Baltic Russians
Encyclopedia
The term Baltic Russians is usually used to refer to the Russian-speaking
communities in the Baltic states: Estonia
, Latvia
, and Lithuania
.
The term "Baltic Russians" does not imply a separate ethnic subcategory among the Russians. It came into use in the context of discussions of their fate after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
. Therefore, Russians living in the Saint Petersburg
area and the Kaliningrad Oblast
are usually excluded, as they live within the current administrative boundaries of Russia
. The Russian minorities of Finland
and Poland
, despite the fact that they live in countries by the Baltic Sea
coast, are not considered "Baltic Russians" because they live on territory that was not annexed by the Soviet Union
after the Second World War.
As of 2010, there are 1,120,919 ethnic Russians in the Baltic States (Latvia 616,840, Estonia 342,379, Lithuania 161,700), having declined from 1,726,000 in 1989.
The term may often include Ukrainians
and Belarusians
, as well as some other nationalities, in addition to Russians.
According to official statistics, in 1920, ethnic Russians (most of them residing there from the times of the Russian Empire
) made up 7,82% of the population in independent Latvia, growing to 10,5% in 1935. The share of ethnic Russians in the population of independent Estonia was about 4%, of which about half were indigenous Russians living in the areas in and around Pechory
and Izborsk
which were added to Estonian territory according to the 1920 Estonian-Soviet Peace Treaty of Tartu
, but were transferred to the Russian SFSR by the Soviet authorities in 1945. The share of ethnic Russians in independent Lithuania was even smaller, about 2%.
Following the terms of the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union
annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, the three countries quickly fell under German control. Some Russians, especially Communist party members who had arrived in the area with the initial annexation, retreated to Russia; those who fell into German hands were treated harshly, many were murdered.
As the war drew to a close, the Soviet Union resumed its occupation of the Baltic states in 1944-1945. The United States
and other Western countries did not recognize the legality of the Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic nations (Stimson Doctrine
), and retained continued official relations with the diplomatic representatives of the Baltic states until the restoration of independence of the three nations in August 1991.
Immediately after the war, Joseph Stalin
carried out a major colonization and de facto Russification
campaign in what were now the three Baltic Soviet republics. Many of the Russians, along with a smaller number from other ethnic groups, who migrated from other parts of the USSR to the Baltic republics, arrived to rebuild their heavily war-damaged economies. Mostly they were factory and construction workers who settled in major urban areas, as well as military personnel stationed in the region in significant numbers due to the border location of the Baltic republics within the Soviet Union. Many military retirees chose to stay in the region, which featured higher living standards compared to most of the USSR. This would lead to bitter disputes with Russia regarding the issue of their military pensions after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
After Stalin's death in 1953, the flow of new migrants to the Lithuanian SSR
slowed down, due to different policies on urbanization, economy and other issues than those pursued in the Latvian SSR
and the Estonian SSR. The flow of immigrants did not stop entirely in Lithuania, and there were further waves of Russian workers who came to work on major construction projects, such as power plants.
In Latvia and Estonia, less was done to slow down Russian immigration. By the 1980s Russians made up about third of the population in Estonia, while in Latvia, ethnic Latvians
made up only about half of the population. In contrast, in 1989 only 9.4 % of Lithuania's population were Russians.
It should be noted that in accordance with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
, the settlement of Russians in the Baltic States during the period was illegal under international law ("The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies"). The USSR and now Russia maintain the Baltic states joined the USSR voluntarily and legally according to international law.
Some of the Baltic Russians, mainly those who had come to live in the region not long before the three countries regained independence in 1991, remigrated to Russia and other ex-Soviet countries in the early 1990s. In Latvia and Estonia, those remaining faced problems acquiring local Latvian and Estonian citizenship (see Citizenship section).
In the Lithuanian capital Vilnius
Russians make up 14.43% of the population, in Lithuania's third largest city Klaipėda
28%. Other Lithuanian cities, including the second-largest city Kaunas
, have lower percentages of Russians, while in most small towns and villages there are very few Russians (with the exception of Visaginas
town). In all, 4.9% of Lithuania's population are ethnic Russians.
Russians make up almost a half of the population of Riga
, the capital of Latvia. In the second largest city Daugavpils
, where already before World War I
Russians were the second biggest ethnic group after Jews, Russians now make up the majority. Today about 27,6% of Latvia's population are ethnic Russians.
