Ladies and gentlemen,
I
Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine evoked memories of Soviet Army attack on Latvia in 1940 in the living memory of our nation. Crimes committed by Russian military in Ukraine remind us of the brutal extermination of Latvian civilians during the occupation.
II
Many Latvian families have gone through and experienced the tragic annihilation of the Latvian State. These memories still live on in our people and form one of the key elements of our national identity.
By understanding our occupation, both by the Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, we learn to appreciate our renewed independence.
By formally condemning occupation we learn to appreciate the enormous price paid by Latvians for lasting independence and freedom.
These are coordinates of our moral compass that allow us as a nation to measure the significance or magnitude of events and people’s actions that affected Latvia’s statehood.
III
We need national history policy to tell the important story of tragic pages in Latvia’s struggle for statehood. It is a tangled story of Soviet and Nazi occupations, lost independence, forced enlisting of Latvians in occupation forces of both powers, resistance movement throughout decades of occupation.
To fully explore these tragic pages, Latvia needs to support history research, education and communication at the state level on permanent basis.
I am grateful to Latvian Occupation Museum for its hard work and commitment to this cause since the first day of its establishment 29 years ago.
IV
Ladies and gentlemen,
Societies and democracies that neglect their history are much more susceptible to ideological manipulation.
National history policy is Latvia’s way to help people avoid this blissful ignorance.
V
Researchers who have studied Latvia’s social memory have concluded that young people often have no opinion about the period of occupation. Such neglect leads to forgetfulness, which can only be prevented through history education. School 2030 is an ambitious education reform that will affect all levels of the national school system. Latvia must make sure these reforms result in better understanding of Latvian statehood from its annihilation in 1940 until restoration of independence in 1990 among all groups of young people.
Moreover, we need to expand history teaching tools to cater to needs of minority children who are still spellbound by false historical narratives propagated by their family members and channels of Russian propaganda.
VI
From time to time we also see complaints about the fatigue from heavy burden of the past in the public domain. There are those who urge us to put the past behind and live on. However, diligent understanding of the past simply cannot cloud our vision of the future.
But it also means that we need to continue explaining the historical significance of occupation. There have already been several successful attempts in recent years that have given us a new perspective on the ‘known’ past.
Good history communication has always been a good way to boost social memory by expanding and deepening of people’s awareness of the past.
That is why Latvia must continue to support history communication projects that are based on scientific facts and use the language of theatre, film, historical reconstructions or tourism to speak more about the consequences of Latvian occupation by Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany.
Solid and deep understanding of history leads to more realistic and responsible decisions of the people and government policymakers.
VII
Ladies and gentlemen,
European remembrance is still split between two different interpretations of the outcomes of the World War II. For many years West has believed that allies won the Nazism and it was the main evil.
Russia, on the other hand, especially Putin’s regime, strongly identifies itself with the victory in the so-called Great Patriotic War and glorifies the image of Russia as the power that liberated the world. None of these interpretations fully reflects the experience of the Latvian nation. West did not liberate Latvia, which allowed Soviet Russia to reoccupy us in 1945.
VIII
These historic narratives have surrounded our development as a nation after we regained independence.
Meanwhile, Latvian history policy makers and civic society actively advocated for the third interpretation of these events in the common European historical memory – the perspective of historian Timothy Snyder, or the so-called ‘Bloodlands’ narrative. Along with wider East European region, it also covers Latvia.
IX
Latvian politicians and diplomats have played actively role in international organisations to let other countries better understand our past, the occupation. Through them, international community has learnt more about its consequences.
One of such examples is the European Parliament and European Court of Human Rights. Moreover, active efforts on the international arena have led to several permanent regional cooperation platforms.
Latvia aims to establish a broader remembrance coalition with as many European countries as possible, in the western and eastern parts of the continent, represented by politicians and researchers. Such coalition would bring down the symbolic borders in the perception and understanding of Nazism and Communism, and totalitarian regimes that imposed them.
X
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, and the new display we are revealing today, is an important platform. Occupation Museum has become a key source of knowledge in Latvia and also internationally, in Europe.
Latvian Occupation Museum is also a member of European network of similar organisations. Memory policy and communication is important for us and other European countries.
Many thousands of foreigners and numerous world leaders have visited the Museum. Museum has successfully communicated to Latvians of different ages and social backgrounds.
Museum also does other important work like collecting and archiving witness stories and historic artefacts, thus amassing a crucial material for Latvian and foreign history researchers.
XI
29-year experience and ability to stay contemporary are the main qualities of Occupation Museum, characteristic traits that contribute to its status as a key actor and driver of national remembrance.
Museum of Occupation has always enjoyed a lot of autonomy, and its legal status is a vivid proof of that. Professional and creative freedom of Museum has helped it reach out to such broad audiences.
Latvian State should continue to support Museum’s efforts to maintain the communication efficiency of the Museum as autonomous source of history. Especially in the field of occupation and restoration of independence, as well as relevant communication at the international level and on digital platforms.
XII
I want to thank Occupation Museum, its management and staff for this modern display. The new section will help many people understand what occupation means on much deeper level.
Thank you!
