Dreams of compensation. Latvian authorities are claiming 185 billions of euros to Russia
In the Baltic countries, the campaign for “damages from the Soviet occupation” continues. The lead, as always, is Latvia. Recall that by "Soviet occupation" in modern Latvia is understood the period of the country's entry into the Soviet Union, i.e. 1940 to 1991 According to the Latvian leadership, during the so-called. "Soviet occupation" of the country's economy suffered huge losses. To count them, even a special commission was created. Her representative Ruta Pazdere 18 on April 2016 announced the approximate figure of the alleged damage suffered by the Latvian economy over half a century of the existence of Soviet Latvia - 185 billion euros. In addition, in tens of billions of euros, Pazdere estimated the demographic damage suffered by Latvia as a result of migration flows caused by the “Soviet occupation”. The fact that the Letts went to work or study in other republics of the Soviet Union, and those who disagreed with the Soviet government emigrated to the West, Pazdere also considers the “fault” of the Soviet period in Latvia stories. We managed to calculate the damage done to the environment - it is also estimated at tens of billions of euros.
On the calculation of damage from the so-called. "Soviet occupation" of the Baltic states spoke long ago. Thus, in Latvia, a special damage assessment commission was established in 2005, but in 2009-2013. the activity of the commission was temporarily suspended due to lack of funds. 5 November 2015 The Ministers of Justice of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia signed a memorandum of cooperation in order to claim compensation for damage caused to the Baltic countries by “Soviet occupation”. After that, the calculation of "damage" intensified. Note that the political independence of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia was proclaimed as a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire and the political chaos in Russia caused by the consequences of two revolutions and the Civil War. However, the Baltic countries did not manage to turn into developed and truly independent states. The period of their independence lasted only two decades.
In 1930's authoritarian regimes were established in the Baltic countries. In particular, in Latvia in 1934, all power was concentrated in the hands of Karlis Ulmanis - a former agricultural specialist in the past, after declaring Latvia's independence, engaged in politics and made a lightning-fast political career. In 1939, after the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, Soviet-Latvian negotiations began in Moscow on the deployment of separate Soviet garrisons in the territory of Latvia. 5 October 1939 Latvia and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Mutual Assistance between the USSR and Latvia for a period of 10 years. In accordance with this agreement, the Soviet Union was given the opportunity to deploy in the territory of Latvia military air and naval bases, as well as ground forces. The relevant decisions were confirmed by subsequent agreements between the authorities of the two countries.
On October 29, 1939, the first echelon of Soviet troops arrived in Latvia. Thus, the deployment of Soviet military units on the territory of Latvia was conditioned by the signing of a bilateral agreement. As you can see, there was initially no talk of any planned invasion, and the Latvian authorities themselves agreed with the deployment of Soviet troops in the country, aviation and marine parts. At the same time, dissatisfaction with the actions of the Latvian leadership, which made it possible to deploy Soviet troops in the country, grew among the political elite of Latvia. In order to suppress a possible anti-Soviet coup in Latvia, the Soviet leadership decided to introduce additional units and subdivisions of Soviet troops into the country. To carry out the operation to take control of the Baltic states, the Soviet command allocated 3 armies, 7 rifle and 2 cavalry corps, 20 rifle, 2 motorized rifle, 4 cavalry divisions, 9 tank and 1 airborne brigade, an operational regiment of the NKVD troops, the 105th, 106th, 107th border detachments.
16 June 1940 Vyacheslav Molotov summoned the ambassadors of Latvia and Estonia F. Kotsinsha and A. Rey, who were given Soviet ultimatums. When the President of Latvia Ulmanis was notified of the delivery of the ultimatum and familiarized with its content, he appealed to the leadership of Hitler's Germany with a request to allow the government and the armed forces of Latvia to evacuate into the territory of East Prussia. But Berlin, at that time maintaining a good relationship with Moscow, refused. After this decision, Ulmanis had no other way than to recognize the Soviet ultimatum. On the same day 22.40 16 on June 1940, the Soviet leadership was notified of the resignation of the Latvian government. 14-15 July 1940 in Latvia there were elections to the People’s Diet, in which only the candidates of the Working People’s Bloc - the pro-Soviet forces of the country participated. 21 July 1940 was assembled by the pro-Soviet People’s Saeima declared Latvia a Soviet republic. On the same day, the President of Latvia, Karlis Ulmanis, resigned and on July 22 1940 was already detained and deported to Stavropol Territory through Moscow.
