Die sowjetische Herrschaft 1944/45–1991

History perceptions and national identity among Latvian youth: Entrapped between narratives of Latvia and Russia?

“…Latvia's ethnic structure dramatically changed during and after World War II when the proportion of ethnic Latvians decreased from 77% in 1935 to 52% in 1989, whereas the proportion of ethnic Russians soared from 9% to 34% (CSB, 2022). It resulted from the refugee movement (1944)(1945), the mass repressions and the deliberate Soviet migration policy of imposing a policy of extensive industrialisation in Latvia and allowing Soviet military personnel to retire in Latvia (Bleiere, 2018). Several considerations led to an interest in the impact of historical knowledge on national identity among young people.…”