Between History and Propaganda: Estonia and Latvia in Russian Historical Narratives

In our article, we have focused only on Latvia and Estonia and have not included Lithuanian material for analysis.

See Russian scientific sources and Russian interpretation of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact—Smirnov (2009, 185–203), Ionov and Kharitonova (2013, 110–127), Simindey (2015a). See also opinion of Vladimir Putin (Interfax, 2015; Dubrovskaya, 2014; Putin, 2020d).

Lithuania as well, too.

The Latvian and Estonian SS Legions were national armed formations within the Waffen SS (1943–1945). Although some of the legionnaires collaborated in the early years of the war with the Nazis and took part in the Holocaust, the vast majority did not, and the organization was not deemed as criminal during the trial in Nuremberg. However, they wore SS uniforms, and from a Russian perspective, they were definitely Nazi collaborators.

When analysing Russian sources, we should take into consideration the current situation of Russian and pro-Russian sources which are represented in the Estonian informational space and most probably the target audience of these Russian sources are the Russophone people of Estonia (Annual Review of Estonian Internal Security Service 2019/2020, 13, 14). The Russophone community in Estonia is however not homogeneous (see e.g., Makarychev & Sazonov, 2019, 450−469).

https://​www.​iwars.​su/​redkol.

Note: this article was published in autumn 2014, in the same year when Russia occupied Crimea and invaded Eastern Ukraine.

No doubt, the USSR played a big role in that victory, but he is ignoring other important issues and key factors of the Second World War: First: the USSR, along with its ally, Nazi Germany, invaded Poland in 1939. Second: Soviet military forces invaded Finland in 1939. Third: The Soviets occupied the Baltic countries in 1940 according to secret protocols of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (through a deal with Nazi Germany). Fourth: the weight of the war from 1 September 1939 until 22 June 1941 was on the shoulders of Western and Eastern Europe, mainly Poland, England, and France, but also Belgium, etc. Fifth: Western allies began military actions against Fascism in Europe in 1939; they opened several fronts (e.g. in Italy in 1943, then later in June 1944 in France etc., and were participating in the annihilation of Nazism in Germany in 1945 etc.).

Bronze Night or April Unrest. This refers to riots of pro-Russian minded groups of Russian-speaking people in Tallinn surrounding the 2007 relocation of the Bronze Soldier ‘Alyosha’ (located in the centre of Tallinn), which is the Soviet memorial of the Second World War. In Estonia among Estonians, it was a symbol of the Soviet occupation (Annual Review of the Estonian Internal Security Service, 2007, 9–20). A brief description of Russia’s involvement in the Bronze Night events can be found in the Annual Review of Estonian Internal Security Service of 2007, p. 9: ‘… the special services and power structures of Russia were behind the instigation of an over-emotional reflection of the Russian media in connection with the disturbance over the ‘Bronze Soldier’ (one of the reasons why the events escalated into mass riots) and opposed several high-ranking Russian public officials, who agreed under various considerations with the civilised relocation of the monument. As for the April riots, we can say that despite preceding visits of several Russian intelligence officers into Estonia, the role of Russian special services (both the FSB and the SVR) during April 26–27 was to observe the course of events. The Security Police did not ascertain the directing of the violent events from the side of Russian special services. Secret meetings between Russian diplomats and local extremists (including the meeting in Tallinn Botanical Garden that was covered by the press) could not have initiated the hysterical outbreak. However, the SVR’s good position in the circle of Russian journalists, whose participation in instigating hostility was outstanding, should be taken into account.’

This is not a true statement. The Soviet Union occupied the Baltic States in 1940 by using political pressure and supporting military forces. In 1944, the Soviet army invaded and re-occupied the Baltic States by military force again (Second World War).

O Fonde. Fond «Istoricheskaya pamyat’». https://​historyfoundatio​n.​ru/​about/​. Accessed 19 October 2020.

Dyukov (2009a, 132–136). Dyukov, A. Iynskaya deportaciya 1941 goda https://​scepsis.​net/​library/​id_​1897.​html (26.10.2020).

This is a tendentious statement regarding all the Baltic states—they could not provide an independent foreign policy and therefore they were a military bridgehead for the West in the war planning against the USSR in 1939 (Meltyukhov 2014).

For example, the so-called case of Nikonov, a Soviet partisan who killed civilians on the territory of Latvia—https://​www.​dw.​com/​ru/​ бывший-пapтизaн-кoнoнoв-пpoигpaл-в-cтpacбypгe-дeлo-пpoтив-лaтвии/a-5580909.

There is no doubt that the Holocaust was a large-scale and terrible mass crime that took place throughout the whole territory controlled by the Third Reich. It was organised by Nazis everywhere, including in the territories of the occupied Baltic States. However, Russia’s accusation that all or most Estonians were involved in the mass killing of Jewish people in Estonia is false.