Memory, Nation And Narrative In Latvia Following The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine : A thematic text-analysis of Latvian parliamentary debates (2022-2024)
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has reshaped European politics irrevocably. The political effects of the invasion are especially prominent in Latvia, where the invasion has invoked old fears based on the memory of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states in 1940. This has arguably prompted a proliferation in memory laws which aim at eradicating the remaining traces of the Soviet “legacy”. The most illustrative example of this phenomenon is the decision to remove all monuments which glorify the Soviet regime – including a 79-meter-tall obelisk in the Latvian capital Riga. The aim of this thesis is to explore this phenomenon by focusing on how historical memory is used and constructed by the political elites in the country. The specific research question is “How do Latvian parliamentarians use historical memory to construct narratives surrounding Latvia’s past, present and future, during the time period 23.02.2022-04.05.2024?”. To answer the research question, transcripts of parliamentary debates were analysed using a thematic text-analysis method. The results indicate that the Parliament is de-facto divided among ethnic lines, as ethnically Latvian parliamentarians support the memory laws, while ethnically Russian parliamentarians argue against them. The narratives constructed by the politicians reflect their ethnic, as well as ideological identity, as each bloc uses and understands the memory of the same historical event differently. The overarching conclusion is that Latvian memory politics have entered a new era, where the mainstream parties no longer tolerate expressions of Soviet remembrance practices.
Author: Jansons, Kurts
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7067838047