5 August 1940 The USSR Supreme Soviet accepted the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic into the Soviet state. Thus began the Soviet era in Latvian history, the damage from which the Latvian authorities are now trying to achieve. In fact, the Soviet period in the history of Latvia was marked by a number of positive moments, among which, of course, in the first place is the development of the economic and cultural infrastructure of the republic. In the Soviet Union, the Latvian SSR has always occupied a special place and was considered an “advanced” republic — both because of geographic proximity and developed contacts with the West, and because of the large number of economic, cultural, scientific and educational facilities in Riga and other Latvian cities.
Although for a significant part of Latvians who did not want to be part of the Soviet Union, what can I say, Latvia’s accession to the USSR became a personal tragedy. Many representatives of the well-off strata of the population, officials of the Latvian government, officers and policemen, clergymen were either forced to leave the country or were arrested and deported to the interior of the Soviet Union. Moscow feared this group of the population as a potential “fifth column” in the event of a confrontation between the USSR and Germany or any other Western countries. As it turned out, it was not for nothing, since during the years of the Great Patriotic War a certain number of Latvians fought on the side of Nazi Germany. On the other hand, a significant number of immigrants from Latvia fought heroically against the Nazis as part of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and partisan detachments.
The Latvian SSR as a whole was distinguished by a higher standard of living of the population than other union republics. It was an industrially developed republic, in which there were numerous industrial enterprises. Latvia ranked first among the Union republics in the production of long-distance passenger cars, tram cars, telephone sets, refrigeration units, radio receivers, household washing machines, mopeds and some other types of products. In addition, in the Latvian SSR, agriculture was highly developed, specializing primarily in dairy farming and pig breeding. In Latvia, huge seaports were built, and beautiful roads were built by the standards of the Soviet Union. In fact, Latvia was a kind of "showcase republic" of the Soviet Union. About 1,5 million people who came to raise the national economy of the republic moved here from other regions of the Union. Indeed, in general, it was more comfortable to live in Latvia than most other republics of the Soviet Union. By the 1970 years, the average life expectancy in the Latvian SSR increased to 70 years against 58 years in 1934-1936. - before the “Soviet occupation”. The republic was characterized by a high level of development of medicine and education. Nevertheless, in the Latvian SSR, nationalist sentiments were always strong, and as the central government weakened in the Soviet Union, this resulted in the growth of the separatist movement. 4 May 1990 was adopted “Declaration on the restoration of state independence of the Republic of Latvia, and 21 August 1991 the Supreme Council of Latvia confirmed the independence of the Republic. September 6 1991, after the State Emergency Committee suppressed, the independence of the Republic of Latvia was recognized by the USSR State Council.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, one of the most difficult political regimes for the Russian-speaking population in the post-Soviet space was established in Latvia. The invention of the new regime was “the status of non-citizens” for Russian-speaking residents of the country. Despite the fact that the category of “non-citizens” itself indicates a discriminatory division of the country's population into “full-fledged” and “inferior” parts, the authorities persistently pretend that this does not in any way violate human rights or infringe the interests of such an impressive group of people countries as Russian and Russian speaking. Since the first years of political independence, modern Latvia is characterized by tough anti-Russian positions, constantly confirmed by the country's top leaders in Russophobic statements and practical actions directed against the interests of the Russian population of the Republic of Latvia.
It is noteworthy that while the Latvian leadership is trying to calculate the alleged damage from the “Soviet occupation”, the actual damage is being inflicted on the Latvian economy and demography already in the post-Soviet period of the country's history. Over the twenty-five years of independence of the republic, the country has noticeably degraded compared with the Soviet period of history. Since 1990, the number of residents in Latvia, according to statistics, has decreased by more than 20%. Over 40% of the inhabitants of Latvia are people over the age of 50 years, which indicates a rapid aging of the population, on which the enormous migration of Latvians to the countries of Western Europe is superimposed. Young citizens of the country are ready to work on unskilled and dirty jobs in the UK, Germany, Denmark and other European countries, since they have no work at home.
