Victory Day flowers stir conflict between authorities and residents in Baltic country.
RT.com
11 May, 2022 11:09
Police in Latvia have blocked access to the Liberators of Riga monument as Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins expressed his frustration at city residents twice creating a carpet of flowers, despite authorities’ attempts to prevent and remove it.
Latvian police announced on Wednesday that “in order to prevent endangering public safety” and to avoid “possible provocations” they had decided to close public access to Victory Park where the monument is located. It was explained, that following “the events of May 9 and especially May 10,” when a crowd gathered near the monument. In the opinion of the Latvian authorities, the site “is most directly related to the continuation of Latvia’s occupation after the Second World War and is actually perceived by society as a symbol of the Soviet regime.”
On May 9, when former Soviet republics celebrate Victory Day, flowers brought in by the city’s residents were removed by a tractor.
In response, on May 10, people brought even more flowers to the monument. In the evening the State Police Special Task Battalion was deployed to disperse a 500-strong crowd on the square. In a statement the police said that any gatherings on the square would be considered as an expression of “support for the Russian Federation,” apparently linking events of the Second World War with the current Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins took to social media on Tuesday to say that “disrespect towards Latvian statehood, historical experience and victims of the Russian War in Ukraine is not acceptable.”
“What is happening in Pardaugava (Riga’s area) today is not excusable. I am waiting for responsible services actions and the explanation of the Minister of Interior Marija Golubeva,” he wrote.
It remains to be clarified what exactly caused the prime minister’s displeasure.
Russian Ambassador to Latvia Mikhail Vanin called the actions of the Latvian authorities over the last days an expression of “stupidity.”
“What happened on May 10 early in the morning showed the stupidity, cowardice, and pettiness of the authorities. A tractor raking fresh flowers and burning candles was spotted near the monument, this footage quickly spread on social networks, and the next day, May 10, even more people came to the monument,” the ambassador said in a TV interview on Wednesday.
Commenting on the news about the police blocking access to the square, Vanin claimed that the Latvian authorities “were scared of the scale of support, the scale of gratitude of the inhabitants of Riga to the soldiers-liberators.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, said that the Liberators of Riga is “a monument to which people carried, carry and will carry flowers, no matter what the local authorities come up with.”
In Zakharova’s opinion, the actions of the residents of the Latvian capital, despite all obstacles, demonstrated “true people power.”
“This is a powerful, strong gesture that demonstrates the rejection of the rewriting of history and of the desacralization of the memory of people who gave their lives for our future,” she said.
World War II-related issues have long been a cause of tension between Riga and Moscow.
Latvian authorities have argued that while the Latvian legion, in fact, technically fought on Hitler’s side, most of its members understood their role as fighting to regain independence for Latvia. Being part of the German military forces was the only way of preventing the return of Soviet occupation. Moscow has condemned the commemorations of the Latvian Legionnaires.
-------------
EU member paves way to demolishing Soviet memorial.
RT.com
12 May, 2022 13:16
Latvian lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to renounce part of a treaty with Russia in which Riga committed to protect and maintain war memorials in the country. Thursday’s move opens the door to the removal of a monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated Riga from Nazi occupation during World War II. The location serves as a focal point for civil confrontation over the country’s historical relations with Russia.
A 1994 agreement between Moscow and Riga on the protection of retired Russian servicemen living in Latvia includes an article on the preservation of memorials. The Latvian government pledged to preserve the sites and to allow war veterans to be buried at military cemeteries. The Russian side reciprocated by pledging to take care of memorials and burial sites of Latvian victims of wars and Soviet government repressions.
In a 68-18 vote on Thursday, the Latvian parliament approved the disavowal of its commitments in order to lift the legal restrictions against demolishing Soviet-era war memorials in the country. Proponents have one particular site in mind – a memorial complex erected in Riga in 1985 to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who liberated the Latvian capital from Nazi occupation. The site includes statues of Soviet soldiers and a female figure representing the Motherland.
Latvians celebrating Victory Day on May 9 flock to the location each year to lay flowers in honor of their ancestors. This year, the event became a flashpoint after the city authorities advised people not to participate, and later used a tractor to dispose of the flowers left at the memorial. The removal on Tuesday backfired, as scores of outraged people returned with more flowers.
Latvian nationalists have been calling for the demolition of the memorial for years. In 1997, members of a radical organization planted a bomb in an attempt to damage the memorial, but the IED went off prematurely and killed two of them.
One of the MPs supporting the demolition called it a symbol of Soviet occupation – and by extension, of Russia’s attack against Ukraine – during the debate in parliament on Thursday.
“It has no place in our nation and the capital. That’s what the majority believes. By taking this decision, we will secure the right to determine for ourselves what happens with Soviet monuments in our country,” Krista Baumane of the AP! alliance said, as cited by local media.
