Latvia’s Unwanted Russians | ARTE.tv Documentary
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- Опубліковано 26 гру 2024
- One third of the Latvian population is Russian, a hangover from the Soviet past. The Latvian and Russian speaking communities have been living side by side since independence in 1991 but this cohabitation is not always easy. The government has taken a tougher stance on the integration of Russian speakers since the war in Ukraine, with some now risking deportation.
Latvia’s Unwanted Russians | ARTE.tv Documentary
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WATCH NEXT 👀'Fake News'
Russia boasts a handful of "Western experts" who agree with the Kremlin world view. These German, Belgian and French experts are regular guests on Russian propaganda TV channels. This film finds out who these people are and what their views actually are.
Check it out here 👉ua-cam.com/video/VakJZyjEDuE/v-deo.html
Thanks @Arte from the bottom of my heart, you've upped the game since the last doc. you made about Baltic countries. At least found some lovely Latvians too this time.
Now i still have to correct the second part of this pinned comment. It's not a handful of "western" influencers doing Kremlin-assisted diainformation in "the west". Tenet Media is just the tip of the iceberg, as US agencies (mostly FBI) has released much larger document than original indictment, acknowledging some 600 talking heads doing the same or similar. Ukraines secret services have identified 2-3K of these informational warriors on Kremlin's side aimed against US. Moscow spends around $2B yearly on information operations abroad, around half of it is aimed at US. A lot more is to come, even if the law stays lenient and details scarce for now.
Mercì beacoup de Lettonie.
@@artetvdocumentary their views are “paycheque”
And we have western experts who agree with western usa world view.
I remember as youth I wanted in Railway station to take a ticket to my country's capital Tallinn and Russian woman refused to sell that to me, because I asked in my mother language. She said to me: "At first you must study how to speak as human's do (speak Russian) and then you can come and ask. It was in 1980-th in my own country Estonia. If people are refusing to study and speak your language, to honor your culture and customs, and are openly hostile toward your free nation and independent state - how you will "integrate" them? Pleading on your knees gives a result?
Yeah, that "govorite po tshelovetsheski" (speak as a human) was a standard. But I was arrested in Tallinn as a 8 years old (the former KGB boss Andropov was in power, luckily not for long) simply as a policeman (militsiya) asked me a question and I didn't understand him.
Thank you for sharing
Yes , Russians was official language ,and she right .....naw ,you can speak your language......you are 👿👿nazi state naw !
its shocking and unchristain that they are thinking to deport a grandmother, so much for human rights,
Latvian human rights is not to be occupied by barbarian Russian HORDES-Russians are responsible for the crimes against the humanity in Latvia against Latvians.
It's her fault. Latvia has been away from the Soviet Union for over 30 yrs and she hasn't learned any Latvian language ? Then you forget to register to take the test again ? That's on her. Plus it doesn't help she still supports Putin, and his policies.
They weren't told to learn Latvian 30 yrs ago, you retard.
I wish your parents will be deported from the country they spent their entire life living in. And then I'll see you talking about following the rules.
I fully agree with you. Those Russians were illegally settled by the Soviet government. My country, Hungary, also encountered similar destruction from the Russians during the Cold War.
@@alfoldmapping5504 I served in the US Army during the Cold war 1980s. Was stationed in Germany to guard the boarders from the Red Army back in the day. Russians were brutal, invaders back then, and decades later they're still at it. I've seen the Russian world , and it sucks ! Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇸☘️
And why she took the russian citizenship? She became a foreigner by her decision.
I left Holland for Latvija in 2007.
Living with my Latvian wife and working at a Latvian firma.
Study the language for two years and have my diploma fot level 2.
If you live here 30 years or more you had time enough to learn the language.
Good that you learned Latvian but i recommend you also learn some Russian. It is after all the native tongue of 38% of Latvians. As an expat in Riga i took the effort to lean both languages. But honestly, now i feel more like using Russian whenever appropriate (when i hear people speak Ru, i reply in Ru, or a shop assistant with Russian name tag etc) because the harsh repressions they face.
@@trembo835 no need for that, Where I work I speak Latvian, and I exspect that from all the people that come in to my work place.
We live in Latvia not Russia.
I was 50 years old when move to Latvia now 68.
If I and more people can do it, then people that live almost there whole life here can do it to.
No exscuses for not pasing that small exam.
@@joskites8374 Knap hoor!
@@trembo835 It is LATVIA - NO russia. If you go to Russia, do you have to learn Latvian ? The hypocrite
@@trembo835 yes its very disgusting and cowardly by the Baltic people to act this way, in fact also many of the russians ukrainians and other soviet people there are stateless as they also cant get citizenship of another country. additionally many villages in the east are russian villages and have been for hundreds of years.
when the ussr gave them independence one of the agreements was to not persecute to the other nations living in these countries and to give them citizenship. the baltic states all agreed to this and simply lied onces they were free. it shows a deep collective malice and insincere attitude , if they didnt want this they should have said clearly that they would not give citizenship then in 1992 people could choose.
When I was a child in Latvia, waiting for the train, a woman came up to me and asked to translate a railway notice from Latvian to Russian. I did to the best of my ability. Instead of saying thank you, she asked which grade I am in. I answered: 4th. She exclaimed: already 4th and you speak Russian so poorly! And left.
I am half Latvian who grew up in Germany, thus I never learned Russian. When I was in Riga as a child and bought an ice cream in a park, the babuška selling the ice cream told me she doesn't speak Latvian and that I should speak russian with her. I did not understand, told her I do not speak russian and she just scolded something in russian and refused to sell me the ice cream. I took the ice cream, gave her her money and left
I am English and what I know about the Soviet Union and the Baltic Republic's Etcetera comes from reading books about Stalin. what most people in, definitely my country, but I think all the West, don't realise is how badly the Russians treated the local people, they didn't get their way they were just called the locals, "fascists!", never polite, always rude, never bothered to learn their language, now they have invaded or tried to invade Ukraine again it seems like old habits die hard.
@@stevensibbet5869 it has always been imperialism. They invaded our countries and treated its "natives" as second class citizens. Many Russians to this day kept this mindset that the Baltics are simply another Russian colony and they are the overlords.
Don't get me wrong I have many russian friends here in Germany and they are great people. Our cultures are somewhat similar in a way after all, and those Russians I call my friends don't share this imperialistic mindset at all. But there's still many Russians, even in Germany, you simply can't reason with.
😂 Nice lady she was!
@@stevensibbet5869 Yeah, You got it right! I'm latvian and what can I say, Yes there are polite russians also, but that whole Moscow narrative muddy the watter, some just live in dream world, think that there will be riches etc. for them when pro-russians rule. They are just naive in the essence. Thanx god a bunch of pro russian TV channels were blocked, at least calm down influence a bit.
This complitely fails to discuss historic causes just briefly touching soviet crimes against humanity and not mentioning russification that has been going in various forms since 19th century not only in Latvia. They deported (kidnapped and forced into slavery would be more fiting description) and murdered Latvians and brought in russians in masses, it is just so obvious if you look at demographic data by ethnicity from the era, they almost outnumbered Latvians at the time of soviet collapse. And it has been the same with various ethnicities in russia and former soviet union - locals may not even have population size changing, but overahelming amounts of russians migrate, never required to learn anything, while the locals are forced to adjust to them untill their own language and culture ends up going extinct. And now russia is also invading neighbouring countries to "rescue" russian citizens from imaginary slights. This is what Tamara stands for, she has lived in Latvia nearly all her life, ussr collapsed more than three decades ago, she was still young when she must have realised that she does not live in russia, yet she chose not to learn anything. After all this time she cannot string a sentence together and cannot pass low level language profficiency exam to have her residence permit renewed. The law that requires her to do so, actually removes examption that applied to people, who were considered Latvian nationals prior to getting russian citizenship. She chose to get citizenship of a country she doesn't live in, which could invade the country she does live in, due to its citizens being present, and now she is surprised that it gets her treated the same way as any foreign national. Just like she chooses to watch kremlin propoganda and votes for the dictator who shall not be named. As an adult with a common sense, she should be able to understand that her life choices have consequences and by aligning with threats she becomes a threat, but she chooses not to see that either. Just like thousthands of other russians, who see no problem in their own and russia's actions.
Thanks for this very important perspective!
I quite agree with your comments.
