Can Latgale be the cause of a nuclear war between Russia and NATO
3 February, the broadcasting company “bi-Bi-si” showed the film “the Third world war: the command post” (World War Three: Inside the War Room). After the capture of Daugavpils Latvian Pro-Russian rebels and the intervention of the us-British Alliance the world is on the brink of global nuclear catastrophe. “Ribbon.ru” I watched a movie with the natives of Latgale and wonder: is it possible what is happening on the screen in reality?
“Are we ready to die for Daugavpils?”
In the film a lot of inaccuracies. In fact, the authors didn’t claim to be a documentary: they wanted to draw a reliable diagram of starting a nuclear conflict. However, it looks strange even the beginning of the story: allegedly Russian-speaking inhabitants of Latgale (which really make up the majority of the population) rise up in support of their compatriots in Tallinn, entered into clashes with Estonian nationalists. One Russian communities in post-Soviet Baltic States have not developed — and the inhabitants of Latvia a little worried about what is happening in Lithuania or in Estonia. Even in the spring of 2007, when the center of attention was the demolition of the Bronze soldier in Tallinn, protesting in the Estonian capital in Riga was supported by only a few activists. And from Latgale a hand nobody held out.
Shows very ambiguous uprising in Daugavpils, the largest city in Latgale. Citizens, armed from nowhere at them with Kalashnikovs, seized the building of the city Duma, drop and burn a flag of Latvia, intends to create a “Latgale people’s Republic” and calling on the help of Russia. The local mayor by the name of Dimitri Warsaw proclaims the independence referendum. In response, the Riga authorities announce Vorslav and his supporters outside the law, trying to neutralize their military power. This leads only to the fact that the uprising flared up even hotter — the insurgents captured twenty kilometers of the border with Russia, through which Moscow sends humanitarian convoys.
Especially look awkward fighting for “Daugavpils international airport”. This object in local folklore known as “our new Vasyuki”. Eleven years ago, the government solemnly announced the construction on the ruins of an abandoned Soviet airfield lociki in the vicinity of Daugavpils ultra-modern airport. But the situation is still the same. Money for this project “laundered” a lot, but in Lozica still nothing but crumpled concrete slabs, overgrown with bushes.
Latgale is difficult to name an economically successful region
Photo: Ints Kalnins / Reuters
After much hesitation (sounds a sacramental phrase: “are we Ready to die for Daugavpils?”) NATO enters in Latvia rapid response troops, Russia responds to the major teachings of his army in the Pskov region. A series of tragic accidents, and now the forces of the Russian Federation and Alliance enters into direct clashes, and there is a nuclear exchange near…
My neglected land, land of…
Now let’s try to separate the wheat from the chaff. There is no doubt that the inhabitants of Latgale, there is reason to be dissatisfied with the Riga. For a quarter of a century after the collapse of the USSR the region is in decline, financires as a residual. The explanation is simple: power in the country belongs to the Latvian parties, which differ from each other only by the degree of nationalism — there is a hard radical, and there are nominal liberals, a little softer. They have no special reason to invest in the region, where the electorate is presented minimally Latgalians (of course, those who are entitled to vote) have traditionally supported the opposition, “Russian” party, which the ruling coalition is not allowed.
Photo: Ints Kalnins / Reuters
Daugavpils was a large, by local standards, industrial center: about 130 thousand residents and dozens of factories. Now here, according to unofficial estimates, thousands sixty residents and several businesses who miraculously survived, eking out a miserable existence. The same bleak picture in other cities of Latgale.
“In the early 90s, the government hastily released from “the difficult legacy of the occupation regime” in the form of factories. At the time, the majority of our companies was calculated on a complex system of division of labour within the Union a huge industrial complex. After regaining Latvia’s independence, the state was not willing to take any steps to preserve at least some of these links. The policy was simple — eliminate all associated with the Soviet Union, and then we’ll sort it out. As a result shaped the pogrom were most important for the Republic branch. Almost all local businesses, including such recognized leaders of the Latvian industry, as a factory of floor transport, brick and concrete factories, a milk canning plant, is ordered to live long. Now there are only ruins,” said the mayor of Rezekne (a major economic center in Eastern Latvia) Alexander Bartashevich.
Daugavpils
Photo: Ints Kalnins / Reuters
The rural area of Latgale is considered to be even more depressed. In the region of the last closed village schools, the population is fleeing to the cities. After Latvia joined the EU and Schengen area, the Latgalians have much to vegetate at home. People went to England, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, settling in there and return to their homes does not strive. What is shown in the movie “bi-Bi-si”, is unrealistic. Any rebellion must have a sufficient amount of passionaries, and where to get them in Latgale?
