of the the sole shock dissolves to an inside sea and tyra he spoke to possibly knew what might happen though the very last moment we've thought they'd reach an agreement. that's typically hard and nothing bad would happen here for as a joke. busy trista, i got a call from a friend at 6 am saying, tonight russia attacked your father's homeland. so my 1st thought was good. and not any more of the swell. that table not experienced. let's go to the 24th of february 2022. got them 2 hours later on was outside the

embassy of the russian federation with the plank comp that said stopped the wolf. why no gravy. so it's becomes northeast and all. but i'll come post send, you don't seem very soon set up colleagues to do some sort of rushes invasion of ukraine has left lap via is russian speaking minority, emotionally, profoundly torn up the 1900000 people in the e. u and nato member lafayette, one and 4 have russian roots, the invasion, reawakened old fears and prejudices, as well as growing hostility towards ethnic russians associated with the former soviet occupiers, the following, it's annexation of latvia. in the 1940s, the soviet union encouraged russian migration in order to speed up

industrialization and the country lat, via re gained independence in 1991. but relations between the russians, speaking minority and loudly in majority have been increasingly strange. the stanislaus grew up in a typical soviet era, housing and states. the russian invasion has brought untold suffering to ukraine and has had an indirect impact on the russian speaking minority in lafayette. about the just the from the, the 24th of february 2022 names above old, deep disappointments thing with the cult of the courageous russian people. in the bravery i associated with my russian roots, mostly covetous test that found i had has i hope now being destroyed for as long as a law. not just the thing that as an option at the below. oh boy, no,

it shouldn't. but it's not good when i had to recognize that the courage i had believed in was just an illusion. after a long period of being a reflection, i concluded that i am lab fee and of russian to send us the letter. so it was a couple of ice crush, didn't use the double symbol for awesome. you never gave any thought to who i was until i got older and realize there was a lot fee and majority society, which russian speak is like me would not console, which is a lot to be so yeah, it was because i'm within came the doubts about my identity program, i russian, should i go to russia? that's for am i actually live in? yeah, that's what i see. perhaps a russian speaking lab fee in minneapolis could go, but actually let this goes to move this to if you want us just to have symbol at your life. i do the there were no such questions. when i was younger, we'd go to the made the 9th celebrations when schools were closed on them at home, we watched russian tv in new old, the russian celebrities rules. we had no idea about left the and culture we were

living in a bubble wheel. uh um that was really, so i unplugged it and the freaking out i see. okay. you know, the move talked to baseball over the changing even before the russian invasion of ukraine. look on yours, but they weren't as pronounced on the moon. your costs are still go for the bush. the world was a trigger, the feeling of symbols. and by then there was this, the negative attitude towards anything russian, russian identity and nationality, whatever, with, with silk. but what it feels as if everything russian is automatically considered bad or evil. so who's got the flu? with duckworth up with and that's why usually get the good because i don't want to lease in with me for the don't see any controls yet. that's who the reno was born and bred in latvia. her mother, a 2nd world war veteran move to lab the after the war in search of a better life. there are many russian speakers have fond

memories of when latvia was part of the soviet union until its sudden collapse changed everything. no coverage given us to what was it like in 1991 and you know, yeah, for me i remember when that it said independence. the auction is mostly made with what is happening in this. it was a fact. so there's not much you can say shows that of course. awesome, right. so that's what this is. so nothing changed. life remained the same. so you look up and you put me nothing changed. of course things changed. i lost my job because my university was close down in 91. no, not really. yes. right off to independence. maybe some reserves agreement was 10 years now with this service. couple me in life and the soviet error was very good. even though steve. but then came the ninety's, when everything was turned upside down, you, you weren't moved up of the can,

you know, they've been moments when we didn't know how we were going to survive and how we were supposed to behave with duckworth on the 6th of september 1991, the soviet union formerly recognized black v as declaration of independence before itself becoming history a few months later, following the final stages of its collapse the prior to the events of the early 19 ninety's version to soviet rule had led to the emergence of a new national awakening movement and a peaceful struggle to regain independence. on the 23rd of august 1989 over 2000000 people in estonia, latvia and lithuania, formed a 650 kilometer long human chain connecting the country's capitals. on the 50th

anniversary of the hitler, stalin non aggression pact which had divided north eastern europe into german and soviet spheres of influence. a demonstration of solidarity and to call for freedom and independence from the soviet union of the v in the nor lilia. it was one of the popular friends biggest protest events, hold off a search and a symbol way also includes the idea of a returned to europe in all the of the way towards nato membership on the heads of a balding stage, which is why the politic way no longer belongs to our people. job sondra calling you to was a key figure in the movement and a leading member of the popular front of lafayette, a political group committed to latvian independence. she's now a member of the european parliament. it's not the same cotton. no, i think i remember exactly when i had my personal awakening for you folks, or it was the 14th of june, 1987 when the helsinki,