Well said and I agree totally, I have friends from other Baltic States including Latvia who share the same sentiments.
Thank you for putt into words what I lack the energy to say anymore
I was living for only 1 year abroad and before that for 3 years I had been learning foreign language. She has been living for 46 years in Latvia and she is not able to pass the exam for A2 level? How bizzare.
You would be branded a racist if you would dare to ask the same question immigrants who have been living for 46 years in UK and still can't say a word in English.
She is not motivated to learn latvian. She is waiting for Putin to come and rescue her.
She never needed the Latvia language,
My British friend visited Germany and wanted to learn the language. Every time the people talked English to him, and he finally gave up. If you are older, it is for some people difficult to learn a new language.
She was always in Russian communities, and even her doctor didn't bother to speak Latvian.
To send her away from her family in a foreign land is a crime. Its revenge on innocent.
@@axelmende8270 Hey, before you complain about that - its only polite to switch to english if the other person dose not speak german. If he wants to learn it, just say so and i know many are happy to "help" him - he just needs to prepare to be the punshline from time to time.
@@julonkrutor4649 keep dreaming
How can someone live almost 50 years in a country and don't speak the natives language?.... These people still have a disgusting colonisation mindset.
It is explained in the film you retard. The woman worked in a factory where everyone spoke Russian. You absolute mug.
If you're referring to the first lady, how is she a coloniser? Her husband speaks Russian and so does the rest of her family, and what benefit is there for a pensioner to learn a language this late in life???
Her right to family life should supercede anything.
@@bishbashbosh3863She came there, aged 21. Russian and Latvian are about as close as English and French….
@@bishbashbosh3863 She did not arrive in Latvia as a pensioner, so your argument about age being a barrier to learning the language is invalid. We can speculate about why she decided that, upon arriving in a foreign country where people speak a completely different language, she thought she wouldn’t need to know it. And thirdly, regardless of what language her family speaks, she does not live in an isolated world. She goes to the store, the post office, the bank... and in her younger years, she was even more active in public life. And she did all this based on the assumption that Latvians, like obedient servants, would learn the colonizer's language. So yes, she is a colonist, and the fact that she has lived her entire life here at the expense of Latvians-because without Latvians who understand the colonizer’s language, Russian-she couldn’t even go to the doctor or buy bread at the store.
A narrow minded person and coloniser mindset. Ruskies for centuries were claiming that only their speech (which is btw a dialect of BulgarianXD) is a "language of higher culture" (of course it's a bull..it) and all languages of countries they colonised are some "peasant speeches". I can bet that's why she didn't learn it.
She is a pensioner now, but in the early 90s she was a young woman. More than 30 years of being exposed to the Latvian language post independence , tv, radio , print, and the only requirement is A2 level.
Hard to feel pity.
Right. They watch pro Kremlin TV that glorifies the murders, bombings, rapes, torture, a d looting Russia is doing in Ukraine. She is a threat. I don't blame the Latvian people at all for not liking the Russians. They could be next
You are an ignorant.
Because 90% of them speak Russian like in all ex Russian republics
I agree because living for so many years in Latvia and not learning the language, is unbelievable😮. It seems that she has a good life. Nevertheless, she ignores the rules by watching the Russian propaganda on TV...
@@leoniekutsch5375 there can't be a legal law in the free western world, that makes it illegal to watch a TV program .
It is illegal sending the program but not receiving.
Don't do like Russia.
The daughter asks "Is she a threat?" about Tamara. While a minute before that she was shown worrying if the grandson learns enough russian and whether he will not accidently becoma loyal to Latvia... Yes, she is a threat.
exactly my thoughts!
She is a threat because she does not want to lose her national identity.
Russophobia
@@ares8866
Putinantrops
@@ares8866go Home mosquito
The Russian pensioner: Latvia was not occupied by the Soviet Union. Everyone could travel where they wanted. Sure, babushka. It is easy to downplay the suffering of other people. The Soviet Union was the biggest prison on earth. If you did not speak Russian in Latvian SSR you never had a good job, no way.
I lost any sympathy for Tamara after she expressed her support for putin and russian imperialism.
i have even less sympathy for the Latvian girl cheering on a far-right programme of expelling the Russian minority. It's not because we disagree with someone politically (and I do, I don't like putin) that we have to encourage them being treated like garbage. Matter of fact, that's exactly what drives these people to support Putin and anti-Latvian sentiment even more.
US imperialism is ending. Are you supporting?
Russian imperialism are worst for them since they experience occupation by Russian themselves rather than US@@jormakhuttunen
@@jormakhuttunen stupid and very false equivelancy.
@@jormakhuttunen Ah another Putin's ass-kissing wanna be anti american clueless as FUCK who"s knowledge learned from
the internet😂😂😂
Fun fact - the language test that has to be passed is level A2. For reference, it's essentially a very low level (only 1 above the lowest, A1). With level A2 you can do only the barebone basics like asking for bread in the shop or directions to the train station. Tamara, 30+ years and you can't learn that? This begs the question - Why are we kicking you out only now?
You forget about the age en previous education. These A2 phrases she will probably already use in shops. But when you left school 50 years ago you are not used any more to studying and learning, especially not with modern methods.
You are so judging, it’s unbelievable. She is an old woman, just let her live. Not that long to go. Don’t pretend to be nice - you are not!
@dsch2038 Us being nice and thinking these people will come around eventually is what got us to this point. Now there's tens of thousands of people like her. People who can't ask for simple things in the store, speak to a doctor or do any of the most basic task without others having to bend over backwards and use their language. I am so sick of it and so are many other Latvians. You feel sorry for people like that? Have them move to your country, refuse to learn your language and then live off your taxes and see how 'nice' you'll be.
@henkmol9169 Language acquisition is harder when you are older but not impossible. For some reason, other foreigners here, even ones older than her, seem to be able to do it just fine.
@@Miimiikuh Depends on the person, their education and their work in the past. My mother had a low educationlevel and did just simple handwork. She can talk about everything, but when she gets written information she panics. Can you imagine how she could do an exam, the first in het life after 30 or 40 years?
I'm from Hungary and I can fully understand the situation of Latvia. My country also experienced lots of destruction and suffering from the Russians, for example in 1849 and during the 2nd World War. Not to mention 1956, when the Soviets literally killed thousands of Hungarians, when we rebelled against communism and wanted to achieve democracy. The Russians opressed us for decades, made our country socialist and although we weren't got annexed, the Hungarians had to learn Russian a compulsory language. I can't even imagine, what horrible crimes did the Russians against Latvia and in the other 2 Baltic states, Lithuania and Estonia. Not only did the Russians murder thousands of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, but they also put there many Russians and wanted to achieve full Russification in the Baltics. The Latvians were also forced to learn Russian from a very young age.
So I literally can't understand those Russians, who are living in Latvia and doesn't learn Latvian language and integrate into the Latvian society - and by the way, they were illegally resettled there by the Soviet regime, without any legal procedures.
Latvia - along with Lithuania and Estonia - shows the best example to the world in the treatment of Russian and Soviet monuments. Tearing them down, destroying and wiping them out is the only normal reaction, someone can take against those monuments, because they represent nothing, but darkness, opression and the destruction of human life.
I have my full love and support to Latvia and to the Latvian people from Hungary! 🇭🇺❤🇱🇻
look who's speaking lol ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine cannot speak proper Ukrainian, ethnic Hungarians cannot speak proper Slovakian in Slovakia, ethnic Hungarians in Serbia are also terrible in Serbian. Not to mention ethnic Hungarians in Romania who also cannot speak proper Romanian. Your nation sucks at languages even though your country got smaller in 1918.
Agree with every word. Shame you have a President who worships Putin
@@jontalbot1 What do you mean by that?
Hungary's president, Tamás Sulyok condemned the Russian agression and supports the teritorrial integrity of Ukraine.
@@alfoldmapping5504 Sorry Orban. I imagine you knew that
@@jontalbot1 Orban is the Prime Minister of Hungary.
Since the war, Hungary declared support for the teritorrial sovereignity of Ukraine and gives medical military aid for the Ukrainian army. We also sanctioned Russia countless times and because of that, Russia blacklisted Hungary as a hostile, unfriendly country.
