tourist in our group choked back tears listening to the story of what the fascists did to elderly people and children in Salaspils, where over 100,000 were killed by the Nazis. I very much want my kids to see and hear these stories, though I guess I’ll have to wait until Russians are offered a more welcome reception.

The crimes committed by the SS and Nazi leaders in concentration camps like Salaspils are unforgivable. And Latvian state officials who participated in SS veteran marches (like Dalbinsh) are at odds with history. Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, was quoted by Reuters as saying: “If people don’t realize that one can’t be proud of having served in the SS, then something is wrong with education in Latvia.” In a similar vein, Istvan Deak, Seth Low Professor of History at Columbia University wrote in the Moscow Times: “The Latvian government showed bad faith in allowing and even encouraging such a divisive and unappealing parade.”

Perhaps Latvian leaders need to take a trip to Salaspils, to hear the horror stories I heard 17 years ago. Or they could save themselves the trip and simply read what the International Military Tribunal had to say about the SS: “the SS was used for goals which are ... criminal and include persecution and extermination of Jews, and murders in concentration camps ... implementation of programs using slave labor and cruel treatment of military prisoners and their slaying.”

But there is another point, quite germane at this time of year, when we commemorate those who fought and fell in WWII. By failing to act appropriately and stop or forbid the SS march, Latvia did much more than just spite Russians; they insulted all war veterans and victims of the SS.

p.s. At press-time, tensions in Latvia triggered by the SS march were exacerbated by the explosion of an anti-personnel mine in front of the Russian embassy in Riga. Vita Norina, spokeswoman for the Latvian Interior Ministry, described the mine as “very dangerous” and “clearly targeting the Russian embassy.” Luckily, there were no casualties. One hour prior to the explosion, the Nazi slogan, “Sieg Heil!” was shouted from the park across from the embassy.