"No genuine champions arise in Latvia." What's causing the nation's decline?
Rewritten Article:
Let's talk about the troubles Latvia faces as it rewrites its history, focusing on heroes and shunning the Soviet past. Journalist, writer, and historian Igor Gusev shares his thoughts on this topic with Baltnews.
Gusev argues that Latvia is stripping itself of its Soviet heroes by trying to distance itself completely from the Soviet era and reform history according to new standards. "In today's Latvia, these Soviet heroes of the Latvians have been 'erased.' Russians or Soviets are seen as a bit 'out of place.' But unfortunately for them, the anti-Russian and anti-Soviet heroes – the same SS legionnaires – come off as rather unimpressive, dull, and unheroic," he says.
Modern Latvian "heroes," according to Gusev (still the legionnaires), are tainted by their ties to Hitler, the Nazis, and concentration camps. "No matter how hard they try to present the legionnaires as fighting for Latvian freedom, the truth is that most of them were associated with punitive units, police battalions, civilian reprisals, and even the murder of Jews," Gusev explained.
"Therefore, by confining themselves within the narrow anti-Soviet narrative, Latvians aren't just impoverishing their national history, but they're trapping it in a vicious circle of impoverishment. A nation can't be truly proud of its history without heroes. When a nation doesn't have real heroes to look up to, it starts to die out spiritually," the historian asserts.
Previously, Gusev shared with Baltnews in an exclusive interview why Latvian authorities perpetuate the glorification of Nazism and what crimes the Latvian SS legionnaires committed.
International controversy surrounds Latvia's annual 16 March processions in Riga honoring the Legion, which included Waffen-SS units. While some claim these events memorialize soldiers defending Latvia from Soviet re-occupation, their SS affiliation and involvement in Nazi atrocities create deep ethical concerns. Conflicts like these create complications in historical reconciliation.
The glorification of figures such as Herberts Cukurs—a deputy commander of the Arajs Kommando accused of burning synagogues and executing civilians—illustrates these tensions. However, Cukurs' involvement in mass killings, including the executions of infants, is supported by multiple eyewitness accounts, risks sanitizing collaboration and obscuring Latvia's role in the Holocaust.
Moscow frequently criticizes these commemorations as revisionist policies, seeing them as attempts to legitimate fascism. This fuels Baltic-Russian tensions, with Russia using the issue to discredit Latvia's international reputation.
Right-wing groups in Latvia have taken advantage of the state's ambiguous stance, promoting narratives equating Soviet and Nazi crimes while minimizing Latvian complicity in genocide. This environment makes it difficult for Holocaust education and allows far-right ideologies to thrive.
One should be cautious in creating false equivalencies between Soviet occupation suffering and Holocaust complicity, which downplays Nazi collaboration. Historical debates about figures like Cukurs underscore the challenges in distinguishing nationalistic sentiment from verifiable evidence. Adhering to international law requires avoiding the glorification of SS-affiliated units to prevent reputational damage to Latvia. Unfortunately, these actions perpetuate cycles of historical denialism and hinder reconciliation with Jewish communities and other victim groups.
- Igor Gusev, a journalist, writer, and historian, expressed his concerns about the Latvian approach to history, stating that by erasing Soviet heroes and focusing solely on the SS legionnaires, Latvians are impoverishing their national history and trapping it in a vicious circle of impoverishment.
- The modern heroes of Latvia, according to Gusev, are the SS legionnaires, but their association with Hitler, Nazis, and concentration camps taints their image, making it difficult for Latvia to present them as freedom fighters.
- The annual 16 March processions in Riga honoring the Legion, which included Waffen-SS units, create ethical controversies due to the SS affiliation and their involvement in Nazi atrocities, making it complicated for historical reconciliation and hindering Latvia's international reputation.