Orban is not pro-Russian, he is neutral. He also uses the events of the war to make propaganda for himself, that he is the only one, who can maintain ,,peace" and also keeps his supporters under a war physochis. But his main goal is to make benefits for himself as he is insanely corrupt.
Playing the victim, and is still a Putin supporter.
She still is the victim of this policy even if you and I don't agree with her politics. Matter of fact, she's most likely strengthened in being a Putin supporter due to this kind of policies. If the Latvian government didn't actively antagonize Russians there would be more of a political opening towards them.
in my own country i know many extremely racist working class people by whose politics i'm abhorred, but that doesn't stop me from still thinking they are the victims of all kinds of neoliberal housing and healthcare policies
@@adorno_gang37 I wonder why is it that other nations are supposedly "antagonize Russians" and not the other way around. It is not Latvians who invaded Russia and brought in colonists who refused to speak Russian. Being a fascist and playing victim card are two inseparable Russian qualities.
she loves the TV not the reality
how can we support Putin?
Tamara holds a Russian passport and only speaks Russian. She clearly has no interest in being a Latvian. Latvia has shown great patience with her. Her crocodile tears and protests are totally insincere and carry no weight.
It is indeed her fault. Thirty years and she has not learnt the language is a joke
And I will say more - she watches russian propoganda tv and is afraid to disclose, how she voted this spring. I'm sure she voted for putin. This is the main reason, why such people are not welcome in Latvia!
In many Western countries immigrants who are much longer here also don't speak the language of the country. Shall we send them also back to their country?
You know at least 25% of the Latvians speak Russian at home? It is just the second language, just as in other countries more languages are used.
@@henkmol9169nope, it’s not an official language. This is not Belgium, or Canada, or Switzerland .
@@hirsch4155 It should be. If 25% of the people in a country have another language (just like in Estonia or Latvia) it is discriminating and violating human rights to ignore them. It doesn't harm anybody to have two official languages in a country. Just as Belgium has 3 or Switzerland even 4. But closer, even in Poland there are certain areas where (Belo)Russian or German is the second allowed language.
How can you live for decades in a country, and not take the few admin hours it takes to get citizenship, and then complain? I care about my country of adoption and I can tell you citizenship is the number one thing on my mind
Welcome to Eastern European countries, where Russian imperialists behaved accordingly and whose history version about the way things are in terms of history in former USSR states, their languages, mindset and tradition is being told to the Westerners and to the entire world, who, unfortunately, in their turn justify in many cases the imperialism of Russian cause "Russia has an almighty culture and language" ...and again repeating the soaked in Russian propaganda. Thank goodness things are changing and we are not being shut up anymore. Africa, South America and Eastern Europe understand each other very well in terms of who their oppressors are and who had the right to tell their story. Not speaking the language of the country is a matter of imperialism or tourism.
Yes, but they are forcing grandmas to learn a language.... It's so stupid.
@@utkalou It's harsh yes, but if all services and such are *only* going to be in Latvian from then forth... it's for their own benefit. The state/country could get an interpreter, but that's not how Latvia, that was occupied by the USSR, chooses to proceed. 🤷♂
@@utkalou how old do you think she was 30 years ago??
@@utkalou her president is forcing old people and young people to leave their homes, because of bombs
I have no sympathy for the lady at all. She calls that country her home, has been there for 50 (!!!!!!) years and doesnt speak latvian even a little bit, even after being threatened with deportation. Now shes getting deported and cries about it on TV. I say she should go and enjoy her motherland and speak her precious language there.
In many country in the world people speak different languages is not a problem take switzerland there are italians germans french and some of them who only speak their native language they have tv channel newspaper in italian french and german My grandparents live here for many years they speak only italians have always work and paid taxes no one say them to leave the country. It s clear that latvia since is indipendence is very racist again russian speaking population
💯%
@@Matte1492Thats not really accurate. We would not have a problem with another language if it wasnt their attitude. Older generations not liking them is cause of soviet union and being forced to not speak Latvian. Newer generations dont like them cause they get harrassed everyday for not knowing Russian. And the harrassment is very harsh, especially in a work environemnt where you can’t even walk away. I myself understand Russian, but don’t speak it as well. I try my best yet I got harrassed everyday at work. I still appreciate pre soviet union russia and I have russian family members and friends, but living with Soviet Russians is exhausting and I completely understand why Latvia is taking desperate meassures to get rid of this problem. We are tired of being erased and harrased everyday.
@@niki7411 this law is so stupid if the old lady pass the exam of basic latvian dosen t change anything because she will continue to speak russian like she did for her entire life and she will continue to feel russian and support russia and this will be the same for the other russians who live in latvia this law dosen t make them latvian. the same is for the monument and the symbol of the red army or soviet union the russians will celebrate the 9 may and feel greatful to the red army. For the latvian government is very hard to accept that a consistent part of the population is russian
@@Matte1492 It at least shows she would care. And as if we saw, she did not. I’m curious what you think of germany, as they have a similar law. Latvia is already slowly dying out and while I agree sometimes theyre going a little overboard, some of these decisions are needed to ensure we can actually communicate in the future, since younger generations of latvians tend to not know russian, but other languages instead and many younger generations of russians don’t know latvian or english. Speaking from first hand experience. You cannot compare this as the same thing that happened with a lot of groups during soviet union as those were just straight up deportations. There are many countries that have passports and visas to be able to live there lawfully. This woman even still can return if she wants to.
30+ years after collapse of USSR and de-occupation of Latvia were not enough to learn local language? Then better to go home, to russia.
@@kristine2916 right!!
Latvia can give back what the USSR built for them...and then go back to Poland, where their ancestors came from XD
@grundgesetzart.1463 russian dummy, take your pills. Your country is poor, isolated, and miserable.
💯 Absolutely.
@@grundgesetzart.1463russians should return all their stolen lands first
Latvians do NOT have to integrate Russian settlers. Latvians are a small nation, 50% of which was destroyed by Russian occupiers, and now Latvians have to integrate these occupiers? Nightmare!
It's much better if they integrate the well-meaning Russians rather than alienating them. Latvia has a very small population it's their national interest to integrate or even assimilate those younger ethnic Russians who are willing to do that.
I am Swedish and as European and civilized citizen I will not ever travel to Baltics again because of their racistic way of treating their minorities. You blame the Russian speaking people who also are result of Soviet politics as Balls also claim to be. We must also remember that Soviet Union actually was allied with US, GB and France liberating the Baltics from Nazism and slaughtering of Jews. Do the Balts remember that Nazis forced them to kill Jews in the open streets and bury them in mass Graves? Or did the Latvians delibarately welcome the Nazis and want to extinguish the Jews and fight against Soviet Union? In EU minorities are protected and given support from for ex the goverment to maintain their linguistics and human rights like in my country and my parents country, Finland where the minority language Swedish spoken by only 5% as mother tongue. Should we start to persecute our fellows of having another mother tongue and talk about that Swedes occupied Finland and forbade Finns to develop in society as Finnish never was accepted nor had any status? And this was during 700 years!!!! I also think Baltics shouldn't even be a part of EU as they don't share the real European values like respect for minorities. How can a state not give citizenship to it's own people who also are victims of the circumstances in history? Insane and inhumane. Pure apartheid politics which I spit on!!!! But obviously it's seemingly ok that Estonians and Latvians come to the Nordic countries and steal works and behave bad and take advantage of our welfare system and then discriminate their own weaker neighbors in their own country. We should rather put sanctions on them or perhaps Russian control over the region would solve the issue.😮😂😊
Settlers?
@@Viena-e5s yeah, look at population changes for example under ocupation, like year 1989. KGB documents about replacing Latvians with Russians also are open for long time ago.
@@solinvictus6587 this (efforts of integration) as been done for 30+ years, very generously - and indeedd many russians have integrated well. however there is a certain isolated or hostile minority who have been hostile from sovioet times, feeling entitled, boorish and bitter. they have to take Latvian legislation seriously.
A comment from Sweden.
This lady was in her 20’s when she moved to the Latvian SSR and in her mid-30’s when Latvia regained its independence.
Yet, during all these years, she has not bothered to learn Latvian even up to A2 level. What an enourmous ignorance.
She is denying the well known fact that Latvia was occupied by the USSR, she has gotten herself a Russian federation passport, she sits around watching Kremlin propaganda TV and she appearently supports Vladimir Putin.
