Latvia’s Russian Speakers Reject Putin’s ‘Russian World’ as Election Looms

The Russian-speaking community in Latvia, located just 30 miles from the Russian border, has faced renewed questions about identity, loyalty, and Moscow's influence since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As parliamentary elections approach on October 3, many Russian speakers in the eastern Latgale region are rejecting Moscow's "Russian World" narrative.

Igors Nazarovs, a 45-year-old local resident, told AFP that Latvia is their home and they do not need help from Russia. Inna Plavoka, editor-in-chief of the independent Daugavpils media outlet Tchaika, said the war has made her and many others identify with Latvia and not Russia. She noted a growing number of Russian speakers who no longer support Putin's claims of offering "Russki mir" or Russian peace.

However, older members of Latvia's Russian-speaking population still show affection for Moscow, evident at the offices of the Latvian Russian Community association, where Aleksei Vassiliev, a candidate from the Harmony party, displayed portraits of Soviet leaders. Vassiliev criticized Latvia's measures to reduce Russian influence, such as transitioning to Latvian as the main language of instruction and removing Soviet monuments.

In Latvia's poorest region, Latgale, some Russian speakers criticize European support for Ukraine, with Vjaceslavs Stepanenko, leader of the populist Suverena Vara party, calling for more aid for Latvia. Despite this, center-right MP Juris Vilums, leading the United List in opinion polls, emphasized that many Russian speakers lack alternative sources of information and are still influenced by Russian propaganda.

While some parts of Latvia's Russian-speaking community are already integrated, Vilums expressed concern that the "another part is not, and I'm afraid it never will be."