86 movement called on people to leave flowers by the freedom monumental spinning and remembrance of the large scale deportations on the 14th of june, 1941 god will or the the, the, the, the but i didn't have the courage to do it. just by 3 of my grand parents, subsequently dying, my parents being deported. and i myself being born in their symbols on fish, dogs and it was then that i experienced a profound change. kotik or father in the wake of the hitler stall impact, also known as the muller top ribbon, trop packed the soviet union, occupied latvia in 1940 and deported tens of thousands of innocent people to siberia. several 1000 kilometers east. taken away from their homeland. and in many cases, their very lives taken away the will to be the of the,

the war began in 1941 dies. so they did parties faced and extreme struggle to survive being fox disc because of the guns they were left with practically no food of mom or father loved defense to look at medicament missing office. and them to my mother always dropped off on an uninhabited island. ex, together with $200.00 other people underneath it, they had to dig their own earth huts will go to housing and somehow find something to eat does to be so events in ukraine are bringing all of that back up the, the not own fear of history repeating itself by you go back to the cost of fear that is very strong, giving me the system very to solely beach

oh, good lab be and russian writer, marina cost. and yet scott was one of the co founders of the popular front of lafayette alongside. so i'm going to call you to and one of its most active members, even of the media email, dupel dot the, in the kremlin parliamentarians from lithuania launch via estonia, fortunately demanded that the mother, tough ribbon, trump packed and secret protocols declared no and void, said yet you will bring it to the stage, reminds practically paced away for the independence of the baltic. states who affords mason must have both these gifts useful recompense. set the best buy's fish on the 4th of may. 1990 is a very special day in my life and my new and i think for a lot of other lesbians to auto sawgrass mills. and there was this wave of joy and happiness on the streets of a political hill. it was why we adopted our declaration of

independence declared. i'll say yes soon what you will and nobody i was on the barricade all night. very good. there never where i went. i could hear a lot of people speaking russian booth the there were widespread fears that moscow might respond to the declaration of independence with the military invasion and re occupation following a tax on rica by a lead soviet units in january 1991, the latvian government called on the population to erect barricades for protection at the blue. you'd just, it was the only time when we stood shoulder to shoulder and join tends to go to school. there were lots of russians, manning the barricades, but they were betrayed. they will offer to stand with us and they will promise citizenship and all other privileges. and people believed it. lou, that's when the division happened. that was still paying for today,

but it didn't work as live via became an independent state. everyone would move there since 1940, and their families were denied citizenship and the right to vote almost a 3rd of the population. it would be many years until they were able to become citizens in the country of their birth the as well. so it's important to look back at history, luckily, because the 1st major step taken by lot via was to re establish the community of lucky and citizens as it was in 1940 the cause of meeting, the inclusion of all lot fee and citizens, and their descendants went to that stage story to be and that included many minorities russians pull his gun juice and others got a but a $1.00 take. the next step was the low lang down clear rules for becoming a locked in citizens like cool guy. this little cock of this bar blue with a lot of these bill. so you know what the focus do to essentially required 3 things

. you know, speaking the language of and understanding the country's history and swearing allegiance and loyalty to the state governors. that could be of why did a section of the russian minority choose not to apply for citizenship. is is you'll have to ask them yourself, been blocked with go? sonya cause a all that is because of the, all the venue with the 1st husband from the outset. the lot to you and wanted the official language to be flat fee and money, or you may have this idea of all the russian schools now teaching classes and that fee in still the back then in the ninety's, nobody dad to push the issue. it was simply too dangerous to give us a good looking to book a music costa will. as this come up, us much the since the turn of the millennium, the authorities have been gradually increasing the proportion of latvian language

classes at minority schools. leading to repeated protests from the russian community. as of the 20252026 school year old children are set to be taught exclusively in lab fee. and the shame fuck, i assure you is listed with i'm with some of the as we've only just begun the transitional phase. so i've been, there's still difficulties us to throughout the course. children initially have a bilingual language curriculum. and from 1st grade, it's all like the end to coordinate that we're gradually getting used to it. but so far the transition isn't without its problems seem youth and they've got some parents find it annoying. well, for others, it's not a big deal here and was put in your mind. they are adapting to the new situation and helping them didn't do that to the building for use time. it doesn't appear to have support to, to pushes to thoughts. just note that i know some families who are saying we're