Considering these things, in combination with the fact that the Russian federation is an extremely aggressive state, it is not strange that the state of Latvia has got serious concerns regarding such things.
Latvia has a lot of russian people from soviet time who are being persecuted these country like yours were nazis like yours or like Sweden who supplied the nazis war machine I'd rather have Russia any day they lost 26 million in ww11 to defeat nazis but the nazis are back in the baltics shameful
@davidklasson6386 To the extent that a 'Latvia' exists it is because the Russian Empire took it from Sweden. You are just bitter about Poltava.
@mitchyoung93
We meet again, genocidebot. We think we might know your name, but this would be deleted by your colleagues if i put it down. Don't worry, we have our chanells on your office.
Took "four years" of German language in highschool and picked up quite a bit, this lady didn't learn a thing in 44 years in THEIR country?! Russians are truly a different breed...
Half of Magyar folk in Slovakia doesn´t speak slavic-language, yet they are the citizens of slovak-still-birth-state from 1993. And in their schools in Slowakei they do learn all CV in magyar: our language they do learn as an foreign one. Look at Eidgenossenschaft: they do sing their national anthem in 4 languages. Still united.
Greetings from Pressbourg
Because she lived her whole life in the Russian environment.
@@karoltomis5704 surely that is different. the borders moved and the people didn't.
no she is living in a russia town or city where poeple all speak russina , belarussian, ukrianina , ect. its quite normal. english in wales cant speak welsh can they , i dont think there is a single one. the germans and swedish in latvia never learnt any Latvian either . not a single word ever.
The point being missed by the other comments here is that Russia has historically invaded its neighbors under the pretext of "saving" a Russian minority in that target country. The Russians that populate these countries resulted from forced migrations under Stalin, they did not grow there naturally. These Russians were brought in on purpose to dilute the Latvian population and to make it easier to subjugate them. Having a large population of unassimilated Russians in your country is an invitation for Russia to eventually invade you.
The daughter says her mother is 'no threat' to the country and pays her taxes, obeys laws. But she lives like a forever vacationer. Her loyalty is to russia, while enjoying the freedoms of the Latvian governace!
Never learned Latvian although she lived here for over 46 years.
😂
Bye, bye, the daughter of a colonizer! We'll never miss you!
very well said 💯
Crazy isn't it???? These people absolute have no moral and empathy! And they wonder why they are not welcomed in many Eastern European countries.
You both are underage retards. I hoe you'll get smarter closer to your 30s when you understand the concept of family, healthcare, paying taxes etc.
I have been thinking the same. They were also settled there illegally by the Soviet regime. No wonder, why the Baltics have PTSD against Russia. My country, Hungary, also suffered a lot from Russian destruction.
It would be interesting to see a French film like this, about an old woman in France who came to France from Germany in 1944, never learned and doesn't speak French, and complains that the laws impose language requirements and others don't speak German. What would be the emphasis in the French case?
She wouldn't be alive. France killed all the German speakers from Alsace Lorraine. There is not a single one whom survived the war after 1918
French are the ones known not learning the language or struggling with it. As a Fleming, I think learning the language of the majority is common sense, but many Russians and French lack that basic awareness. However, I still think it shouldn't lead to mistreating French or Russian people over it and always remain civil.
Not only this.
This woman praising Hitler 🐮🤔🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫🤫🤫
@@ProductofWit the old lady was watching the TV channel of the enemy
Whataboutism.
I disagree with the lady's daughter towards the end. Her mother and fellow Russian speaking Latvians can get together and demand a separate state off Latvia, under Russian control - much the same as they did in Ukraine.
If Russia attacks Latvia, her mother would house Russian soldiers and look after them as they fight the Latvians, exactly as the Russian-speaking Ukrainians did in eastern Ukraine.
Her mother is a national threat. It is proper to send her to Russia from where she can do less damage to Latvia.
Does Latvia have the second largest army in Europe? If no, Russia couldn't care less. There's no threat. Just blah words.
@@TogetherForever-mg1mhDoes Georgia have the second largest army? Does Moldova? Because the Russians used the same playbook in Abkhazia, Transnistria, etc - “protect Russian speakers”.
@@gustavodelpuerto1123 No, there's expalnations from the Russian side as well. Brian Berlitic or.. I don't remember his hame correctly. He's pro-Russian and he explained all the vars. It's not the same script, the reason is different. Maybe they just use the same TV tactic because the real reason is too complacated to explain to a common citizen.
The real reason? You mean imperialism? That isnt so hard to explain.
Weren't Latvians forced to learn Russian under Soviet occupation? well......learn Latvian, or would they rather be forced like the Soviets did to Latvians in their OWN country.
Ye, the thing is USSR didn't try to be a European democracy. Latvia is a better place, that's why they should be more humane rather than let their inferiority complex and desire for revenge to make poor ladies like Tamara to abandon her life.
Latvians preserved their language and culture and never assimilated or forced to become Russian. Assimilation was idea of Empire, Soviet Union encouraged and funded national cultures. Lenin wanted to have Union of states which at later state could have been Global Socialist utopia. So songs, language ,dance literature was funded preserved and cherished. Many older Latvians nerve spoke Russian as there was no pressure to learn it. Also quite a few them were fully supporting communism
@@Tgshgkgh XD please everybody knows it's not true. Russia and all of its previous forms were brutally colonising other nations and telling them that Russian is the language of "higher culture" (a total bulls*tXD) an that their mother tongues are the "peasant speech". It happened all over Ru colonies from Far East to Ukraine and Baltic Sates. And in many cases if tried preserve your culture, traditions, language etc you were sent to concentration camps in Siberia or genocided like e.g. Ukrainians during the Great Famine. It's a well known fact so stop spreading this bullish*t!!!
@@victora7008 no, we shouldn't. She lives in Latvia but supports Putin. The program she watches on TV tells me everything and we should not tolerate people who support war whatever age they are. We are better place because of us, Latvian citizens, not because of her and people like her.
@@Tgshgkgh lies. There WAS a pressure. Ask me how I know. I am 55 years old Latvian, born under soviet occupation. And do not talk shit about Lenin. We were occupied in 1940 after 20 years of independency when this bastard was long dead.
Latvia is correct,they are a country now after Soviet Union occupation,they have the right to defend your culture,your language etc,if the Russians want live there,they must have to learn the Latvian language,if they don't like the idea,come back to Russia,good job Latvia...🇺🇲🇱🇻
Yeah Yankee doodle dandy. Let's see how well American freedom works for the EU. They've opened pandora's box. 😂😂😂 Some of us have seen what America represents, fascism which you call freedom. When their freedoms get eroded one by one by US corporations, we'll see who has the last laugh.
@@louvendran7273 Another Russophile big mouth clown
Brainwashed retard you are
@@andersonsantucci9325 so you’ll take that stand against all the people that come to America and never learn the language and aren’t forced to learn it. And if you try to make them assimilate a tiny bit you will be called a racist or fascist. The hypocrisy is real!!!!
I have my full support to Latvia from Hungary. My country also experienced a lot of destruction from the Russians.
🇭🇺❤🇱🇻
“We follow the law” she said. Yeh, pirate TV decoder isn’t criminal?
She is crying a tears while continuing do criminals.
That is all we need to know about people like her.
And wants to stay in the “enemy’s” country. People like her are the weirdest bunch of people out there, I swear.
30+ years you live in a foreign country and can not even ask for bread in the local language. I would like to see how french people would act with these kind of people in France.
Absolutely don't agree with the doughter of Tamara. How she can say, that her mother is loyal to Latvia, if she watches russian propoganda tv and is afraid to disclose, how she voted this spring. I'm sure she voted for putin. This is nonsense!
Absolutely don't agree with the doughter of Tamara. How she can say, that her mother is loyal to USA, if she watches mexican propoganda tv and is afraid to disclose, how she voted this spring. I'm sure she voted for mexican. This is nonsense!
@@ivopatiera8427 The difference is that Mexico is not a threat to the United States. Mexico has never occupied the US, forcibly deported and murdered half of its people. Mexico is not currently vaging a genocidal war on a neighbouring country. Mexico is not constantly sending threats to US to occupy them, calling them an unfriendly country, actively participating in sabotages and desinformation campaigns. Mexico is not constantly forging history to try to deny the US people the right to their state.