A large part of the local population (reduced for twenty years with 420 thousand to 290 thousand people) is either a youth who failed to graduate from the education system or retired. Strong men and the young women left long ago. However, Riga jealous of any attempts by Latgalians at least to start a conversation about any minimal autonomy. If Latgale will take control over even a small part through financial flows (e.g. of money from the transit), we will be able to significantly improve its position. But such ideas are equated in Latvia to manifestations of “separatism”, and it provides for criminal penalties.
“To fight in Latgale nobody wants”
Two years ago, after residents of the Crimea was separated from post-Maidan Ukraine and started a civil war in the Donbas, the Central government of Latvia has covered a tantrum, turning into paranoia. Although in Latgale has not shown any signs of separatism, Riga feared that the region may wish to follow the example Donbassa and Crimeans. Panic fueled by disinformation outright fakes. So, in November 2014, the Chairman of the Duma of Kraslava region Gunars upenieks official told the newspaper Diena that some “activists” allegedly go from house to house, distributing leaflets and agitating accession Latgale to Russia. Upenieks later admitted that I was wrong.
Still from the film “World War Three: Inside the War Room” (BBC)
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Then the Internet appeared leaflets with an appeal to the population of Latgale to join in the “Patriotic groups”. Leaders of the Russian community clearly appreciated it as a provocation of the local security services and urged it not to succumb. In January 2015, someone posted in Facebook the cards and the symbolism of the “Latgale people’s Republic”. Reported that the security police managed to arrest the “separatists”, and “conspiracy” is investigated. But the names of the “criminals” still has not released. Here, actually, and all local separatism.
The chief separatist in Latvia is the opposition politician from Riga Vladimir Linderman for the fact that in November 2013 he headed the party “For native language!” held in Daugavpils, a conference about “the possibility of the autonomy of Latgale”. And although Linderman was repeatedly told that he wasn’t thinking about any rebellion (to achieve Latgalian autonomy was supposed to be purely legal, non-violent ways), it has worn on the courts. Linderman commented on “the Ribbon.ru” a British TV show.
Still from the film “World War Three: Inside the War Room” (BBC)
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“The film puts two goals, he said. First — once again to show Russia as an aggressor, to justify the growing military presence of NATO. The second is to understand ourselves that can actually make NATO into a military conflict with Russia in the Baltic States. However, regardless of the intentions of the authors of the film, it has important for us, inhabitants of Latvia, the third sense. In fact, the Latvian and Estonian authorities, discriminating against Russians in their countries, act as instigators of a third world war. In the film, the actions of the authorities cause an explosion of indignation, and the reaction of the rebels is hard, but retaliatory in nature.”
Linderman actually agree with the Deputy of the municipal Duma of Daugavpils Yuri Zaitsev. “Smacks of a provocation. Yes, our life is in Latgale, to put it mildly, not sugar — we suffer from outmigration, economic decline, lack of jobs. Has not disappeared, and ethnic threat: the presence in Latvia hundreds of thousands of stateless persons-non-citizens, the persecution of Russian language, reluctance to allow minorities to the levers of state power. But no armed rebellion, no one thought, that one could see only in nightmares! Let our land and are poor, there are no crazy, ready to do his scene of armed confrontation,” — he said “the Tape.ru”.
Still from the film “World War Three: Inside the War Room” (BBC)
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Similar opinion is shared by the public activist Valery Oshchepkov. In the past, it was through his efforts the city was able to restore the Eternal flame over the graves of those who died for the liberation of the city in 1944, Soviet soldiers (for the Baltic case is unique). “This TV is dangerous because it may exacerbate an already difficult inter-ethnic relations in Latvia. Residents of Daugavpils are a peaceful people. Citizens remember the horrors of the Second world war touched almost every one of the families living here,” he explained “the Tape.ru”.
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In this case, all the sides “Tape.ru” they say that in Latgale increases anxiety. People claim that absolutely do not want anyone to fight, but note some unpleasant moments. Last fall near Vilnius conducted an exercise “maple arch” — with the participation of Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian soldiers. According to the legend, the integrity and sovereignty of the fictional Baltic country Amberland (“Amber land”) violated the state’s aggressive customized Redland, which lies to the East.
Still from the film “World War Three: Inside the War Room” (BBC)
“Using powerful information and psychological and propaganda effects, the invaders artificially initiated and supported separatist movements in the region, which led to illegal secession of a part of territories from Amberland and creation unrecognized by the international society of geographical education of Latgale”, — says the scenario of military exercises. For the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the government of Amberland satisfied with the police operation, but with the support of the Redland of Latgale has armed resistance. Which, of course, rigidly suppressed.
