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32 LITERATÛRZINÂTNE, FOLKLORISTIKA, MÂKSLA
the idea of a national church, being part of a national state. Thus serving to the state
simultaneously becomes servinging to the Church, at the same time; this was regarded
as an act of piety. In contemporary Latvia one can find both of these attitudes.
The identity of Latvia as a state in the future will be highly dependent on what
kind of society model the people of Latvia are going to develop. The population of
Latvia has to solve several dilemmas: are non–Latvians able to identify themselves
with the state of Latvia, or do they perceive this country as a temporary homeland
before moving on? The dilemma for Latvians is to grasp the fact that the term “national”
in the modern world has the connotation of “belonging to the state” (not
merely based on ethnic identification) and open their society to the people loyal to
Latvia.
The Russian journalist Alexander Shabanov in his article “The Russians of
Latvia, What Kind of People Are We?” (10,2) has taken a courageous step: he is one
of the first to discuss this problem openly – eleven years after the independence was
restored:
… our society (at least the Russian–speaking people of Latvia) is still
very much Soviet and totalitarian. Though historically, geographically
and with regard to the life–style belonging to the West, people still hesitate
to admit it.
The Russian – speaking people are against the language policy of Latvia
and the introduction of Latvian in the secondary schools in 2004, trying
to explain it by the fear of losing their (ethnic – S.A.) identity. To my
mind this identity is neither Russian nor Slavic, but essentially Soviet, or
totalitarian. There are lots of Russian features in this Soviet attitude and
totalitarianism. But the Soviet Union does not exist anymore, its identity
is about to disappear, and from this emerges the spiritual suffering of the
‘Soviet man’. Yes, the Soviet Union is still alive in Bielorussia and the
Republic of Pridnester. Yes, it does exist in a large part of Latvia. But
for how long?
Why am I describing the mentality of the people living in Latvia as “Soviet”?
I do not want to hurt anybody`s feelings but Soviet is the celebration
of the May 9 th , with the red flags of the Soviet Union at the statue
of Victory, the speeches, songs and the rest of entourage of the Soviet
time. On that day and in that place it seems that nothing has changed in
the last 11 years, and the organizers and participants of this affair promote
this feeling deliberately. It is clear to any objective observer that
this is nostalgia for the USSR, just as the features of despotism in songs
and speeches. sVictory in WWII accounts for the means (as the song “
Mi za cenoj ne postoim” says it. (We are ready to pay any price – transl.
SA). Obviously the victors are not tried.
I understand the necessity to conquer fascism – there was no other way,
and there will be no other way. But the time has come to analyze this