going to leave because we want our kids to preserve the russian language. we want them to be told. and then by the time you know, music you know, putting the money on my boss, he's like, yeah, i know classes in the national languages. right. so they did should have happened sooner. cost to put a bulging russian is the 2nd language in schools is expensive. um and you said would be nice for them to be able to study the language that they speak at home. i believe the 26 i could put them in and i could talk kind of divided with them a little bit because last thing i see, but my name again, that would be great if they could talk about the books that the parents are giving them to read it, and if they aren't, then it would be the only way of guessing to know the insect that the total that they just said was more of a staples and coordinates. in regards to sydney,

apple sat down to preserve the national identity as more of the job of families than of the schools that's i don't think the children will suffer that much. well, it's not being able to study their mother tongue at state schools in the spring. you might those standing, you're still probably find other options for doing that. austin, the score a little smaller because if they show, if they feel that strongly about it would look i'm losing them was a decimal with this which has because if the show us the whole, vince is a romanian member of the european parliament and president of an umbrella organization that advocates for national minorities and regional languages on the continent. the human rights court said that basically lots of what was

right when they tried to stop the russian language education in, in the, in the schools and to close down to the restaurant schools. because the role. busy of the, or the obligation of the state is only to offer education and public education in the, in one language. so unfortunately, sees the vote on ukraine. there is a stigma on, on, on the russians. and yes, there are problems. certainly there is a russian propaganda, money, police, or even individuals from the community who have to tied to the relation uh with their i signed out on the one i sent you for this month. we are speaking about individuals, and you should speak about the community here and then the community needs the support. it's a hor, it's fine sending for everybody, but the shark media states i'm supporting you even though and the and i making sure you will have your school. you will have your maybe i the minority language you

will have you keep your counsel the institution. i said so live via has accuse russia of using language and culture to so discord and conflict. meanwhile, the war in ukraine has seen memories of the 2nd world war, deepening the divide into diety, and less the russian minority, struggling to reconcile its identity with loyalty to latvia, nama extended time. do you remember when we went to the memorial on the 9th of may again, this looks, do you remember when the kids came to congratulate you and give you flowers to be restored? she gets a good. you enjoy that. the new list to be a good there. the official, the name of the war of a new home, just noticing here. so the 9th of may was the most important holiday in our family team here. it's a great day for me because my mother served in the world. we didn't the things with the g 5 minutes

a day when we remember for soldiers who gave their lives defending latvia and other play allows you to show you the game is the so loosely easy for decades during the soviet hero victory parking riga hosted annual celebrations on the 9th of me, but while for some the day marked victory and the great patriotic war over nancy, germany for others, it was the beginning of an occupation. i've done that, you've got that mine. we came here on the 9th of may. my grandma said these aren't the songs we used to sing back then up. the 9th of may has become so politicized that i don't go to the celebrations anymore, but i felt like was just being coded alone to show that 35000 people hit. yeah, the only for them to say this has been use it. you ation with the okay, what we need to in 2020, to the lab being government now declared the 9th of may a day of remembrance for the victims of the war. and ukraine started by russia 3 months earlier. it called on people to refrain from laying flowers that memorials which it said glorified the soviet occupation. many still that their flowers were

removed the very next morning, instead of previously several days afterwards, prompting out rage. and some people to come back and lay more flowers the next day . let him go up, ship beloved uh was slowly, lightly wine with people even allowed to lay flowers in a time of war and such attention according to put if they are allowed. then removing the flowers, the next day is a direct attack on the russian speaking population. what i swore it was the signal of the government's relationship with them, at least uh it was gonna go right. actually a lot to be and if i could, and you made it by category flush a, i'm not saying you're, can you some of the flour layers expressed pro russian sentiment? yes. you, of course sir. it's on that's pretty vi virus throw. not simple. my guy at the i'm going is the new york we're on the do you want no problem. our guys do you want? oh no problem on guys you do, you want the new model for this to our new but that moves the on

you for she's good, you need provide you the new point. you might get rid of the last 2 or 3 and it was our spin nickel. we wouldn't have cared about the victory memorial if it hadn't been instrumental ice by moscow. lucky's cream to create division, and not be as russian community now. and then i'll throw that out. they still that su open and nobody used to go there in the 1st few years after independence of you know, putting on that after cleveland came to power and started reviving this old colt. the place gradually became this huge and extremely distasteful stage for rallies from the dog mills and sold to our dignity. newark. and they put the into our states a bit because while i'm almost busty and you know, besides, basically it's a symbol of colonial rule bio to say the colonial. i lost a lot of singles here in august 2022. the obelisk in the heart of victory park was torn down