13 of Estonia's 15 counties are over 80 percent ethnic Estonian.
In Estonia
, most Russians live in Tallinn
(36.86% of city's population) and the eastern cities of Narva
(86.41% of its inhabitants) and Kohtla-Järve
(69.68%). Overall, Russians make up 22.6% of Estonia's population.
Russians settled in the larger cities because of the need for industrial workers there. In all three countries, the rural settlements are inhabited almost entirely by the main national ethnic groups, except some areas in eastern Estonia and Latvia with a longer history of Russian and mixed villages. The Lithuanian city of Visaginas
was built for workers at the Ignalina nuclear power plant
and therefore has a Russian majority.
After the accession of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to the European Union
on May 1, 2004, many Baltic Russians have moved to other EU countries. In particular, tens of thousands of Baltic Russians (especially those with EU citizenship) moved to the United Kingdom
and to Ireland
, who were the first 'old' EU countries to open up their labour markets to the new members of the EU. Thousands of Russians from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, holding EU passports, now live in London
, Dublin and other cities in the UK and Ireland. They make up a substantial part of the Russian-speaking community in London. Unfortunately, no reliable statistics on their exact numbers exist, as in the UK they are counted as nationals of the Baltic countries, and not as Russians.
for the persons who held citizenship before 16 June 1940 and their descendants. Persons who arrived after the occupation of 1940 and their descendants may obtain citizenship through naturalisation. This policy affects not only ethnic Russians, but also the descendants of those ethnic Estonians and Latvians who emigrated from these countries before independence was proclaimed in 1918. Dual citizensship is also not allowed, except for those countries (such as the USA) traditionally holding large numbers of emigrees.
Knowledge of the respective national language and history was set as a condition for obtaining citizenship. However, the purported difficulty of the initial language tests became a point of international contention, as the government of Russia, the Council of Europe
, and several human rights
organizations claiming that they made it impossible for many older Russians who grew up in the Baltic region to gain citizenship. As a result, the tests were altered, but a large percentage of Russians in Latvia and Estonia still have non-citizen
or alien status. Those who have not applied for citizenship feel they are regarded with suspicion, under the perception that they are deliberately avoiding naturalisation. For many, an important reason not to apply for citizenship is the fact that, as non-citizens, they are free to work or visit relatives in Russia. As Latvian citizens, they will be required to apply for visas
.
The language issue is still contentious, particularly in Latvia, where there were protests
against plans to require at least 60 % of lessons in state-funded Russian-language high schools to be taught in Latvian
(in the first version of the Law on education this was 100 %).
In contrast, Lithuania granted citizenship to all its residents at the time of independence redeclaration day willing to have it, without requiring them to learn Lithuanian
. Probably the main reason that Lithuania took a less restrictive approach than Latvia and Estonia is that whereas in Latvia ethnic Latvians comprised only a small majority of the total population, and in Estonia ethnic Estonians comprised about 70 percent, in Lithuania ethnic Lithuanians were about 80 percent of the population. Therefore, as a matter of voting in national elections or referendums, the opinions of ethnic Lithuanians would likely carry the day if there were a difference in opinion between Lithuanians and the larger minority groups (Russians and Poles), but this was less certain in the other two Baltic countries, especially in Latvia.
Some representatives of the ethnic Russian communities in Latvia and Estonia have claimed discrimination by the authorities, these calls frequently being supported by Russia. On the other hand, Latvia and Estonia deny discrimination charges and often accuse Russia of using the issue for political purposes. In recent years, as the Russian political leaders have begun to speak about the "former Soviet space" as their sphere of influence
, such claims are a source of annoyance, if not alarm, in the Baltic countries.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have since 2004 become members of NATO and the European Union
(EU) to provide a counterbalance to Russia's claims to speak for the interests of ethnic Russian residents of these countries. Furthermore, to satisfy a precondition for their admission to the EU, both Estonia and Latvia slightly adjusted their citizenship policies in response to EU monitoring and requests. Claims of discrimination in basic rights by Russians and other minorities in the region may have less effect now than they did during the years when the Baltic countries' membership applications were still pending with the EU.
