The Soviet memorial has been restored, the Latvian monument lies in wait

While Latvia conscientiously fulfills the agreement with Russia on the care of soldiers' graves - now in Valmiera too, the restored Soviet memorial has been unveiled in the presence of Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia Yevgeny Lukyanov - the stele made in memory of the Latvians who died in Siberia lies in the warehouse. Discussions about other memorials haven’t moved forward at all. The Orthodox Church doesn't like something there, then the local governor doesn't like it. Latvians aren’t liked there, even the dead ones.

In Russia's advanced hybrid operation of monuments, however, not everything is happening as ordered in the Kremlin, because the embassy has not been able to appropriate the concept of the Latvian Brethren Cemetery - Brāļu kapi. Partly also thanks to the Neatkarīgā's publication "Russia advances historical hybrid operation against Latvia: persecution of legionnaires has begun" (in Latvian).

"bralukapi" closed

This spring, the Russian Embassy registered the Latvian domain name "bralukapi.lv" and posted lists of fallen Soviet soldiers on this site. In Cyrillic. In fact, it was a deliberate deception, a manipulation of languages ​​to give the impression that the visitor would be taken to the image of Mother Latvia at the Riga Brethren Cemetery Memorial. However, the fallen Latvians who fought for a free Latvia were not included in the list. Only foreigners who fought for the occupation of Latvia. The site was registered with such a domain in order to appropriate the concept of the Latvian Brethren Cemetery for Russian propaganda campaigns. However, the embassy has not succeeded, and currently, entering the domain name "bralukapi.lv", the computer first displays a security warning, but after a long dispute with the site visitor it redirects to the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Latvia's "liberators" are no longer there. The diplomatic service and the Brethren Cemetery Committee do not reveal exactly how the domain name holders were motivated to close the site, but it is important that this was achieved. One small victory. However, the hybrid war on monuments continues, and Russia enjoys a numerical advantage in it. The more fallen there are, the more signs of the Soviet regime embassies can stuff into the land of Latvia.

The cult of victory and победобесие

Approximately 12,000 Latvians died in Russia during World War II and later in deportation. In turn, the Soviet Union in Latvia lost about 150,000 soldiers and supporters of the Red Army. 12 times more. And each such burial serves to keep alive the concept of a victorious liberating nation in line with Russia's geopolitical interests and its version of World War II.

In Russian, there is even the term "победобесие", which accurately denotes the sick obsession of the Kremlin's followers with the cult of Soviet victory and cannot even be translated as it can be considered as derived from either the word "heaven" or "mania".

There are a total of about 340 graves and memorials of soldiers' burials in Latvia, which are of interest to the Russian Federation. So much so that, in fact, practically every month something can be discovered, cleaned up, honored and covered in red carnations rolled up on St. George's ribbons. Then go on to post on the web about another event honoring Latvia's "liberators".

And that is what the Russian embassy does, because the agreement signed in 2007 stipulates that each country maintains the other country's memorial sites on its territory, but it can also make greater investments in its own burial sites in the other country. So Russia in Latvia and Latvia in Russia. Of course, with the approval of local authorities.

Civilians alongside the occupiers

In the last couple of years, Russia has been investing particularly intensively in its monuments, and Latvia has not stopped this. The latest restored memorial is located in Valmiera - almost in the city center. The first round of works was completed in September. When the next is done, the ambassador will be able to come to lay the flowers again. Majority of the funds have been provided by the embassy. However, in this case, it would be appropriate for Valmiera municipality to express some reservations. Firstly, the memorial, established in 1985, was in a very poor and even dangerous condition. Second, in a civilized society, it is believed that all soldiers deserve peace after death, regardless of which side and why they fought. Thirdly, in Valmiera, in addition to 500 Red Army soldiers, more than 300 civilians are also resting. Latvians. Jews. Women. Children. And it is the responsibility of the municipality to preserve their memory. The people of the local museum are currently working with archival materials to identify each person buried here and later immortalize their names on the memorial wall.