@@ivopatiera8427 Voting ‘Mexican' is not the same as voting for Putin. What does voting ‘Mexican' even mean? That very sentence is nonsense, Mexicans don’t vote ‘Mexican,’ just like Americans don’t vote ‘American,’ and Russians don’t vote ‘Russian.’ Now if a Mexican citizen residing in the US voted for a President who was virulently hostile to the US, and to US independence from Mexico, and if Mexico also was large enough to pose a serious military threat to the US, and if 30% of people in the US were Mexicans who did not in any real sense feel American at all, then you might have a valid comparison.
Tamara its a threat for sure as well as her husband who called Macron the little Macron
Living in Latvia and never learned a language. Seriously
I am not sorry for what she is going through
Latvia was part of the Soviet Union and Russian was the official language of that country. That country no longer exists. You people make no damn sense. Learn history.
@@Michael-it6gb learn the language and the rules of the place you live in. Oop. Am I making too much sense or what?
@@ossyx this lady is 65 years old. Have a little bit of rational thinking. This moronic law only came recently.
@@Michael-it6gbMoronic - is living in a sovereign country thinking its still part of USSR. 16 or 65, learn the language, or go to ansestral lands.
@@MrMAXZ888 maybe its her ancestral land, there has always been a Russian minority in parts of Latvia.
she was born in Latvia and do not speak or read good Latvian language. let that sink in,... what does it say about her loyalties?
she want born in Latvia, you cretin
She was born in the Soviet Union where Russian was the official language. What was she supposed to do? Let THAT sink in.
@@Michael-it6gb So were a lot of other people, but they DID LEARN. Let that sink in.
@@henrikmanitski1061 And your point is??
@@henrikmanitski1061 she lives on land that has been Russian for a long time, its just the USSR that redraw maps in total stupidity, in all logic her region should have joined Russia.
I think Katya is wrong: her mother is a threat. She watches russian tv and believes all that she sees and hears there. How could latvians be sure that at some point she will not act based on these believes. And listen to her conversation with her grandson. She is clearly a bad influence for him. It is sad that an elderly woman has to leave the country, where she lived for so many years. Yet, she doesn't feel latvian - she is still part of russia. So, it is right in this way that she will be deported to the country, a citizen of which she feels herself.
Tamara's problem is that she does not feel like a Latvian citizen of Russian ethnicity, but like a Russian citizen. And while I believe that uprooting retired people and asking them to leave is harsh, I also understand the imperative need to set some examples and convert a population of disruptive Russian speakers loyal to Russia into loyal Latvian citizens. For the Latvians, it's really a question of life and death! You decide to live in another country, not the one you were born in, you do have to pledge your loyalty to your new country.
Look at this old woman. You really think shi is a danger?😮
It's s different for young people, it's s easy for them to integrate
@@alicjabednarska6590 It is also easy for an old women to encourage her young grandson to integrate, instead of actively discouraging it, like Tamara is doing. This is the active threat she poses. She is actively working to discourage her grandson from feeling any affinity with Latvia, the nation he was born in.
language is not important
look at the mentality of this Tamara
this is called vata mentality
and he supports putin, who would like to reoccupy Latvia
THI IS THE REAL PROBLEM
Putin is 👑
@@karolinailic2868 He might be the tsar of your slave soul, for rest of the cultured world he's the Hitler.
@@karolinailic2868 putin is king🤡🤡
but russian pensioners get 190 euros🤣🤣
thats a perfect example, how russian mentality works🤪😜🤪🤯🤯🤯🤯
wouldn't be better to have a grace period and encourage russian language pro-western media, to hopefully then encourage people not to be consumed in Russian propaganda...
rather than feeding into the propaganda by deporting grannies that have spent 50 years in Latvia?
Like this was literally pretext for the conflict in Ukraine and Moldova
Putin is 🤥🤯☠️
There is no "conflict" in Ukraine. There is Russian aggression or Russian war in Ukraine.
@Anatoliis-q8s No, there is, and was, a conflict between a centralizing, Ukrainizing state and the local people who found themselves in part of 'internationally recognized Ukraine' (tm) that had never been part of any Ukrainian cultural area. The Ukrainian state failed to recognize their rights.
@@mitchyoung93 Ah, sure, go ahead and tell me about Ukraine. I'm Ukrainian from the Kyiv region, and my mother's family is from the eastern part of Ukraine (and they still live there). All those 'local people' are Russian military since 2014. By the way, my mother tongue is Russian, and I am definitely part of the Ukrainian cultural sphere, just like other Ukrainians from all over Ukraine. Have you personally ever been to eastern part of Ukraine to tell me this? Russian propaganda has reached your mind. Sorry about that.
@@mitchyoung93not at all. The most part of Russians appearde there after Holodomor. Do you know what it was? And all their rights are assured by the Constitution. The only "horrible" thing is learn the Ucrainian WITH the native language!
It's 30 years since Latvia gained its independence. The fact that those people didn't manage to learn a language at A2 level (basic, conversational), it's outrageous! this test is A2 level! it's not B, it's not C, it's just freaking A2!!! I managed to learn a new language (from totally diff language family than my mother tongue) to A2 level in ca 2-3 months by attending intensive Cours 4 times per week, 2-3 hours per day! Those people are clowns.
Not GAINED , but Restored or Regained what we lost in 1940 .
Russians in Latvia has always been like that, some of them called Latvian language a dog language, they didnt learn language and didnt care, but some fault of this is in our hands as Latvians too, because as soon as russian started to speak with Latvian, Latvians speaked to them back in russian, so why learn a language. After university it was hard to find a job for me as a Latvian, because i didn speak russian, i understand most of what they said, but couldnt speak, and make sentences, only basic words. But still, did few jobs, and learned russian language on the streets, in a few years by just listening and interacting with them, so i just dont understand how those russian speaking people didnt learn Latvian language in 30 years, its just insane, how arrogant or stupid people have to be to not learn language in a 30 years.
@@sandrisjansons1515what you are trying to restore is a 1930s nationalist dictatorship?
@@trembo835 It was better than an russian stalinist puppet government 🤷♂️
You can't integrate a occupant.
Those 50 years of occupation, Russians used to make jokes about Latvian language
Imagine being so greedy for money that you apply for Russian citizenship to get an early pension, and then screwing yourself over! 😆
my dad was around 10 years old living the Soviet Latvia, he went to a bakery after his mom told him to do so, he didnt speak russian and only spoke in lativan, the baker who was a russian lady told him to speak "a human language" when she didnt understand what he wanted, even though my dad didnt speak a lot of russian he understood that and it left him in shock. Imagine living in your country, speaking its language, only to be told by an occupier that your language is equivalent that to animals.
44 years in Latvia and not even A2 level of language knowledge?! She denies the fact of russian occupation (should be prosecuted), she doesn’t see the threat from russians, has russian passport and voted for putin. Very “keen” to integrate into Latvian society 🤦♂️ Should have been kicked out ages ago.
Tamara is a very typical example shown here. she now looks as a victim, but how can you justify living in a country for so many years not to learn the official language of a country you live in?
world is changing and has always been changing, only Soviets made a bubble for their people and some just enjoyed that convinience - "be silent, do what you are told and mind your own business". I guess she not only does not know Latvian, but also does not speak English, which is vital in small countries to remain relevant...
Millions of Russians are acting exactly like that now in Russia. ignoring that reality and accepting their bubble. and when change will eventually come they will be - victims. "we just lived our lives; we are not into politics; lets leave that aside.."
you cannot integrate those who have no wish to integrate. in the open world it's your responsibility for your own life. and that's what Putin is giving his people - the luxury of no need to think. "country will take care of you; but now it is difficult time, so you need to wait some time..." (and those better times will never come to you, because in the background corruption is exploiting everything were the masses are happily waiting for better times).
ruzzians go around occupying nations, banning languages, oppressing people, and then when someone tells them to learn a local language they play the biggest victims ever. Peak ruzzian mentality.
You explained exactly the reality of Russians mentality!
But, not to blame them, because they had lived this lifestyle for centuries!
They are a complete different Breed of humans!
Let's be clear. After 33 years of Latvia restored independence she even could not READ letter, other point that if you have a test you can do it multiple times, if you're not successful, in total you have around 2 years to learn "my name is.." at least. Maybe for people in that age is not exactley fine to be deported, but if you publicly in Arte say that you are supporting Butcher who kills inocent people in Ukraine,then only I can wish, please leave and support this out of EU.