which has one seat in the European parliament
held by Tatjana Ždanoka
, as well as the more moderate Harmony Centre
. These political parties support Russian language rights, demanding citizenship to all residents of Latvia and Estonia and tend to be left-wing on other issues. In Estonia there is a similar Estonian United Left Party
. However, that party is unrepresented in the Estonian parliament since the Estonian Centre Party
is overwhelmingly the most favoured party among Estonian Russians, in part because of its controversial contract of co-operation with United Russia
.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
communities in the Baltic states: Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
The term "Baltic Russians" does not imply a separate ethnic subcategory among the Russians. It came into use in the context of discussions of their fate after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
. Therefore, Russians living in the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
area and the Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
are usually excluded, as they live within the current administrative boundaries of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Russian minorities of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, despite the fact that they live in countries by the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast, are not considered "Baltic Russians" because they live on territory that was not annexed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
after the Second World War.
As of 2010, there are 1,120,919 ethnic Russians in the Baltic States (Latvia 616,840, Estonia 342,379, Lithuania 161,700), having declined from 1,726,000 in 1989.
The term may often include Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Belarusians
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
, as well as some other nationalities, in addition to Russians.
History
Most of the present-day Baltic Russians are migrants from the Soviet era and their descendants, whereas only a relatively small fraction of them can trace their ancestry in the area back to previous centuries. The term "Baltic Russians" was rarely ever used before the end of the Second World War. Prior to 1945, there was no common "Baltic Russian" identity that would somehow cover the Russians living in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and at the same time distinguish them from, e.g., Russians living in Poland or Finland.According to official statistics, in 1920, ethnic Russians (most of them residing there from the times of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
) made up 7,82% of the population in independent Latvia, growing to 10,5% in 1935. The share of ethnic Russians in the population of independent Estonia was about 4%, of which about half were indigenous Russians living in the areas in and around Pechory
Pechory
Pechory : Petseri; ) is a town and the administrative center of Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. Population: The population includes a few hundred ethnic Estonians.The town is famous for the Russian Orthodox Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery....
and Izborsk
Izborsk
Izborsk is a rural locality in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It contains one of the most ancient and impressive fortresses of Western Russia....
which were added to Estonian territory according to the 1920 Estonian-Soviet Peace Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)
Tartu Peace Treaty or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed on February 2, 1920 ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognises" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in...
, but were transferred to the Russian SFSR by the Soviet authorities in 1945. The share of ethnic Russians in independent Lithuania was even smaller, about 2%.
Following the terms of the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, the three countries quickly fell under German control. Some Russians, especially Communist party members who had arrived in the area with the initial annexation, retreated to Russia; those who fell into German hands were treated harshly, many were murdered.
As the war drew to a close, the Soviet Union resumed its occupation of the Baltic states in 1944-1945. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other Western countries did not recognize the legality of the Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic nations (Stimson Doctrine
Stimson Doctrine
The Stimson Doctrine is a policy of the United States federal government, enunciated in a note of January 7, 1932, to Japan and China, of non-recognition of international territorial changes that were executed by force. The doctrine was an application of the principle of ex injuria jus non oritur...
), and retained continued official relations with the diplomatic representatives of the Baltic states until the restoration of independence of the three nations in August 1991.
Immediately after the war, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
carried out a major colonization and de facto Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
campaign in what were now the three Baltic Soviet republics. Many of the Russians, along with a smaller number from other ethnic groups, who migrated from other parts of the USSR to the Baltic republics, arrived to rebuild their heavily war-damaged economies. Mostly they were factory and construction workers who settled in major urban areas, as well as military personnel stationed in the region in significant numbers due to the border location of the Baltic republics within the Soviet Union. Many military retirees chose to stay in the region, which featured higher living standards compared to most of the USSR. This would lead to bitter disputes with Russia regarding the issue of their military pensions after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
After Stalin's death in 1953, the flow of new migrants to the Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
slowed down, due to different policies on urbanization, economy and other issues than those pursued in the Latvian SSR
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
and the Estonian SSR. The flow of immigrants did not stop entirely in Lithuania, and there were further waves of Russian workers who came to work on major construction projects, such as power plants.
In Latvia and Estonia, less was done to slow down Russian immigration. By the 1980s Russians made up about third of the population in Estonia, while in Latvia, ethnic Latvians
Latvians
Latvians or Letts are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.-History:Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia...
made up only about half of the population. In contrast, in 1989 only 9.4 % of Lithuania's population were Russians.
It should be noted that in accordance with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
Fourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians...