In addition, according to the press service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security services have also given the green light to the city's joint project with the Russian Federation. Everything is approved.

Jānis Baiks, Chairman of Valmiera City Municipality Council:

Restoration of the memorial in Valmiera shows our attitude towards history and people, because the memorial in Valmiera is not a monument, but a real burial place - not only for soldiers, but also for more than 300 civilians in Valmiera and its surroundings. They are currently being identified by the Valmiera Museum in archival materials so that each name and surname is commemorated by the sculptor's composition "Uncollected Harvest" - apple trees with granite apples - as a symbolic place for civilians who died in war or were forced to leave their homes.

Valmiera’s brick in the Kremlin building

The restoration of the memorial to Valmiera has been necessary - important for the city and the local population, but judging in the context of Russia's recent activities, this is another brick used to construct the Kremlin's propaganda building. Probably, the mayor of Valmiera Jānis Baiks is aware of this and that is why on the day of the arrival of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia Yevgeny Lukyanov, he had left for Cēsis in urgent business. At least the joint photography was missed and it was not necessary to explain to public why with Russia "in general - no, but this time - yes".

The story of the soldiers 'graves is not just a story of the soldiers' graves, if Russia actively participates in this story. Previously, the State Security Service also acknowledged this to Neatkarīgā:

"The activities of any kind of Russian state institutions, especially the Russian diplomatic corps in Latvia, in connection with the study of the history of the Second World War and the memory of soldiers killed in the war are dictated by political, not academic, scientific or noble goals."

And the confirmation of this thesis is the diametrically opposite, unresponsive attitude of Russia, when it is necessary to coordinate the erection of memorials for Latvians killed and oppressed on Russian soil.First the shape is wrong, then the size

Solving the practical issues related to burials on the Latvian side is entrusted to the the State-founded Committee of the Brethren Cemetery. The head of the association, historian Arnis Āboltiņš, does not hide that cooperation with Russia is full of difficulties. Although Latvia is concerned about only ten memorials, which is incomparably less than for Russia in Latvia, for the installation of new objects, approvals are required from ever higher powers. It just looks like the Russian side is deliberately stretching it out. The Orthodox Church doesn't like one thing here, the local governor another. Don't like the stele, don't like the shape, don't like the size. One more agreement is needed and here is one more.

One stele has been installed in Russia this summer. The Tagilsk cemetery in the city of Orsk now has a memorial to all the currently known Latvian prisoners of war who died in the territory of the Orenburg region. 97 names and surnames are engraved on the memorial sign. In turn, the arrangement of three other memorial sites in Russia is still delayed. Has been for years.

It’s not just about graves

A memorial statue was built in 2018 in Kolpashevo, Tomsk Oblast, for 205 victims of repression. However, due to local objections, it has not been installed either. First new technical conditions were set, then climatic conditions were found to be unsuitable. The deadline is still postponed.

There is a similar story about the Kommunarka mass cemetery in Moscow, where in 1940 and 1941, along with thousands of citizens of other countries, about 50 Latvian citizens were buried - diplomats, statesmen, military personnel and cultural workers that were killed. They still do not have a memorial. The Foreign Ministry is currently considering the most appropriate way to remind Russian governors that they are bound by international agreements. For both sides, not just for Latvia.

There are also no reputable memorials in Vyatlag, which was one of the largest gulag punishment camps in the Verkhnekamsky district of the Kirov region. Historical descriptions mention that from 1938 to 1956, about 180 thousand people were imprisoned there, of which 7,000 were Latvians. During the deportations in 1941, more than 3,000 Latvians were deported to Vyatlag. 114 were shot, another about 1,600 died of starvation, disease and torture. Without a court judgment. They also deserve the same respect as the Red Army buried in the Valmiera mass cemetery. Maybe even bigger.

If Russia is engaged in strategic communication using Latvian cemeteries, then Latvia must do the same in Russia. Because the story of a soldier's grave is not just a story of a soldier's grave. A war about history is taking place between Latvia and Russia, with both the living and the dead taking part.