Some opposition legislators argued that the proposal was a political ploy to whip up voter support ahead of the October general election. The city mayor said on Thursday that it was highly unlikely that the proposed demolition would happen before then.
Moscow did not immediately react to the news officially, but Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on social media with a single word: “ghouls.”
-------------
MP suggests turning Soviet war memorial into prison.
RT.com
13 May, 2022 11:40
Veteran Latvian lawmaker and nationalist politician Alexander Kirstein has said that people laying flowers at a World War II memorial in Riga, in defiance of city authorities, should be incarcerated at the site and then expelled to Russia. His proposal, made on Twitter on Wednesday, targets locals who oppose their government’s stance on Russia.
The monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated Riga from Nazi occupation, serves as a focal point for yearly acts of protest in Latvia. Nationalists consider the memorial a legacy of the subjugation of their nation to Moscow, while people who cherish Latvia’s Soviet past flock to it every May 9 to commemorate the war victims with flowers.
This year the standoff was particularly intense, as city officials erected a fence around the monument, draped in the colors of national flags of Latvia and Ukraine, both as a security measure and a gesture of protest against the Russian attack on its neighbor. They then used a bulldozer to dispose of the flowers on May 10, angering those who’d left them and prompting some to come back with more tributes.
Kirstein, a veteran lawmaker who also briefly represented the country at the European Parliament after Latvia’s accession in 2004, suggested that the encircling fence could serve a more practical purpose.
“Everyone bringing flowers should have been allowed in, but the exits had to be closed. Next, install guard watchtowers and toilets, deliver porridge, and only allow out those, for whom the Russian embassy buys a one-way ticket to Moscow!” he
tweeted.
Latvia formed part of various European powers, including Russia, before making a bid for sovereignty amid the collapse of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. This was cut short by World War II, which ended with Latvia and fellow Baltic states, Lithuania and Estonia, becoming part of the USSR.
Its current government considers that historic period a time of Russian occupation, despite the fact that the Soviet Union was a multi-national construct, whose two longest serving leaders were Georgian and Ukrainian. It now honors those who pursued independence from Moscow, including some who collaborated with the Nazis in to achieve their goals.
A large chunk of Latvia’s population are descendants of ethnic Russians, many of whom disagree with this perception of the past and use events like the Victory Day commemoration to protest against it.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova lashed out at Kirstein, suggesting his remark was not funny whatsoever. “This is the very same Nazism that supposedly does not exist” in Latvia, she said. The Russian official added that the lawmaker’s words should be of interest to Latvian courts and to international organizations tackling hate speech.
The MP’s comment came just as the Latvian parliament was gearing up to vote for a bill that would give the Riga government a legal justification to demolish the controversial monument.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the move on Thursday, though some opposition MPs suggested that it was a political stunt meant to drum up public support for nationalist parties ahead of a general election in October.
-------------
EU state launches criminal cases over V-Day celebrations.
RT.com
13 May, 2022 16:01
Three criminal cases and 20 administrative ones have been launched against people who laid flowers at the World War II memorial in the Latvian capital, Riga, on May 10, the police said on Friday. A young man who brought Russia's national flag to the monument to Soviet soldiers has been charged with justifying genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes.
In video clips uploaded online, he was filmed addressing the crowd on the importance of remembering and celebrating the legacy of those who gave their lives in the battle against the Nazis, and urging the people not to be afraid to voice their stance. Alexander Stefanov's mother confirmed to news agency Sputnik that her son had been detained. She also said that Latvian law enforcement officers had arrived to search her home. The charges Stefanov faces could carry up to 15 years behind bars, according to the Baltic nation's laws. Several other people who came to the monument have been accused of resisting the police.
The Latvian authorities have declared May 9 – when Russia celebrates its Second World War victory over the Nazis – a day of mourning for those who died or were wounded during Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine.
The officials urged the public to refrain from gatherings near Soviet memorials and warned that attempts to display any Russian symbols would be swiftly curbed as glorification of aggression, and could lead to criminal and administrative liability.
Latvia had been a part of the USSR since 1940 and gained its independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet empire. The country's current government considers this a period of "Russian occupation."
However, numerous people still came to the monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated Riga from Nazis on May 9, laying thousands of flowers at its foot. But the next morning, the flowers were disposed-of using a bulldozer, which shocked and angered many in Latvia, a country with a quarter of predominantly Russian-speaking population.
So, the people returned to the memorial with even more flowers on May 10, eventually prompting the authorities to erect a fence around it.
On Thursday, Latvian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to renounce part of a treaty with Russia, in which it committed to protect and maintain war memorials in the country, paving the way for the removal of the Riga monument and others.