, the settlement of Russians in the Baltic States during the period was illegal under international law ("The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies"). The USSR and now Russia maintain the Baltic states joined the USSR voluntarily and legally according to international law.
Some of the Baltic Russians, mainly those who had come to live in the region not long before the three countries regained independence in 1991, remigrated to Russia and other ex-Soviet countries in the early 1990s. In Latvia and Estonia, those remaining faced problems acquiring local Latvian and Estonian citizenship (see Citizenship section).
Current situation
Baltic Russians live mainly in the cities.In the Lithuanian capital Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
Russians make up 14.43% of the population, in Lithuania's third largest city Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
28%. Other Lithuanian cities, including the second-largest city Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, have lower percentages of Russians, while in most small towns and villages there are very few Russians (with the exception of Visaginas
Visaginas
Visaginas is a city with municipal rights in eastern Lithuania, situated near the country's biggest lake, Drūkšiai. Its administrative boundaries are in the process of being defined. The Vilnius–Daugavpils railway runs alongside the town, providing convenient communication with Vilnius and...
town). In all, 4.9% of Lithuania's population are ethnic Russians.
Russians make up almost a half of the population of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, the capital of Latvia. In the second largest city Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
, where already before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Russians were the second biggest ethnic group after Jews, Russians now make up the majority. Today about 27,6% of Latvia's population are ethnic Russians.
13 of Estonia's 15 counties are over 80 percent ethnic Estonian.
In Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, most Russians live in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(36.86% of city's population) and the eastern cities of Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
(86.41% of its inhabitants) and Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve is a city and municipality in north-eastern Estonia, founded in 1924 and incorporated as a town in 1946. The city is highly industrial, and is both a processor of oil shales and is a large producer of various petroleum products. The city is also very diverse ethnically: it contains...
(69.68%). Overall, Russians make up 22.6% of Estonia's population.
Russians settled in the larger cities because of the need for industrial workers there. In all three countries, the rural settlements are inhabited almost entirely by the main national ethnic groups, except some areas in eastern Estonia and Latvia with a longer history of Russian and mixed villages. The Lithuanian city of Visaginas
Visaginas
Visaginas is a city with municipal rights in eastern Lithuania, situated near the country's biggest lake, Drūkšiai. Its administrative boundaries are in the process of being defined. The Vilnius–Daugavpils railway runs alongside the town, providing convenient communication with Vilnius and...
was built for workers at the Ignalina nuclear power plant
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is a closed two-unit RBMK-1500 nuclear power station in Visaginas, Lithuania. It was named after the nearby city of Ignalina...
and therefore has a Russian majority.
After the accession of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
on May 1, 2004, many Baltic Russians have moved to other EU countries. In particular, tens of thousands of Baltic Russians (especially those with EU citizenship) moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, who were the first 'old' EU countries to open up their labour markets to the new members of the EU. Thousands of Russians from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, holding EU passports, now live in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Dublin and other cities in the UK and Ireland. They make up a substantial part of the Russian-speaking community in London. Unfortunately, no reliable statistics on their exact numbers exist, as in the UK they are counted as nationals of the Baltic countries, and not as Russians.
Citizenship
After regaining independence, Latvia and Estonia passed citizenship laws on the basis of the legal continuity of their statehood throughout Soviet occupation, automatically recognising citizenship according to the principle of jus sanguinisJus sanguinis
Ius sanguinis is a social policy by which citizenship is not determined by place of birth, but by having a parent who are citizens of the nation...
for the persons who held citizenship before 16 June 1940 and their descendants. Persons who arrived after the occupation of 1940 and their descendants may obtain citizenship through naturalisation. This policy affects not only ethnic Russians, but also the descendants of those ethnic Estonians and Latvians who emigrated from these countries before independence was proclaimed in 1918. Dual citizensship is also not allowed, except for those countries (such as the USA) traditionally holding large numbers of emigrees.
Knowledge of the respective national language and history was set as a condition for obtaining citizenship. However, the purported difficulty of the initial language tests became a point of international contention, as the government of Russia, the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
, and several human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organizations claiming that they made it impossible for many older Russians who grew up in the Baltic region to gain citizenship. As a result, the tests were altered, but a large percentage of Russians in Latvia and Estonia still have non-citizen
Non-citizens (Latvia)
Non-citizens in Latvian law are individuals who are not citizens of Latvia or any other country but, who, in accordance with the Latvian law "Regarding the status of citizens of the former USSR who possess neither Latvian nor other citizenship", have the right to a non-citizen passport issued by...
or alien status. Those who have not applied for citizenship feel they are regarded with suspicion, under the perception that they are deliberately avoiding naturalisation. For many, an important reason not to apply for citizenship is the fact that, as non-citizens, they are free to work or visit relatives in Russia. As Latvian citizens, they will be required to apply for visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
.
