Ethnic Conflicts in the Baltic States in Post-soviet Period. Сборник статей

population in the period from 1989 to 2011 in Latvia decreased from 48.0 to 37.9 %, in Estonia – from 37.9 to 31.0 %, in Lithuania – from 20.4 to 15.8 %. The most intense ousting aliens came in the first decade after the separation of the Baltic republics of the USSR. In the second decade of emigration began to wear to a greater extent character work, and has already captured the titular population.

      Second, the remaining aliens in the Baltic States were forcibly divided into citizens and non-citizens, with the deprivation of the last of a number of fundamental rights. The basis for this kind of division has been selected criterion for membership in a community of citizens that existed before the restoration of Soviet power in 1940. In 1991, Latvia’s citizenship has lost two thirds of the foreign population. In Estonia, in 1992, non-citizens became nine-tenths of all foreigners. The Lithuanian ruling elite did not enter the institution of non-citizenship. The reason for this was that all the seven percent of Polish population had pre-war roots and deprive him of his citizenship is not possible. On the other hand, twelve percent of Russian population, which rapidly start traveling abroad became small and did not represent for the new Lithuanian elites great danger.

      Non-citizens are completely excluded from political decision-making, they are not admitted to the public service, they could not build the party, could not deal with such profitable profession as a lawyer, notary, detective, surveyor, etc. During privatization non-citizens received fewer certificates, invoiced them less pensionable service, they could not work in senior positions in banks and joint-stock companies, to acquire the land. In total in Latvia and Estonia was introduced and is still in effect for more than 70 restrictions on the rights of non-citizens.

      Since the late 90-s the Latvian and Estonian non-citizens had the opportunity to become naturalized. However, the requirements for naturalization were so high that many people could not meet them. Part of the aliens took Russian citizenship, and some – the citizenship of other countries. However, in Latvia is still 14 % of the population is non-citizens in Estonia such 7 %. Estonia has granted non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections. After that, the naturalization process in both countries is almost completely stopped.

      Third, all new non-titular population of the Baltic countries subjected to direct ethnic discrimination. The main means of discrimination has become the language of the titular nation, which got the status of a single state, but almost all of the titular population at that time spoke Russian fluently. In all three Baltic countries, people not owning the official language was dismissed from the civil service and state-owned enterprises and institutions. Those who worked in the private sector were subjected to linguistic inspections, fines, and urge business owners to their dismissal. With the establishment of high-level requirements for knowledge of the state language aliens were not allowed to prestigious and high-intellectual professions, although for their occupying positions such knowledge was not so necessary.

      Russian language was forcibly removed from the official sphere: it was impossible to apply to state and local government agencies, receive their solutions, to conduct business documents, to carry on its meetings and conferences. All state-owned media have been translated into the languages of the titular peoples, and for the private media have set mandatory quotas for broadcasting in titular languages. In case of violation, these quotas media owners fined and repeat offenders edition closed. For example, in Latvia in violation of the language of quotas was indicative closed “Russian Radio”. The “First Baltic television Channel” repeatedly fined for a breach of linguistic quotas, and for criticizing the official interpretation of the history of the Baltic States. It was impossible to put up more signs with the name of streets, squares, cities, rivers, and lakes, mountains, duplicated on Russian or Polish. There is a subject to a mandatory Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian spelling of names and surnames of non-titular population in all official documents.

      Another important component of the policy of discrimination in the Baltic States was the elimination of social institutions that reproduce the national identity of the non-titular population. Immediately after the declaration of independence it was forbidden to teach in state higher education institutions in Russian. It was dismissed from universities overwhelming part of Russian teachers. Latvia has established a private high school in the humanities with teaching in Russian – Baltic Russian Institute. Branches of this university opened in Lithuania and Estonia. However, the authorities of the last two republics under false pretexts shut down these branches. According to them, even for their money Russian had no right to be taught in high school in their native language. By the beginning of the 2000s, teaching Russian children in the public schools were forced to convert to Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian. In Lithuania, the Lithuanian language is forcibly injected into the education of Polish children. From school programs of non-titular population was purposefully withdrawn every native ethnic component, and instead imposed the value of titular nation.

      Practically it was ceased funding from state and municipal budgets institutions of Russian and Polish culture. It was disappeared from the museum expositions artifacts testifying to the life of the non-titular population of the Baltic countries during the last millennium. The authorities began to publish books and magazines, in which the story of non-titular population is presented in a distorted way. The most famous was the book “Latvia: the history of the twentieth century.” In this book, the facts of mass destruction non-titular population in a concentration Salaspils camp were presented as an ordinary practice of the labor camp. Public libraries have stopped buying books, magazines and newspapers in Russian and Polish, and the old collection of books in these languages were purposefully destroyed.

      Russian and Polish population of the Baltic countries cannot freely restore old and set up new monuments of their politicians, scientists, cultural representatives. This undermines the value system of representatives of the non-title nation. For example, in Vilnius authorities had demolished the monument to Russian General I. Chernyakhovskij; the monument to the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz was not allowed to recover. In Tallinn barbarously was transferred from the center to the outskirts the monument of the Liberator Soldier. In Riga, it was repeatedly made numerous attempts to blow up the monument to the Liberator Soldier. In all three countries are impunity desecrated graves of Soviet soldiers, Russian, Polish, and Jewish cemeteries. Of special note is the discriminatory attitude of the authorities to the Russian Orthodox Church: it does not return the confiscated by the state cult and outbuildings; are not allowed to make a weekend of Easter and Christmas holidays. All these actions can be characterized as an attempt to erase the collective memory of the non-titular population.

      Fourth, non-titular population of the Baltic countries is intimidated and demoralized by the ruling elite title. Russian population is imposed guilt for the “Soviet occupation” of the mythical repression of Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians who were at one time. These repressions were purely social, not ethnic in nature. With the same purpose, Russian and Polish activists of public organizations are harassed by the police and security services. As an element of political pressure towards the non-titular population it should be considered the inclusion of the attributes of a state ideology of National Socialism. For example, at the state level are honored national heroes of the SS formations, their days of education Nazi troops, provided government benefits and privileges to former Waffen SS legionnaires and national partisans who had fought on the side of the Nazis. In contrast, participants in the war on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition forces benefits do not receive any benefits and privileges. Some of them, such as Vasily Kononov in Latvia, were brought to trial and convicted for having fought with the local Nazi forces in the war.

      Under the influence of the assimilation pressure of the ruling elites from non-titular Soviet population of former Baltic republics began to form new independent ethnic communities. In Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia arisen Russian communities, which included almost all ethnic Russians, Belarusians and Russified ethnic minorities. The process of formation of Russian communities burdened the fact that the composition of their intellectuals dominated by technical specialists who did not own the skills to manage the masses of the population. In Lithuania, the Polish formed an independent entity. By the beginning of the 2000s, the Baltic Russian and Polish communities began to be structured. In their structure it was stood out its own political, economic and intellectual elites. These elites have to take care of the creation of social institutions that ensure the reproduction and the mobilization of national identity. Thus, in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia arisen