However, the Latvian authorities once again prefer not to talk about the current state of affairs in the country, diverting public attention with constant “excursions into the past”, attempts to denigrate the Soviet period in the history of the country. In May, the 2014 of Latvia’s Saeima even passed a special repressive law establishing criminal liability for glorifying, denying and justifying the “Soviet occupation”. In accordance with this law, a punishment of imprisonment for up to five years is imposed for these actions. Thus, in “democratic” Latvia, the authorities “protect” freedom of speech and press.
- Participants of the picket in defense of Russian schools from the Ministry of Education of Latvia. Photo: Vladimir Starkov / TASS
The reasoning of Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian politicians about the need to make claims to Russia about the “Soviet damage” to the Baltic countries found a worthy rebuke from Russian politicians. Back in 2005, the Latvian authorities tried to raise the issue of territorial claims against Russia regarding the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region. Then the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, spoke very clearly and succinctly about this: “Naturally, he will never hold any negotiations on the platform even to discuss any territorial claims to us. Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region? From a dead donkey their ears, not Pytalovsky district. " Ten years later, the ears of a dead donkey was recalled by the vice-premier of the Russian government, Dmitry Rogozin. When the leaders of the Baltic states started talking about compensation, Rogozin, on his page on the social network Twitter, noted that the Baltic countries are trying to recover damage from Russia during the years of “Soviet occupation” and wrote: “You will get ears from a dead donkey”. There is no doubt that the Russian Federation will not pay compensation to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania for damages. But the question of the future of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of the Baltic countries, which is most acute in Latvia, seems to be more relevant.
Meanwhile, in addition to the loud statements by politicians, more concrete and easily implemented measures against the Baltic states are needed, emphasizing the position hostile to Russia. It is likely that we could talk about finding some kind of economic pressure mechanisms on the Baltic states. In addition, its solution awaits the colossal problem of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Latvia, much of which is not full citizens of this country. For two and a half decades, the Russian organizations of Latvia have vainly fought for the rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of the country. In 1990, the beginning of 2000, The Russian state did not provide serious support to the activists of the Russian movement in Latvia. As a result, the Latvian authorities, sensing weakness on the part of the then Russian leadership, not only began to tighten discriminatory laws, but also began the practice of political repression against activists of the Russian movement in the republic. Many of them ended up in prison on trumped-up and openly biased charges.
On the calculation of damage from the so-called. "Soviet occupation" of the Baltic states spoke long ago. Thus, in Latvia, a special damage assessment commission was established in 2005, but in 2009-2013. the activity of the commission was temporarily suspended due to lack of funds. 5 November 2015 The Ministers of Justice of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia signed a memorandum of cooperation in order to claim compensation for damage caused to the Baltic countries by “Soviet occupation”. After that, the calculation of "damage" intensified. Note that the political independence of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia was proclaimed as a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire and the political chaos in Russia caused by the consequences of two revolutions and the Civil War. However, the Baltic countries did not manage to turn into developed and truly independent states. The period of their independence lasted only two decades.
In 1930's authoritarian regimes were established in the Baltic countries. In particular, in Latvia in 1934, all power was concentrated in the hands of Karlis Ulmanis - a former agricultural specialist in the past, after declaring Latvia's independence, engaged in politics and made a lightning-fast political career. In 1939, after the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, Soviet-Latvian negotiations began in Moscow on the deployment of separate Soviet garrisons in the territory of Latvia. 5 October 1939 Latvia and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Mutual Assistance between the USSR and Latvia for a period of 10 years. In accordance with this agreement, the Soviet Union was given the opportunity to deploy in the territory of Latvia military air and naval bases, as well as ground forces. The relevant decisions were confirmed by subsequent agreements between the authorities of the two countries.