The language issue is still contentious, particularly in Latvia, where there were protests
Russian School Defense Staff
Russian School Defense Staff or Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools — movement in Latvia for protection of public secondary education in Russian...
against plans to require at least 60 % of lessons in state-funded Russian-language high schools to be taught in Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
(in the first version of the Law on education this was 100 %).
In contrast, Lithuania granted citizenship to all its residents at the time of independence redeclaration day willing to have it, without requiring them to learn Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
. Probably the main reason that Lithuania took a less restrictive approach than Latvia and Estonia is that whereas in Latvia ethnic Latvians comprised only a small majority of the total population, and in Estonia ethnic Estonians comprised about 70 percent, in Lithuania ethnic Lithuanians were about 80 percent of the population. Therefore, as a matter of voting in national elections or referendums, the opinions of ethnic Lithuanians would likely carry the day if there were a difference in opinion between Lithuanians and the larger minority groups (Russians and Poles), but this was less certain in the other two Baltic countries, especially in Latvia.
Some representatives of the ethnic Russian communities in Latvia and Estonia have claimed discrimination by the authorities, these calls frequently being supported by Russia. On the other hand, Latvia and Estonia deny discrimination charges and often accuse Russia of using the issue for political purposes. In recent years, as the Russian political leaders have begun to speak about the "former Soviet space" as their sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
, such claims are a source of annoyance, if not alarm, in the Baltic countries.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have since 2004 become members of NATO and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) to provide a counterbalance to Russia's claims to speak for the interests of ethnic Russian residents of these countries. Furthermore, to satisfy a precondition for their admission to the EU, both Estonia and Latvia slightly adjusted their citizenship policies in response to EU monitoring and requests. Claims of discrimination in basic rights by Russians and other minorities in the region may have less effect now than they did during the years when the Baltic countries' membership applications were still pending with the EU.
Political parties
There are a number of political parties and politicians in the Baltic states who claim to represent the Russian-speaking minority. In Latvia it is For Human Rights in United LatviaFor Human Rights in United Latvia
For Human Rights in United Latvia is a left-wing political party in Latvia, supported mainly by ethnic Russians and other non-Latvian minorities. Co-chairpersons of its Ruling Board are Tatjana Ždanoka, Jakovs Pliners and Miroslav Mitrofanov....
which has one seat in the European parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
held by Tatjana Ždanoka
Tatjana Ždanoka
Tatyana Arkad'evna Zhdanok, , born May 8, 1950 in Riga, is a Latvian politician and Member of the European Parliament and a co-Chairperson of For Human Rights in United Latvia; part of the European Greens–European Free Alliance group. Zhdanok is co-chairperson of ForHRUL since 2001...
, as well as the more moderate Harmony Centre
Harmony Centre
Harmony Centre is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and the Socialist Party of Latvia Harmony Centre (abbreviated SC; ) is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the...
. These political parties support Russian language rights, demanding citizenship to all residents of Latvia and Estonia and tend to be left-wing on other issues. In Estonia there is a similar Estonian United Left Party
Estonian United Left Party
The Estonian United Left Party is a political party in Estonia.-History:In June 1988 Communist Party of Estonia , i.e. the Estonian branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, chief Karl Vaino was replaced by the reform-minded Soviet Ambassador to Nicaragua Vaino Väljas, the former...
. However, that party is unrepresented in the Estonian parliament since the Estonian Centre Party
Estonian Centre Party
The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
is overwhelmingly the most favoured party among Estonian Russians, in part because of its controversial contract of co-operation with United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
.
Notable Baltic Russians
Famous modern Baltic Russians include:- Patriarch Alexius IIPatriarch Alexius IIPatriarch Alexy II was the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church....
of the Russian Orthodox ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, born Aleksey Ridiger in TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, of Baltic German origin. - Mikhail BaryshnikovMikhail BaryshnikovMikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
, famous Russian-American dancer and actor, born in RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. - Ludmilla ChiriaeffLudmilla ChiriaeffLudmilla Chiriaeff, was a Canadian ballet dancer, choreographer, and director.Born in Riga, Latvia, she trained in Berlin with Alexandra Nicolaieva, a former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet....
, balletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer, choreographer, and director, born in Riga. - Mikhail EisensteinMikhail EisensteinMikhail Osipovich Eisenstein, , was a Russian architect and civil engineer. His paternal grandparents being German Jews, had converted to Orthodox Christianity, and his maternal grandparents were Swedes. He graduated from the Institute of Civic Engineering in St. Petersburg in 1893. He was the...
, architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
designer of many buildings in Riga, father of Sergei EisensteinSergei EisensteinSergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
, born in Riga. - Sergei EisensteinSergei EisensteinSergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
, directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
made some famous Russian films, born in Riga. - Alexandr KaleriAlexandr KaleriAleksandr Yuriyevich "Sasha" Kaleri is a Russian cosmonaut and veteran of extended stays on the Mir Space Station and the International Space Station . Kaleri has recently been in space aboard the ISS serving as a flight engineer for the long duration Expedition 25/26 missions.- Personal :Kaleri...
, Russian cosmonaut born in JūrmalaJurmalaJūrmala is a city in Latvia, about 25 kilometers west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River...
. - Valery KarpinValery KarpinValeri Georgievich Karpin is a former Russian professional association footballer who played midfielder and former manager of FC Spartak Moscow...
, footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielderMidfielderA midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, born in NarvaNarvaNarva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
. - Alexander KovalevskyAlexander KovalevskyAlexander Onufrievich Kovalevsky was a Russian embryologist who studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg and became professor at St Petersburg. He showed that all animals go through a period of gastrulation.- Bibliography :* Kowalevsky A. . "Les Hedylidés, étude anatomique"...
, embryologist born near DaugavpilsDaugavpilsDaugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
. - Evgenii MillerEvgenii MillerEvgeny Karlovich Miller was a Russian general and one of the leaders of the anti-communist White Army during and after Russian Civil War.-Biography:...
, Russian general born in Daugavpils. - Alexei KudrinAlexei KudrinAlexei Leonidovich Kudrin was the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia from 18 May 2000 to 26 September 2011. After graduating with degrees in finance and economics, Kudrin worked in the administration of Saint Petersburg's liberal Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. In 1996 he started...
, Russian financial minister born in DobeleDobeleDobele is a town in the cultural region Zemgale in Latvia, and is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river Bērze. It received town rights in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied Courland Governorate during the First World War...
. - Marie N (Marija Naumova), winner of the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest for Latvia.
- Nikita Ivanovich PaninNikita Ivanovich PaninCount Nikita Ivanovich Panin was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first eighteen years of her reign. In that role he advocated the Northern Alliance, closer ties with Frederick the Great of Prussia and the establishment of an advisory privy...
, Russian 18th century statesman from PärnuPärnuPärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
. - Vladimirs PetrovsVladimirs PetrovsVladimirs Petrovs or Vladimir Petrov was a Latvian chess master.He was born in Riga, Latvia. Though he learned the game of chess relatively late, at age thirteen, Petrovs made rapid progress. By 1926, at age 19, he won the Riga Championship and finish third in the national championship...
(Vladimir Petrov), chess player, born in Riga. - Aleksandr PetukhovAleksandr PetukhovAleksandr Petukhov is a Kazakh professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for FC Tobol.-Club Career Stats:Last update: 8 November 2010- Honours :with Tobol* Intertoto Cup Winner: 2007* Kazakhstan League Champion: 2010...
(Aleksandr Petushkov) movie writer and director, born in Riga. - Roman RomanovRoman RomanovRoman Romanov is a Lithuanian businessman of Russian origin as well as the chairman of Scottish Premier League football club Hearts. Romanov is the son of Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov....
, a Lithuanian businessman and current Chairman of Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian... - Vladimir RomanovVladimir RomanovVladimir Nikolayevich Romanov ; born 1947 in Tver Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR) is an ethnic Russian businessman who also holds Lithuanian citizenship following that country's independence from the Soviet Union. He is chairman of UBIG Investments which is the majority shareholder in Scottish Premier...
, owner of Heart of Midlothian F.C. football club, citizen of Lithuania - Uljana Semjonova, basketball player from Daugavpils.
