"Eelsse" instead of "else": Why the Russian minority in Latvia is degrading

A resident of Latvia, journalist Danuta Dembovskaya left a post on her blog that caused controversy not only in the Latvian Russian-speaking environment, but also in Russia itself. The problem she raised has been discussed for a long time: Russian youth in the Baltics either completely forgets about their roots and integrates into the local society, or marginalizes, creating a kind of ghetto. Both do not suit the author:

“I wanted to write something politically incorrect for a long time, but it seemed to me that it was too politically incorrect. But if you really want to, then you need to - even politically incorrect. So that's it.

I have repeatedly noted that in Latvia the word "marginalization" in relation to the Russian-speaking minority is not fashionable. We do not speak so about ourselves, we are ashamed. In Estonia - they say, in our country - no.

The ass is there, but the words are not.

But every time I read short ads here in the feed (a la selling shoes or looking for someone to renovate apartments in a Lithuanian project), I feel Spanish shame. Not a single ad without a gross grammatical error. But then we were the first to fly into space and we will defeat everyone.

One can, of course, complain about the curtailment of education in Russian. And it will be true - nobody canceled the policy. But who forbids you to read books?! Government?

The Russian-speaking community has become more familiar and simpler. In the 90s, engineers stood behind the market stalls, having lost their respected profession, and at the same time their social status.

Their children went abroad - they already had a choice.

Leaving and leaving are active, capable of a bold step, young, talented - it doesn't matter if they work with their heads or with their hands. Those who would rather become opinion leaders than those who remain.

So we got worse. Passionarity (there was such a buzzword just in the 90s) against conformism.

The Russian-speaking community has suffered not only quantitative, but also qualitative - even if it sounds rude and politically incorrect! - losses. If a community ceases to reproduce opinion leaders in various spheres, to reproduce its elite, including the intellectual, then even being large in number, it is marginalized. Actually, the odious Linderman went from an undoubted intellectual to a marginal leader. It is alarming that he is being replaced by characters a la paramedic Marina. You definitely can't talk to her about Pasternak...

The transition of schools of national minorities to the Latvian language of instruction is already about the fact that success can be achieved only by "becoming a Latvian". Here the social is intertwined with the ethnic: in fact, talented Russian-speaking children are expected in prestigious Latvian gymnasiums. Social elevators are creaky, but they work, you can get a pass to the elite.

But this is immortal:

- Abrasha, where everyone get four, you must get five...

This is the psychology of the national minority: you should be the best, "redeeming" the origin. One trouble for Latvia as a state is that they will become so "better" that they will be competitive already on a global scale, and they will also leave.

But those who do not become "better" will not get out of the social ghetto of the district nine-year-old for the Russians. This is part of politics, of course: why teach them - someone has to be a servant ... She will be comforted by the Russian Internet, since the TV is turned off. If we talk about young people, then by their fantasies about their historical homeland, which they have often never visited.

For the same reason - to exacerbate marginalization - it is necessary not only to turn off Russian channels (they could just be left - "Windows", "Dom-2" only contribute), but also not to create local media platforms instead. The presence of media in the language of a national minority is a recognition of status for a minority, it is an opportunity for a minority to raise their opinion leaders. This is an opportunity to state your agenda.

And we keep getting worse, weaker, marginalized.

External circumstances, politics, geopolitics - this is all clear.

But there are those who are "on five mark" (high level - editor's note), and there are those who write "eelsse" instead of "else" (it's all about grammatical correctness: "исчо" instead of "ещё" - editor's note). The concept of "we" as a community is increasingly blurred by internal social differences.

The questions of the future are, in fact, the following:

- Is it possible to "become a Latvian" if you had to "redeem"?

- How to explain that "eelsse" is not only a shame, but also a social status?

This is about us. And the rest is from the evil one, that is, from geopolitics..."

Among the many responses to this publication, it is worth highlighting the response of the writer Dimitry Savin, also living in Latvia:

“I must admit that the text in which Danuta Dembovskaya complains about the lumpenization of Russians in Latvia is curious. As for me, much was noticed correctly: both about the outflow of the best and most successful, and about the new generation of LOMs - the collective "paramedic Marina"...

In general, good text, behind the scenes of which there is very little left - that is, the most important thing. Why did it happen so? After all, not every ethnic minority follows the path of disintegration and degradation.

And the answer is now obvious. The Russian people on Latvian soil had - and still have - two ways: either to preserve themselves as a Russian ethnocultural community within a single political nation - the people of Latvia, or to oppose themselves to the Latvians, leaning against the Kremlin wall. "Putin and Stalingrad are behind us".

It was the second trend that received massive support for a number of very different reasons. I have no doubt that a certain part of those who actively pumped this trend at one time, did it with "good intentions." Like, yes, we will be the Moscow fifth column. But for this, the Russian Federation will give us a generous measure of everything: it will give us a lift to cultural life, education, and "will help financially".

But the trick was that the Kremlin was not going to defend any "Russian interests". And for neo-Soviet revanchism, no cultural life or other minority self-development is required. As well as more or less brainy opinion leaders are not required. For such leaders, no, no, and they will have an opinion that is not foreseen by the general line, and will begin to lead massively with it. No, in order to poke a spoke in the wheels of independent Latvia, you need just that shot, which makes Ms Dembovskaya melancholy. Who graduated from the nine-year period, writes "eelsse" and "in general", knows that twice two is four, but about six six thirty-six is no longer sure, but I am absolutely sure that the Latvian "fascism" is to blame for all his troubles, and Vladimir Putin is a fine fellow, politician, leader and fighter.

Moscow does not need a successful Russian minority in Latvia - educated, rich and integrated. Moscow needs an aggressive, illiterate ghetto here. And she has it.

As for the position of the Latvian society, it is quite logical: if you raise the enemy flag, broadcast about "there was no occupation" and other "factories have been destroyed", then the treatment with you will be appropriate. Moreover, when everything seemed to somehow heal, the "good" hand skillfully salted up old wounds: either the referendum would roll out, or even Crimea in 2014...

The Kremlin threw you. Threw it many times. And he will also throw it.

And the decision is obvious: one should not oppose oneself to the Latvians and Latvia, but work together with the Latvians for the good of Latvia. And together with the Latvians, help Latvia fight off Putin's neo-Soviet revanchism. Preserve your heritage, but within the framework of a single political nation. That is, to follow the path taken by any ethnic minority of a "healthy person" in such a situation.

Don't believe me? Well, everyone decides for himself. But if the result of many years of "struggle for the rights of Russian-speakers" was their marginalization - according to those who professionally dealt with this struggle - then maybe it's worth thinking about?

By the way, Ms. Dembovskaya, who once helped pro-Kremlin forces gain momentum with the power of her brain, bears her share of responsibility for the current state of affairs. Not legal, of course, but moral..."