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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: LATVIA RUSSIAN MINORITY
HEADLINE: Latvia’s Russian Minority Struggles with a Changing World
TEASER: Ethnic Russians make up approximately 25% of Latvia’s population, and the war in Ukraine has been a political and social earthquake
PUBLISHED AT: 3/22/23, 10:35a
BYLINE: Ricardo Marquina
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Riga, Latvia
VIDEOGRAPHER: Ricardo Marquina
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, wpm
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:40
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: English narration by Marcus Harton))
((INTRO))
[[Latvia is the European Union country with the largest Russian minority, with ethnic Russians making up approximately 25% of its population. For them, the war in Ukraine has been a political and social earthquake. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina in the Latvian capital, Riga.]]
((NARRATOR))
More than a year after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Latvian society is divided on what people here refer to as “the Russian question.”
The use of the Russian language, and cultural heritage in general, have suffered the collateral impact of the war. There has also been a change in the political mindset in the community.
Until the start of the conflict, the Latvian Russian-speaking community was a close-knit bloc that, observers say, tended to be Kremlin-friendly.
[[RADIO VERSION: Sociologist Arnis Kaktiņš is the director of SKDS, a research organization in Riga that conducts public opinion surveys on sociopolitical issues.]]
((Arnis Kaktiņš, SKDS Director - MALE IN ENGLISH - ORIGINAL VOA))
“(An) absolute majority of them actually liked Russia. They regarded Putin as a quite a good leader. ”
((NARRATOR))
But when the Russian tanks crossed the Ukrainian border more than a year ago, the ghosts of the Soviet occupation of Latvia returned to the minds of many Latvians who believe Latvia could be a next step for Russian imperialism.
[[RADIO VERSION: This is the opinion of Dr. Gints Apals, head of the History department of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.]]
((Gints Apals, Museum of the Occupation of Latvia - MALE IN ENGLISH- ORIGINAL VOA))
“It is not only about small changes to existing borders. This is about much more: A dominance in very large parts of the world.”
((NARRATOR))
Russia’s assault on Ukraine changed the politics within the ethnic Russian community, causing divisions between those who still sympathize with the Kremlin and those who are outraged by Putin’s aggression.
[[RADIO VERSION: Nils Ušakovs, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, also known as Harmony, recently addressed a party conference.]]
((Nils Ušakovs, Social Democratic Party/Harmony - MALE IN RUSSIAN, ORIGINAL VOA))
“What the Russian authorities are currently doing – the war in Ukraine – this is the evil!”
((NARRATOR))
But perhaps the most complex issue is the long-standing debate about the Russian language. Starting next year, Russian will disappear from public schools and only Latvian will be used.
Teachers worry the new policy will be traumatic for Latvian children whose mother tongue is Russian, and who attend bilingual schools.
[[RADIO VERSION: Elena Matjakubova is a teacher at Riga Bilingual Kindergarten Number 34.]]
((Elena Matjakubova, Schoolteacher - FEMALE IN RUSSIAN, ORIGINAL VOA))
“What does a bilingual system mean? When two languages are used in teaching at school. A native language – it is Russian for us, for some – it is Polish. We have got a Ukrainian school. The kids studied and grew up being bilingual.”
((NARRATOR))
A debate also rages in Lativa on what to do with Russian composers, works and artists, and the Latvian National Theater has received criticism for continuing to include pieces like this one ((MUSICAL BREAK)) by Tchaikovsky.
((FOR RICARDO MARQUINA IN RIGA, MARCUS HARTON, VOA NEWS))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Riga, Latvia
BylineRicardo Marquina
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
