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identity and the enjoyment of Russian cultural achievements. The anxiety occurs
when within the framework of Russia’s Compatriots Policy there are attempts to
influence Latvian legislation and domestic political processes.
Two thoughts from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation,
Sergei Lavrov, best describe Russia’s policy towards Russian compatriots living
abroad. The first is Lavrov’s comment in Rossiyskaya Gazeta in October 2008,
that Russia would form its relationship with compatriots living abroad based on
the principles of soft power. 174 The second comment was made in an interview
with the online newspaper Pomni Rossiyu (Remember Russia). When answering
a question about how the Russian diaspora abroad could help Russia, among
other things he mentioned that “the diaspora is our mighty resource, and it must
be employed to full capacity”. 175 Thus, Russia’s foreign policy towards its
compatriots abroad has two goals: to acquire loyalty to Russia among
compatriots living abroad with the help of soft power; and to use these
consolidated diaspora groups as a means to achieve Russia’s foreign policy
goals. 176
4.2.1 Conflicting History as a Component of Russia’s
Compatriots Policy
The Compatriots Policy is being actively implemented in Latvia, but perhaps as
important is the dissemination of Russia’s specific interpretation of history.
There is fairly favourable soil in Latvia for the dissemination of Russia’s official
views on history. The social memory of Latvians and that of Russians living in
Latvia differ. The scholar, Brigita Zepa, has pointed out that the collective
memory of Russians living in Latvia was formed during the 70 years of the
Soviet Union. This period consisted of three new generations, which is sufficient
to maintain the continuity of social memory in an informal environment. 177
Meanwhile, ethnic Latvians possess living memories of the free state of Latvia
and the way it was before the Soviet occupation in 1940. For many Russians
living in Latvia, it is difficult to recognize the Soviet occupation as a fact
because, to some extent, this would require taking moral responsibility for
174 Interview with S.Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs of Russia, Rosiyskaya Gazeta, 30 October
2008, available at http://www.mid.ru/bdomp/ns-dgpch.nsf/bab3c4309e31451cc325710e004812c0/
432569ee00522d3cc32574f2002d1ca0!OpenDocument, last accessed on 1 November 2013.
175 Lavrov S. (2011): About Compatriots, available at http://www.pomnirossiu.ru/about/obrashenielavrov/index.htm.
176 Kudors A. (2012): ‘Latvia between the Centres of Gravitation of Soft Power: the USA and Russia’,
in Indans I. (ed.) Latvia and the United States: A New Chapter in the Partnership. Riga: CEEPS,
p.104, available at http://www.appc.lv/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Latvia_USA_2012.pdf.
177 Zepa B. (2011): ‘What is National Identity’, in Zepa B., Klave E. (eds.) Latvija. Pārskats par
tautas attīstību 2010/2011: Nacionālā identitāte, mobilitāte, rīcībspēja. Riga: LU SPPI, , p.18.
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