- Alexei ShirovAlexei ShirovAlexei Dmitrievich Shirov is a Soviet-born Latvian chess grandmaster. He has consistently ranked among the world's top players since the early 1990s, and reached a ranking as high as number four in 1998...
, chess grandmaster born in Riga. - Konstantin SokolskyKonstantin SokolskyKonstantin Sokolsky Russian singer...
, singer from Riga. - Anatoly SolovyevAnatoly SolovyevAnatoly Yakovlevich Solovyev is a former Soviet pilot, cosmonaut, and Colonel. Solovyev holds the world record on the number of spacewalks performed , and accumulated time spent spacewalking .- Family :...
, pilot and cosmonaut, born in Riga. - Aleksandr Starkov (Aleksandr Starkov), Latvia national football teamLatvia national football teamThe Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
coach of 2001-2004. - Yury TynyanovYury TynyanovYury Nikolaevich Tynyanov was a famous Soviet/Russian writer, literary critic, translator, scholar and screenwriter. He was an authority on Pushkin and an important member of the Russian Formalist school.-Life and work:...
, writer, literary critic, translator, scholar and scriptwriter born in RēzekneRezekneIn the 19th century, the population of Rēzekne was 2/3 Jewish. As a result of the Pale of Settlement many Jews settled in Latgalia and were confined to the cities. The remainder of the population included Poles, Germans, Russians, and an extreme minority of native Latgalians...
(Rezhitsa). - Viktor UspaskichViktor UspaskichViktor Uspaskich is a Russian born Lithuanian entrepreneur, professional welder and politician.-Early life:He arrived in Lithuanian SSR in 1985 and worked as a welder in the gas industry...
, leader of the Lithuanian Labour PartyLabour Party (Lithuania)The Labour Party , or DP, is a centrist political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich....
, former Lithuanian minister of infrastructure. - Pyotr Nikolayevich WrangelPyotr Nikolayevich WrangelBaron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel or Vrangel was an officer in the Imperial Russian army and later commanding general of the anti-Bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia in the later stages of the Russian Civil War.-Life:Wrangel was born in Mukuliai, Kovno Governorate in the Russian Empire...
, Russian of Baltic GermanBaltic GermanThe Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
ancestry, one of the leaders of the counterrevolution in Russia, born in Lithuania. - Mikhail VellerMikhail VellerMikhail Iosifovich Veller is a Russian writer.Mikhail Veller was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukrainian SSR, USSR in 1948. In 1972 he graduated with a degree in linguistics from Leningrad University...
, Russia writer, who lived in Estonia in 1979-2000. - Sergei ZholtokSergei ZholtokSergejs Žoltoks was a Latvian professional ice hockey center who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators....
, professional ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player from Riga. - Tatiana Bleicher, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, lives in Tallinn. - Mikhail Nikolayevich ZadornovMikhail Nikolayevich ZadornovMikhail Nikolayevich Zadornov is a Soviet and Russian stand-up comedian and writer. Zadornov is particularly famous for his satirical comparisons of Russians and nationals of other countries, especially Americans. He has rescinded his visa to the United States as a protest to the American...
, Latvian-born Russian comedian
Literature
- Russian Minorities in the Baltic States "Ethnicity" No. 3/2010 ISSN 1691-5844
See also
- History of Russians in EstoniaHistory of Russians in EstoniaThe population of Russians in Estonia is estimated at 345,000. Most Russians live in Estonia's capital city Tallinn and the major northeastern cities of Narva and Kohtla-Järve...
- History of Russians in LatviaHistory of Russians in LatviaRussians have been the largest ethnic minority in Latvia for the last two centuries.-Ancient Latvia:The Latvian word krievi for "Russians" and Krievija for "Russia" is thought to have originated from Krivichs, one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs...
- History of Russians in LithuaniaHistory of Russians in LithuaniaFirst small early East Slavic settlements in what is now Lithuania date back to late medieval ages when the first proto-Russian merchants and craftsmen began to permanently reside in several Lithuanian towns...
- Ethnic Russians in post-Soviet statesEthnic Russians in post-Soviet statesAfter the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there were about 25 million of Ethnic Russians in post-Soviet states. Their situation varied drastically, from no perceivable change in status, as in Belarus, to suddenly becoming foreigners, or people without nationality against their intentions, as in...