the it's the most just mccord and set up a mr. this is where the monument deliberations, every guy used to be a real loan of contention between the lot fields and russians. yeah, for you more, i understand the russians to whom the 2nd world war is a wound, but never heal is an inbuilt memory passed on from generation to generation religion. yes, it's again subscript. pardon me? i also understand the lesbians to whom the liberation of rico from the german occupies did not mean liberation from. oh, you pious it was getting near the good or the work you could to go with your most

is uh, we also have to liberate ourselves visually from these memories of the most trying times in our history last today. yeah, do you will that the when you, when you mom for a long time, i couldn't understand why there was so much in tagging this, them on that day. yeah. put them with the peninsula when i started giving it most tools. i did understand deluxe, and that's why this celebration was so alien to them. but then with this just give a local body because of the occupation and then the deportations to siberia and other things. so laser, i emphasized with all of that to the we would like to create a uniform europe there. everybody can enjoy at least some standards and non minority rights. and we have the lots of discussions with sounds like on youth and

other friends from the baltic states, no reserves, but they, they supported the, this initiative of the fact that at so many minorities can cool, ave tates in a peaceful and constructive way like our minorities are doing here a lot to yeah, i think that is something which could be of great use for those members states who are not experiencing probably for the 1st time, the real difficulties of integration. this is not at this stage who has to say, oh, i did everything. so my minority, these they, they are okay. no, was the minority if they are happy with the situation they are living in the

us, which is, it's become really difficult for russians here. but it's difficult to see yourself as representing a nation that is the aggressor to acknowledge the blame, while also preserving your own sense of dignity. it's difficult to accept and understand all of that. today i'm ashamed to be russian, but will never renounce my russian rates cutting me. know if someone asks me what nationality i am. i'll say i'm a lot to be and patriot of russian descent junior college and just a lot of people now have a very black and white view of thing. and you know, the, that's understandable. given that there's a war going on not far away. the last the ends of finding it difficult to

distinguish russian russians from russian speakers in lafayette, which is what i send to understand that 30 years of independence might seem like a brief moment. but he's, in fact, a pretty long time watching cut off the competitors with the company. i'm going to send it and yet the quick cut off the key and we need to ski, we're not the same russians. we are like the russians who feel that the people have incorporated a lot of baltics, the rest of the culture under lot of lexia nationality. because i sure the identity of lab, the as russians speaking minority is changing, especially in the wake of the war and ukraine. the key question for the country now is whether society will put the shadow of the soviet can see behind it and overcome any remaining differences. i would say that i still believe the majority of the lottery is russian and speaking good citizens. they are loyal to luxury, but there are those who still are under the influence of what is profound. and

let's say on peak social ideas. the secretary, okay. uh, by to, to both lengthy ends and russians and have noticed how any conflict between us is becoming less of an issue with each new generation to up. so sites, i mean, she mentions custom for kind of, you know, 20 or 30 years time. yeah. i don't think it will be a problem anymore and, but i sort of still some more variable just disappear. of the time. cuts me such as 3 she a problem. the elizabeth, i would love to cease and size the moving closer together. i move full friendship between peoples. i'd love to be friends with a lot of it, and i really hope that happens. i loved black feelings and black. yep. has to do a new generation has grown up over the last 30 years. so i finally believe that

they and i young lot to be in speaking russian generations will find a way of getting along with each other a group, and that we in the older generation will consign all historical differences to the pa story. and the soup is story or the of the respect, it's all about a walk in waves and fixing nature. that's right,

sandra restricting. they just studying the new data. it's about being up to date with cameron diaz technologies. i'm trying for the eco way of life. the environment magazine, the co op d w, and they get away with it. how does one become a target online? hey? tens of thousands of cyber believes rose social media platforms that go to a novice breakdown. you'll never take me down. the cyber bullying call town. in 75 minutes on d. w as he's got any issues with a lot say what the,

this is the w news and these are all top stories. germany is headed for new elections in february also, tonsil laf, sholtes lost a confidence vote in parliament. his governing coalition collapsed in november, mid dispute over the economy pose. now show shows is social democrats logging well behind. the conservative opposition by shaw out of sides has broken his silence since being overthrown as serious presidents more than a week ago. he says he never planned to abandon his country.