Expert explains why Latvia banned May 9th celebrations
The political elite that came to power in the Baltic States after the USSR collapse had been brought up in the West – as noted by Vyacheslav Selemenev, a leading researcher at Belarus’ National Archive, in his talk with Belarus 1 TV channel
Photo: video screenshot
The expert commented on the reasons for Latvia’s ban of May 9th celebrations in the country. “It is not surprising that they did this [banned the holiday]. Let us recall what happened after the USSR collapse. People who lived abroad and whose relatives mostly collaborated with Germans came to power in the Baltic States. They all were brought up in the West, in the anti-Soviet spirit. These people are the political elite of the Baltic States now. It is just that after the collapse of the USSR, we failed to pay attention to what was happening in these countries," Mr. Selemenev said.
Earlier, the Latvian Parliament passed a law to declare 9th, 2022 ‘a day of remembrance for the victims of the war in Ukraine, honouring the Ukrainian civilians and military personnel who have suffered or died as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’. Public celebrations are cancelled on this day, with only rallies, processions or pickets in memory of the victims are allowed. Fireworks are also banned on May 9th and 10th, and violators will be brought to justice. The law will be in effect until May 11th, 2022.