I claimed my Latvian Citizenship in 2016 for my Dad who was forced to flee in 1944 and never saw his family again. I also wanted there to be one more of "us" and one less of "them". At 60 I am studying at the B2 level, and I do not have the benefit of exposure everyday. It is possible if you are motivated. The occupiers were never motivated. The Russians showed no sympathy when they loaded the cattle cars to Siberia, and they fail to even acknowledge history. What is so wrong with moving to the country that you have sympathy for as well as cultural heritage and language skills?
I watched a Russian influencer on UA-cam born and brought up in Siberia show his result after taking a DNA test. He was shocked to find out he had a high percentage of Baltic DNA! It's true, they have no clue what Russia did under Stalin's rule. This lady lived in Latvia for 44 years, then had 3 years to learn Latvian or lose everything... and still failed her test? Sounds very sus to me. 🤔
She's clearly doesn't see Latvia as real country and still dreaming with Putin army come "liberate" her.
People still think that this is a language problem, when in reality it is an identity problem. Loosing Russian language also means loosing identity.
Instead of studying Latvian, she is watching Skabeeva .
They may have worked in the USSR, but it annexed Latvia by force and it should have been clear after the end of the USSR at the latest that you have to integrate into a new state, which some people have not done for 33 years, as you can see. They have had many years to learn the language, many years to emigrate to Russia if they don't like it. Nobody is asking them to deny their Russian roots, they live in a free country and can continue to speak Russian among themselves and live out Russian culture, but at the same time they have to accept Latvian culture as a minimum and assimilate and learn the language. My mother lived as a German in western Hungary for six years, many people there also speak German, but she learned the basics of the language as far as she could, she could go shopping in Hungarian, ask for directions, have simple conversations with neighbors, friends, the doctor and she adapted to the customs in the village. That's the way it should be.
Latvia was not in soviet union, Latvia was occupied by soviet union. That is the part that those people don't understand and they don't want to understand.
She's living in Latvia for more than 5 decades and still unable to speak Latvian?? Any sane mind would seriously gave her very harsh questions why she failed to wisely spent that 5 decades of opportunity learning Latvian language.
Emilija 6:19 speaks English with superb fluency. Of course as a student still in her teens she would have learnt English almost from day one of school. But she has a super confidence with barely a hint of accent. I don't know her ambitions but she could easily teach English.
She probably grew up in USA
I sort of felt for her, but as her story unfolded it's clear she's quietly being stubborn. She needs to practice the language, take classes, work harder at it. But I suspect she's being passively resistant and trying to call the waaaambulance (Grandma being deported). Pull your head in, do the work, or pack your bags.
I'm very sorry, but when I came to Germany, I also had to know German to communicate in offices and at work. Latvia is no longer the Soviet Union and it was time to learn the language of the country in which you live.
Tamara: if you ❤ ruZZia so much, go live there 👋
To understand what is going on in this video, one must know the following: In the Soviet Union, which Latvia was a part of for many years, the russians dominated and in the name of allignment, all the different peoples and nationalities of the Soviet republics, where forced to speak russian and to denouns their culture and nationalism in favour of the communist ideologi and russian culture. To help russification, russians were encouraged to migrate to the different republics in a sort of ethnic cleansing operation. To "drown" the indigenous peoples. This is why there are so many russians in Latvia.
The Soviet Union was seen in Latvia as an invading enemy, and the communist and russian oppression was very hard on the indigenous Latvians. Latvians above the age of ca 45 can still remember the oppression and the indoctrination, and many of them see the russian immigrants and their decendants as a problem in relation to Latvia returning fully to Latvian culture and language. The language requirements of now are a part of the program to fully restore Latvia to a country of latvians.
You're absolutely right. Russians made the same in Ukraine. We couldn't receive university education and even medical treatment in our native language cuz russian language was the only language of state communication.
@@oleg8869 I thought my comment was necessary, becuase the video made latvians look like racists, and like that the russians were wrongly persecuted. The old woman is even a bad example, since she had the 3 years to learn latvian. I even wonder how they found her, since the russians in Latvia, who wan't to stay, probably just follow the requirements. Greetings from a nordic brother in Denmark 😁
Can you imagine people living in France for 60 years who can not speak french?? Can you imagine germans living in Germany for 60 years and not speaking german??
not everything is, or has to be, a nation-state. if 1/3 of your population is of a specific ethnicity, then you are a multi-ethnic nation
@@adorno_gang371/3 of a population that was replaced. They took lands from murdered peasants
@@resireg AFAIK the Soviets expropriated peasants for being rich and generally exploitative, not because they were of any specific ethnicity (many rich Russian peasants were also displaced or killed) or as a part of some evil scheme to replace them with Russians
@@resireg it's also worth adding the nuance that the Baltic states were enthusiastic Nazi collaborators at the time of occupation, even if that doesn't justify the USSR still occupying them after the war
@@adorno_gang37 but what was their option? USSR invaded them early in 1939. So of course you will support your liberator. Their enemy was always Russia
She had over 30 years to learn Latvian. Come on.
Liar, documents could be afformed only in russian language ! In fact, ussr forced Latvians to form papers in russian language, if u would go to the bank and worker be russian, u would be forced to speak in russian, because they threated Latvians as second citizens, so u where forced to speak russian and if u would request some one who speaks Latvian, u would end up at KGB desk somewhere in unknown location... Now russians crying ! Now they know how it's like when some one tells u to speak in language that is not yours ! Imagine the pain people went thru in USSR times ? That in ur owm home land u could not speak in your own language ?
They said there are 600 000 people who identify as russian in Latvia and in the end of the video they said there are 3000 people who are in danger of having to leave the country. Tell me why there are 597 000 who can integrate and 3000 cant?
Those 597k are mostly exempt from the test since they have a citizenship already - which, by the way, was granted to them without passing any test and hence a lot of them don't want to integrate, keep speaking Russian and demanding Russian-speaking services wherever they go.
This video fails to portray just how hard it is for Latvia to keep its language and culture intact with all the disloyal people in our country.
Of you are pro Russia and refüse to learn Latvian, Theo you Belong in Russia.
Im so happy Estonia and Lithuania has been able to deal with this shit quite well. I wish my brothers and sisters in Latvia can manage to work together in case shit hits the fan. We are truly looking at you brailukai...
Estonia isn't doing nothing, just ignoring the problem which will get worse and worse lmao
There are no so much russians un Lithuania. And in Estonia the percentage also is lower. In Latvia there are 30%+ russians population. That's why so big problem.
Not part of the USSR anymore
Yes, countries come & go, no love for countries anymore! People should live with Religion and be united by Religions, not countries;
It's not about not being a criminal and following the law. It's about assimilating to the country you are living in and raising your family in & doing it out of respect.
They are not loyal to Latvia. Look at how inspired Emilia is working towards her country's future, helping Ukrainian peole in their fight for independence and also teaching Latvian to people who want to be Latvian citizens. She is loyal. Tamara and her family, her daughter scoffing when talking about Latvian independence, not taking it seriously, not even trying to switch to Latvian in their family in over 30 years after Latvia regained independence. I didn't see Tamara trying to learn the language, not a single textbook or workbook around. On the opposite the PT lady in the health clinic is willingly switching to Russian to accommodate her. Tamara, sell your property in Latvia, move to Russia, set your mind at peace, you belong there.
First of all Latvia declared independence on November 18, 1918, not in 1991! Russia waged war against Latvia from 1918-1921, when Peace Treaty was signed and Russia "forever" acclaimed Latvian independence! "Forever" lasts till August 23, 1939 when Soviet Union signed pact with Nazi Germany as ALLIES with illegal occupation and annexation of Latvia by the Soviet Union! Then the World War II followed and Latvia do not get independence restored after WWII. Only in 1991 we regained our independence from the red plague.
Almost everything that you said is incorrect. Latvia has been re-writing the history because they can't handle the past. But the rest of the world knows it.
@MikusVilsons LOL, another 'Latvian' with a Nordic name. Latvia is the fakest of the three 'Baltic' states.
Send Tamara back.
