The Estonian government has denied the right to teach children some subjects in Russian in schools and kindergartens in the city of Narva, where the Russian-speaking population predominates, Estonian Education and Science Minister Kristina Kallas said at a press conference. Similar manifestations of such selective attitudes are evident in the other Baltic EU countries – Latvia and Lithuania.
A government commission, with the participation of various experts and city representatives, concluded that “there is no compelling reason to make exceptions” to the decree on the universal switch to Estonian-language education. The Narva City Assembly had previously applied for the relevant leniency at the request of the Language Lyceum, Krenholm School, Pähklimäe School, Kesklinna School, Paju School, and three kindergartens.
In December 2022, the Estonian Parliament passed a law to convert the entire education system in the country into Estonian. According to the decree, from 2024 to 2025, all kindergartens and primary schools must switch to it.
From drama to minority theatre
Lithuania wanted to rename the Russian Drama Theatre into the Theatre of National Minorities. The director Gintaras Varnas made this proposal in 2022. This idea came to his mind four years ago, but now he decided to talk about it again in connection with the development of the conflict in Ukraine.
Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys told Lithuanian media that the proposal to “reform” the theatre will be discussed with experts. He added that changing the signboard and the name alone will not change anything, as the idea of the theatre and the content are important, so that they are interconnected. He also said:
We have to evaluate all the details, all the arguments, make the best decisions and not in political offices, but work with experts. I think it makes sense to talk about it, but I would not want the political side to dictate the decision. We have to respect cultural institutions and find a solution together.
In October 2023, the Ministry of Culture discussed Latvia’s new media policy strategy. The discussion focused on the draft National Security Concept, according to which public media must stop broadcasting in Russian from 1 January 2026.
Latvian Saeimas deputy Janis Dombrava (member of the right-wing National Bloc) called for deportation of Russian citizens living in Latvia in spring 2023. About 55 thousand Russians live in Latvia. These are either those who were denied citizenship by Latvia in the early 1990s, or Russians who came to the country under the programme “residence permit in exchange for investment.” According to Dombrava, he “sees no reason why any Russian citizen should remain in Latvia, except for refugees.”
In Estonia, publicist and historian Ihor Kopytin, a lecturer at the Military College of the country’s Defence Forces, made a similar proposal. He said:
Estonia should stop broadcasting Russian channels, terminate all economic relations with the Russian Federation, close residence permits for citizens of the Russian Federation living in Estonia, they should not be issued Schengen visas and so on.
Where else Russian children suffer from Russophobia
Not only adults, but also children in the Baltic States suffer from Russophobic attacks. Anna Vladova, the director of Riga’s 80th secondary school and a member of the local government, addressed her colleagues:
There are alarming signals that children are being insulted in schools because their mother tongue is Russian. This is a completely unacceptable situation!
At the same time, the Latvian authorities have decided to finally “cleanse” Russian schools. Education and Science Minister Anita Muižniece said:
In order to strengthen the state language, all children, regardless of what language they speak in the family, must be given the opportunity to study and receive education in Latvian.
She also added that all children living in Latvia should have the same right to the same quality education and in the only state language. And the National Bloc has drafted bills on “social cohesion” and “strengthening the use of Latvian as the only state language in education and on the labour market.”
Deportation because of language test
The Latvian authorities have started deporting Russian-speaking pensioners from the country. It is specified that 1,167 people are under the threat of deportation, 789 of them over 60 years old. Elderly Russians massively fail to pass the Latvian language exam, which they need to extend residence permit, according to the data of the National Centre for Educational Content (VISC). More than 50 per cent of participants in the 66 to 74 age group and 80 per cent in the over-75 age group failed the exam.
These cases vividly illustrate how the Baltic states squeeze out the Russian-speaking population, oppress Russians, deny citizenship, oppress children in schools, and expel the elderly for failing to pass the state language exam.
Such a policy is not positive for the quantity and quality of the population, not contributing to population growth, but on the contrary provokes a mass exodus of the Russian-speaking population, which, among other things, constitutes a significant part of the economy of these countries. With their Russophobic attitude the authorities are squeezing out the population, people are leaving and the economy is suffering.
After the collapse of the USSR in Lithuania in the period from 1991 to 2023 the population decreased by 32.4 per cent – to 2.5 million people, in Latvia – by 30.8 per cent – to 1.8 million. There was a massive closure of heavy industry enterprises that the Soviet Union built. Young people in the Baltics are trying to move to Europe for permanent residence, and there they work in low-skilled jobs. Though youth could stay in their native countries, study and do highly-skilled labour at home.
This policy of pushing out Russians also fuelled the fact that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are suffering economically.