On October 29, 1939, the first echelon of Soviet troops arrived in Latvia. Thus, the deployment of Soviet military units on the territory of Latvia was conditioned by the signing of a bilateral agreement. As you can see, there was initially no talk of any planned invasion, and the Latvian authorities themselves agreed with the deployment of Soviet troops in the country, aviation and marine parts. At the same time, dissatisfaction with the actions of the Latvian leadership, which made it possible to deploy Soviet troops in the country, grew among the political elite of Latvia. In order to suppress a possible anti-Soviet coup in Latvia, the Soviet leadership decided to introduce additional units and subdivisions of Soviet troops into the country. To carry out the operation to take control of the Baltic states, the Soviet command allocated 3 armies, 7 rifle and 2 cavalry corps, 20 rifle, 2 motorized rifle, 4 cavalry divisions, 9 tank and 1 airborne brigade, an operational regiment of the NKVD troops, the 105th, 106th, 107th border detachments.
16 June 1940 Vyacheslav Molotov summoned the ambassadors of Latvia and Estonia F. Kotsinsha and A. Rey, who were given Soviet ultimatums. When the President of Latvia Ulmanis was notified of the delivery of the ultimatum and familiarized with its content, he appealed to the leadership of Hitler's Germany with a request to allow the government and the armed forces of Latvia to evacuate into the territory of East Prussia. But Berlin, at that time maintaining a good relationship with Moscow, refused. After this decision, Ulmanis had no other way than to recognize the Soviet ultimatum. On the same day 22.40 16 on June 1940, the Soviet leadership was notified of the resignation of the Latvian government. 14-15 July 1940 in Latvia there were elections to the People’s Diet, in which only the candidates of the Working People’s Bloc - the pro-Soviet forces of the country participated. 21 July 1940 was assembled by the pro-Soviet People’s Saeima declared Latvia a Soviet republic. On the same day, the President of Latvia, Karlis Ulmanis, resigned and on July 22 1940 was already detained and deported to Stavropol Territory through Moscow.
5 August 1940 The USSR Supreme Soviet accepted the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic into the Soviet state. Thus began the Soviet era in Latvian history, the damage from which the Latvian authorities are now trying to achieve. In fact, the Soviet period in the history of Latvia was marked by a number of positive moments, among which, of course, in the first place is the development of the economic and cultural infrastructure of the republic. In the Soviet Union, the Latvian SSR has always occupied a special place and was considered an “advanced” republic — both because of geographic proximity and developed contacts with the West, and because of the large number of economic, cultural, scientific and educational facilities in Riga and other Latvian cities.
Although for a significant part of Latvians who did not want to be part of the Soviet Union, what can I say, Latvia’s accession to the USSR became a personal tragedy. Many representatives of the well-off strata of the population, officials of the Latvian government, officers and policemen, clergymen were either forced to leave the country or were arrested and deported to the interior of the Soviet Union. Moscow feared this group of the population as a potential “fifth column” in the event of a confrontation between the USSR and Germany or any other Western countries. As it turned out, it was not for nothing, since during the years of the Great Patriotic War a certain number of Latvians fought on the side of Nazi Germany. On the other hand, a significant number of immigrants from Latvia fought heroically against the Nazis as part of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and partisan detachments.