Russians who want to adapt to Latvian culture and language should be welcome, as long as they don't support Putin's regime (that's very important). All others should return to Russia. Same in other counties where there are Russians.
why does the lady speak so bad in latvian after living all life here and being so patriotic about the country?
Russification, book burnings, it was borderline a crime to learn the language. Ya know... it's easier to control dumb people, soviets were good at it. It still plagues Latvia, it's like 30% of ppl effected from that stuff.
And how can you learn now? When most Latvians earn worse than rest of EU? Do you have time for it?
And generally why does it matter if you know language, sorry to break it to folk. But just knowing Russian as 3rd language is looked down upon.
Soviet occupied Latvia, sent our people to Siberia, and invade people from other places from Soviet to Latvia. That it, and now they, have lived all the times here ir Latvia for 10, 20 , 30 years and not learned language, make yourselves lika a victims. But Latvians had to know Russian language mandatory, becouse we were occupied, woman from video just lie - here was no two languages in Soviet Latvia, everybody had to speak Russian.
Latvia should adopt bilingualism but I guess their russophobia makes that a nonstarter.
Tamara ruins her case with her support for Putin and unquestioning acceptance of Russian TV propaganda.
It took my 64-year-old Lithuanian mom a year to learn A2 German without even living in Germany, just because she wanted to exercise her brain. She didn't even spend a lot of time on that. Whoever is saying this lady is too old is full of bull... She lived in independent Latvia for over 30 years. In that amount of time you would have to try reaaaaaally hard (in fact, you would have to *actively* try) not to pick up A2 level of the official language of the country you're living in. I'm sure anyone from the Baltics who was born after 1990 and don't speak Russian (like me) have had that experience when a Russian came up to them and asked them something in Russian and then scoffed or even cursed at them for not being able to understand what they want. The woman in the documentary is crying crocodile tears, so to speak.
If that's the case, your pensioner mom is an exception. Majority of people above 55 y/o have a hard time learning new language or a new skill. And if you have no sympathy for an elderly person who is being threatened with eviction, then that tells a lot about you as a person.
@@Michael-it6gb Nice try, Mikhail. But I'll bite - "hard time learning" doesn't mean impossible, especially since she's been in the country for decades and was surrounded by the language every. single. day. It's called learning through osmosis. She did not *want* to learn it, it's as simple as that. There are so many signs in this documentary whose side she's on, but judging by your other comments under this video, you seem to be on a personal crusade to defend this woman and I can guess why...
@@Michael-it6gb Nope, in fact its strongly advised for people above 50 years old to exercise their brain to keep the cognitive intact and critical thinking sharp when enters the retirement years by playing sudoku, filling crosswords, and by learning a new languages. So, no more excuses.
I have no sympathy for this people . 40 years in a country and they did not learn country language ? ! 👎😡
Before nationalists came to power, I don't think there was this strange idea that there had to be one single language as THE language. Latvian and Russian are both commonly spoken languages in Latvia. Latvian being the only legitimate one is a politically enforced viewpoint
@@adorno_gang37 Latvia was founded in 1918 and the sole state language was Latvian.
@@adorno_gang37Estonia the Baltic Tiger -
it is also interesting documentary in YuuTuube.
@@karliskokorevics6902 i stand corrected that Latvian nationalists existed for longer than the 90s already. doesn't make them more right tho :)
@@adorno_gang37 Maybe. But it doesn't change the Latvian laws and it's constitution, no matter how much you wish an illegal occupation and illegal settlement of occupants (a war crime under the Geneva convention) would.
I "love" listening to soviet minded people (russians, who live in the past...it could be old people who actually lived under that rule or young people who themselves were born only after SU fell apart). Its been over 30 years since SU stopped existing, but there are still too many soviet minded people (usually russians living in European countries that were under russian occupation for decades during the 20th century). One of their "arguments" is always that during the soviet times they could just travel freely...no visas, no travel restrictions... but they forget to mention or forget to clarify that that "freedom of movement" only existed within the SU...and did not extend to outside the iron curtain. Yet all these soviet minded people use this as one of the examples why they miss the "good old soviet era".
And they refuse to understand that the legal citizens of these countries also enjoy freedom of travel in modern times. Within EU citizens of these/European countries can enjoy visa-free movement to travel, study, work...to/between other European countries. They refuse to understand that these countries that they were most likely moved to by soviet russia and that they chose to stay in after SU fell apart (not moving back to their beloved motherland,. choosing to stay in their new home countries instead...so silently agreeing to become citizens of these countries...which sadly is a foreign concept to most russians, who remain russians wherever they move and demand their new homeland becomes russian, instead of becoming a full citizen of their new homeland) prefer EU over russia. Latvia, and all other countries prefer to have freedom of movement with other European countries, not russia. Only soviet minded people want open borders with terrorussia instead of European neighbours.
I have no sympathy for lazy students, who do not study whole year/semester, and then cry that the professor/teacher does not extend the date when their exam should be given/paper should be submitted, and complain that there is no time to study/finish their paper. As if its the teachers/schools fault. When its their own fault for leaving all the work to last minute. So now they have little time to do much work. These russians in Latvia (every country on russian border, where russians remained after soviet occupation there ended) are the same. They knew 30 years ago that they need to learn the local languages, but most of them are imperial minded russians, who consider small nations below them, and they refused to learn (or speak...even if they learned( these languages. If we leave out people with actual medical reasons (and I do not think mentally incapable have the same language skill requirements there) then only someone who willingly refuses to learn the local language can manage to not learn the local languages in at least basic level (introduce themselves, buy groceries, go to the doctor etc).
Only those, who physically live in these countries, but mentally still live in russia (only follow russki language news, sources, etc) can remain fully russian speaking. Anyone who worked, studied, had children (who studied in local schools...even russian schools...but even there local languages were taught) has to pick up bits and pieces. And grandmas who now are 60...80yo, were 30...50yo back then, which is a normal working person age, and suitable for learning new languages (even if slower than 5year-olds do, who pick up new languages super fast when they move to new place...simply by interacting with other kids in kindergarten/school) So there are no excuses. No matter how much they cry now. IN case of the grandma in this video...her kids and grandkids learned Latvian, but instead of practicing her skills with them, she is happy that her small grandkids learn more russian to speak/write to her in russian...and then is "surprised" she does not pass the exam. Good that she at least knows few words, and tried to take the exam...even if she failed. But instead of being discouraged she should have told her kids, grandkids, doctor to talk Latvian with her...and use every opportunity to practice...but its clear she made no effort, and is now playing the victim. Typical russian behaviour.
She is the prefect example of a soviet minded person in modern times. Enjoyed the benefits of living in free country (and most of those russian pensioners enjoy income from the countries they live in PLUS pension from russia). They worked all their lives in local places (she made it clear that there were both russian speakers and Latvians in her factory) but instead of showing even minimal interest in learning local languages, they think its normal locals learned their language to talk to them...and/or they never communicated with the Latvians at work. These "Tamaras" now crying about being deported back to russia spent all their lives to not learn a word in local languages. And now they play victims. What's sadder is their own kids, the younger generation, who have partially integrated (learned languages etc) do not understand the issue. That means they do not see that their relatives are soviet people...completely living in russian alternative media bubble.
Another thing that most of these soviet minded people have in common is their firm stance against ending russian language education in these countries. I do not understand these people, who argue for this. I consider them child "harmers". Because only people, who want their (or others, russian speaker in other countries) kids to have lesser opportunities, are against these school reforms in these countries. Knowing more languages is always good, positive. Knowing the language of the country you live in is always positive, and IMO should be mandatory. And yes, I personally look weird at any foreigner who lives in another country and does not learn even the basics (yes, this usually applies to English speakers, cause you can get easily by in most EU countries with only English...since it is considered the international communication language) People who are against ending russian language education in these countries are actually arguing that their kids (russian speakers kids) should have worse opportunities in life. Cause kids, who do not learn local languages become adults, who do not speak local languages. That means limited career options, that means lower pay...all those things that one should not want for themselves or their kids.
IMO Baltics (and every single country occupied by russia last century) should have stopped that in 1990s right after gaining independences, but we cannot turn back the time, and whats done is done. Better late than never (and I think its one of the "good" outcomes that became a reality due to the full scale invasion of Ukraine by russia). These countries should have stopped providing services, education, media etc to soviet minded russians now living on their territories 30 years ago, but at least they are finally doing it now.