A young man holds a Russian flag near the the World War II memorial in Latvian capital, Riga. © Sputnik / Sergey Melkonov-------------
Protests kick off over plans to demolish WW2 memorial.
RT.com
13 May, 2022 18:35
Several hundred people attempted to gather outside Riga’s town hall on Friday as the legislature in the Latvian capital convened for an extraordinary meeting to consider demolishing a monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated the city from Nazi occupation. The move was ultimately supported by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers.
Three members of the Latvian Russian Union party, including the party’s co-chair and member of the European Parliament Tatiana Zhdanok, were briefly detained during the protest outside the town hall. Technically, the politicians were not protesting as they were seen holding placards warning citizens that the gathering had not been authorized by the authorities.
All in all, seven people were detained during the demonstration for a variety of offenses, including “petty hooliganism.” Some wore black-and-orange St. George’s ribbons, which were used on Soviet WWII victory medals, and were detained for displaying unspecified “symbols of glorification of military aggression” in public.
More protesters showed up in the city center after the decision to demolish the memorial was supported by 38 legislators, with only eight voting against. Those opposing the demolition were confronted by supporters of the move, comprising Latvian nationalists and pro-Ukrainian activists. Though the groups engaged in verbal spats, no physical confrontations were reported.
Some counter-protesters attempted to distribute leaflets, fashioned as a ‘ticket’ out of the country. The ‘tickets’ referred to the ‘passenger’ as a “vatnik” – a cotton-wool-padded jacket – a derogatory term commonly used to insult supporters of the Russian government and Russians in general.
The monument to the Soviet liberators of Riga has long been targeted by Latvian nationalists, who have called for its destruction for decades. The site was the subject of a renewed bitter spat between local residents and the authorities during the recent Victory Day celebrations.
Latvian authorities declared May 9 – when V-Day is celebrated in Russia and some other countries – a day of mourning for those who died or were wounded during the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Numerous people still attended the monument to lay flowers, which were swept away the next day. The move sparked a public outcry, with people returning to the site with even more flowers on May 10.
The back-and-forth surrounding the Riga monument prompted the central government in Latvia to act. On Thursday, the country’s parliament overwhelmingly voted to unilaterally renounce part of a treaty with Russia, in which Latvia pledged to protect and maintain war memorials in the country. The move paved the way for the demolition of the memorial, as well as for the potential destruction of other Soviet-era monuments in the country, a quarter of whose citizens are predominantly Russian-speaking.
-------------
Mother condemns son’s arrest over Russian flag.
RT.com
15 May, 2022 13:09
The mother of a young Latvian man, who is facing charges for brandishing a Russian flag during World War Two Victory Day celebrations in the EU country’s capital, has insisted that his arrest was groundless.
Alexander Stefanov was detained by police on May 10 near a monument commemorating Soviet soldiers in Riga. He had a Russian national flag with him, and was charged with justifying genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes.
The Latvian authorities said that this year, instead of celebrating Victory Day, the country would mourn those who died or were wounded in Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. They banned the display of any Russian or Soviet symbols, warning that it would be considered glorification of “aggression,” and could lead to criminal and administrative liability.
Alexander’s mother Svetlana Stefanova told RT that her son could face up to five years in prison if convicted, but a lighter punishment like probation or a fine was also possible.
Her son’s treatment by the Latvian police was totally unexpected, the woman said, especially considering that, according to her, Alexander did nothing wrong.
The young man had engaged with police about the display of Russian symbols during Victory Day celebrations on Monday, with officers telling him that they were only banned on May 8 and May 9, she said.
Alexander returned to the memorial on Tuesday, May 10, together with many other people, who were shocked and angered after learning that thousands of flowers they had laid at the foot of the monument a day before had been removed by a bulldozer.
This time, he was bearing a Russian flag, confident that he wasn’t violating any rules, but was still approached by officers.
“They had a long communication, but the police eventually apologized to him and let him go,” Svetlana recalled. Alexander was able to lay flowers at the monument to the Soviet troops who liberated Riga from the Nazis, but “an hour later when he was leaving the square, he was arrested,” she added.
“What kind of liability can there be” when displaying the Russian flag wasn’t apparently illegal on May 10, the woman wondered.
She said her home had been searched as part of the case against her son, and officers seized a hard drive and a SIM card.
Svetlana declined to discuss persecution of the Russian-speaking minority, which accounts for around a quarter of Latvia’s population. “I’m not a political person,” she said, adding that she could only think about rescuing her son.
Latvia was part of the USSR from 1940 and gained its independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country’s current authorities consider this to have been a period of “Russian occupation.”
Meanwhile, the Soviet monument in Riga is under threat of demolition after Latvian lawmakers voted on Thursday to renounce part of a treaty with Russia, in which the country committed to protecting and maintaining war memorials.

-------------