The Latvian SSR as a whole was distinguished by a higher standard of living of the population than other union republics. It was an industrially developed republic, in which there were numerous industrial enterprises. Latvia ranked first among the Union republics in the production of long-distance passenger cars, tram cars, telephone sets, refrigeration units, radio receivers, household washing machines, mopeds and some other types of products. In addition, in the Latvian SSR, agriculture was highly developed, specializing primarily in dairy farming and pig breeding. In Latvia, huge seaports were built, and beautiful roads were built by the standards of the Soviet Union. In fact, Latvia was a kind of "showcase republic" of the Soviet Union. About 1,5 million people who came to raise the national economy of the republic moved here from other regions of the Union. Indeed, in general, it was more comfortable to live in Latvia than most other republics of the Soviet Union. By the 1970 years, the average life expectancy in the Latvian SSR increased to 70 years against 58 years in 1934-1936. - before the “Soviet occupation”. The republic was characterized by a high level of development of medicine and education. Nevertheless, in the Latvian SSR, nationalist sentiments were always strong, and as the central government weakened in the Soviet Union, this resulted in the growth of the separatist movement. 4 May 1990 was adopted “Declaration on the restoration of state independence of the Republic of Latvia, and 21 August 1991 the Supreme Council of Latvia confirmed the independence of the Republic. September 6 1991, after the State Emergency Committee suppressed, the independence of the Republic of Latvia was recognized by the USSR State Council.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, one of the most difficult political regimes for the Russian-speaking population in the post-Soviet space was established in Latvia. The invention of the new regime was “the status of non-citizens” for Russian-speaking residents of the country. Despite the fact that the category of “non-citizens” itself indicates a discriminatory division of the country's population into “full-fledged” and “inferior” parts, the authorities persistently pretend that this does not in any way violate human rights or infringe the interests of such an impressive group of people countries as Russian and Russian speaking. Since the first years of political independence, modern Latvia is characterized by tough anti-Russian positions, constantly confirmed by the country's top leaders in Russophobic statements and practical actions directed against the interests of the Russian population of the Republic of Latvia.
It is noteworthy that while the Latvian leadership is trying to calculate the alleged damage from the “Soviet occupation”, the actual damage is being inflicted on the Latvian economy and demography already in the post-Soviet period of the country's history. Over the twenty-five years of independence of the republic, the country has noticeably degraded compared with the Soviet period of history. Since 1990, the number of residents in Latvia, according to statistics, has decreased by more than 20%. Over 40% of the inhabitants of Latvia are people over the age of 50 years, which indicates a rapid aging of the population, on which the enormous migration of Latvians to the countries of Western Europe is superimposed. Young citizens of the country are ready to work on unskilled and dirty jobs in the UK, Germany, Denmark and other European countries, since they have no work at home.
However, the Latvian authorities once again prefer not to talk about the current state of affairs in the country, diverting public attention with constant “excursions into the past”, attempts to denigrate the Soviet period in the history of the country. In May, the 2014 of Latvia’s Saeima even passed a special repressive law establishing criminal liability for glorifying, denying and justifying the “Soviet occupation”. In accordance with this law, a punishment of imprisonment for up to five years is imposed for these actions. Thus, in “democratic” Latvia, the authorities “protect” freedom of speech and press.
The reasoning of Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian politicians about the need to make claims to Russia about the “Soviet damage” to the Baltic countries found a worthy rebuke from Russian politicians. Back in 2005, the Latvian authorities tried to raise the issue of territorial claims against Russia regarding the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region. Then the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, spoke very clearly and succinctly about this: “Naturally, he will never hold any negotiations on the platform even to discuss any territorial claims to us. Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region? From a dead donkey their ears, not Pytalovsky district. " Ten years later, the ears of a dead donkey was recalled by the vice-premier of the Russian government, Dmitry Rogozin. When the leaders of the Baltic states started talking about compensation, Rogozin, on his page on the social network Twitter, noted that the Baltic countries are trying to recover damage from Russia during the years of “Soviet occupation” and wrote: “You will get ears from a dead donkey”. There is no doubt that the Russian Federation will not pay compensation to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania for damages. But the question of the future of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of the Baltic countries, which is most acute in Latvia, seems to be more relevant.
Meanwhile, in addition to the loud statements by politicians, more concrete and easily implemented measures against the Baltic states are needed, emphasizing the position hostile to Russia. It is likely that we could talk about finding some kind of economic pressure mechanisms on the Baltic states. In addition, its solution awaits the colossal problem of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Latvia, much of which is not full citizens of this country. For two and a half decades, the Russian organizations of Latvia have vainly fought for the rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of the country. In 1990, the beginning of 2000, The Russian state did not provide serious support to the activists of the Russian movement in Latvia. As a result, the Latvian authorities, sensing weakness on the part of the then Russian leadership, not only began to tighten discriminatory laws, but also began the practice of political repression against activists of the Russian movement in the republic. Many of them ended up in prison on trumped-up and openly biased charges.
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