And these "poor old grandmas" get zero of my sympathy. They are not just asked to leave the country for no reason. There is a valid reason. Its their refusal to integrate, to learn local languages (and give the exam that says they know it at basic level at least).
Litva je postala država prije 30 g. 30 godina joj nije palo na pamet promjeniti pasoš! Jer je mislila da če se Rusi vratiti! E, neće!
Russia forbids ukrainians speaking their language in occupied territory. Latvia has given her decades to learn the language. She only had the right to move their because russia occupied Latvia.
Temporarily occupied areas in Ukraine
She had 3 years to prepare for the language test. Then she failed. Then she forgot to register for another test.
Some Russians go around the world expecting the world to revolve around them.
Then when they're called out on their BS they claim to be victims. 🤦♂
Until Putin withdraws his troops from Ukraine, Tamara and the rest of the Russians living in Latvia will be safer in Russia.
Perhaps Tamara should write a letter to Putin and him to help her.
It is not possible, because Tamara is still supporting Putin - she is watching russian TV propoganda
@@senior_java she can watch whatever she wants without any repercussions. you literally have no arguments, dude.
@@Michael-it6gb Same as Germans during nazi rule, right?
Russians go to Russia 🇷🇺 Latvia 🇱🇻 belongs to 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇻!
We don't need an ethnostate in the EU.
Okupanti.
she does not want to learn Latvian after living there for 50 yrs..???..
What can you expect of an Orc?
I don't understand what was the message of this documentary.
In 1992 when freedom was taken back we should have been more strict. And just because of new found democracy they could even study in their own language and it was covered by goverment. It was such a mistake.
And now all these docs coming out about how baltics are bad. NO!
A person has excuses for not wanting to intigrate, chose RUS passport and now is suprised things changed and is more serious?
Just because you lived your whole life here and did not put effort to even learn language and used your position as RUS speaker does not mean rules does not apply to you.
Pass the exam. It is not that hard. There are basic questions.
I don't understand what was the message of this documentary.
In 1940 when freedom was taken back we should have been more strict
Wait a minute! She hasn't been able to learn Latvian in 30 years? I'm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I'd love to learn Latvian here! If you know anyone who can help, please let me know.
Wait a minute! She hasn't been able to learn english in 30 years? (USA)
@@ivopatiera8427 no, she didn't want to, because it is useless
Denis as long as you are living in Latvia ...please speak in Latvians language...in is necessarily to show your respectful attitude ❤❤❤
Frankly, methinks that elderly pensioners like Tamara should just be ignored as they sink into obscurity. Her children and grandchildren will learn the Latvian language and the history of Latvia, and they will become Latvian-speaking Latvians of Russian descent. No-one is going to make them stop eating borscht, pelmeni and vareniki.
Exactly, people like her live in the past. The newer generations are bilingual (actually trilingual LV RU EN) and with a completely different mindset. I'd just leave people like her alone. Nature will do its thing in 10-20 years anyway.
Quand la fille (visiblement assez énervée) de Tamara a demandé si sa mère est un traitre, il a fallu demander quel est son point de vue sur la guerre en Ukraine. La réponse est là Cela aurait été intéressant d’entendre la réponse de Tamara et de sa fille.
and another tought.
let's put the timeline to perspective.
1. Soviets occupy Latvia and the other Baltic states.
2. Russians do massive russification to those countries, giving insentives to russians to move to the baltics. so Tamara comes to Latvia.
3. many russians come, so there is a lot of russian population now in Latvia.
4. life for Tamara is easy, as russian language is all over the place. and life is good, comfortable.
5. USSR falls apart and with it all the things it brought.
so it's not because of Latvia Tamara has a problem. Tamara is the problem.
I have no sympathy for that woman, Tamara I think ? She has lived in Latvia for so long and is still a Russian. She didn't bother to try and learn the language and I bet she knows little or nothing about Latvia! She is there because it's a better place to live than Russia, she gets more pension there and it's a better life all round but still speaks Russian, watches Russian propaganda tv and probably votes for Putin (and so zupports him) , I'm not surprised she's being deported !
The young generation are on the right path. No sympathy for Tamara from me. If she doesn’t want to leave her children and grandchildren then maybe they can all return to Russia.
She is living in the past, nostalgic for Soviet times when russians could impose their language and culture even while living amongst other peoples. This imperialist mindset and chauvinism is so incredibly powerful that these russians continue to pass it on to the younger generations regardless of how the political situation has changed.
I enjoyed this report although it fell short on exposing the brutal measures imposed by russia in their occupation of the Baltic states (among others!) and said nothing about the policy of russification which created the very situation we now have to deal with. This russian woman did not just end up living in Latvia because of « open borders » during Soviet times but rather, the FSU actively encouraged ethnic russians to move to these former colonies (Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc) while at the same time deporting the native population to Siberia for example. Assimilation and russification were official policies of the Soviet Union and are still in place today in russia for the more than 100 ethnic peoples within russia who struggle to maintain their identity and oppose this russian policy of ethnic cleansing. russia is an imperialist nation with a superiority complex vis-à-vis its neighbours and ethnic minorities. It’s even enshrined in its constitution with ethnic russians being considered the only first class citizens in russia. What a failed state russia is!
this is calleds Western Democracy
When you are in Latvia you have to learn the language. I don't understand the russians in Latvia why they haven't done it.
Arrogance
@@SL-sd3sg There is no arrogance.
Croatia, knowledge of the language is not a requirement for citizenship. But it is considered normal that you will learn it over time. Croatian is a very difficult language. National minorities in Croatia, Hungarians, Italians, Germans (me), Romanians, Slovaks, Slovenians, Czechs, Macedonians, Ruthenians, Ukrainians... have the right to use their language in local self-government (if possible) and on to the court. There are also schools in the languages of national minorities, but they also teach Croatian. Even today, when foreign workers come (Nepal, India, Arabs, Philippines...) they try to learn Croatian. And that's normal. Living somewhere for 20-40 years and not knowing the language is not normal?
The main issue is that this specific group of Russians expects Latvians to continue speaking Russian, as they did (were forced) during the Soviet occupation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Croatia, no matter what languages people speak, they don’t demand Croatians speak in their languages. For instance, if a Hungarian and a Croatian meet, the conversation will be in Croatian, not the other way around. We have other minorities here, too-both native and non-native. There’s no problem with them; they use their own languages as they like but speak Latvian with Latvians and don’t expect Latvians to learn their languages.
You mentioned every minority in Croatia except for the largest national minority, which is the Serbs. How did that happen to you?
Maybe because they speak same language?Serbo-croatian-montegerin-Bosnian perhaps 😂long live JjB Tito😂😂
@@GGBBGGBB940 Exactly right. There is a world of difference between minority languages and a language of occupation.
@@zimskasalamabg Srbi u Hrvatskoj govore Hrvatski. A večina srba u Hrvatskoj dolazi iz BiH. Pa,im je Hrvatski materinji jezik,ono što vi zovete "srpski zapadne varijante".
Teling that Latvia wasn't occupation is like teling there wasn't genocide. And how she worked in Latvia not speaking Latvian? Putin will take care of her.
The irony is that most Ukrainian refugees speak Russian and the Ukranian newcomers to Latvia will definitely rely on Russian and not Latvian to get around the country (for obvious reasons). So the population of those who speak Russian and no Latvian will increase and not decrease.
Ukrainians speak Latvian more and more and they integrate their kids in Latvian schools.
I work with youngsters due some art projects, also-Ukrainians ,and I feel blessed because I can see they show respect to our language.
And I was shocked when russian speaking Ukrainian told me- in fluent Latvian, that one year is enough to learn latvian language. At least so much, to don’t e ashamed while being here- in Latvia.
that's why here will be 0 information in Russian
The irony is that as the commenter above wrote, the Ukrainian refugees are trying their best to learn Latvian. Another L for the RuZZky Mir collonialism project.
Well obviously, as the war crimes and genocide are committed in Eastern Ukraine where russian is the dominant language. So makes sense that most refugees escaping russian crimes speak… russian.
Sadly Ukraine was too slow to rid itself of Soviet issues and follow the example of the Baltics post independence.
Show a human point of view to older russian speaking inhabitants. If they respect latvian laws and constitution, then give them their citizens rights. In many europian countries they have more than one language.