The Soviet attack on Latvian border station Maslenki 1940

Burned down Maslenki guard house

One of the usual interpretations by Russian historians that in the events of 1940 no military force was involved and Latvia was annexed voluntary.   However they tend to forget the events on the June 15 1940 when Soviet special forces raided the Latvian border guard station Maslenki, killing and capturing many borderguards and their wife’s. With all known rules of military warfare this can be seen as act of aggression and invasion, as the Latvian border was crossed and its soldiers and civilians attacked. It was intended as a provocation to force Latvia submit to Soviet demands and allow unrestricted entry into Latvian soil. Also it was a clear warning of what would happen if the Latvian government would not accept the Soviet demands.

Maslenki today is a  part of Russian Federation as it was located in Abrene district that was part of the Latvian Republic from 1920 to 1944, after it was included in the Russian Soviet Socialist Federative Republic. After the fall of the Soviet Union it remained as part of the Russian Federation with no great chances of ever returning it to Latvia.

The border between Latvia and Soviet Russia was established in 1920 according to peace treaty. The Abrene district was mostly populated by Russian nationals, however Latvia saw this territory as important for its railway routes and special geographical situation making easier to defend the eastern border. Also it was earned in blood as Latvian army chased the Soviets away to this point. The Soviet government was forced to sign a peace treaty and give away this district. In next two decades Abrene became important part of the Latvian state. Latvians moved there to establish farms and towns and army fortifications and border bases.

The border protection law was issued in 1928 and the task was entrusted to Border Guard (Robežapsardzība), in 1935 it was renamed as the Border Guard Brigade that was split in three battalions. The third was the Abrene battalion. Battalion worked in guard stations that overlooked every kilometer. Later cordons were established. The border guarding was a tough work, as the Soviet spies and illegal immigrants  and also criminals tended to cross the border.

The Latvian Eastern border with highlighted district of Abrene

After October 1939 when Latvia signed mutual assistance pact with Soviet Union a greater importance was put on the border protection as every incident could mean accusation of breaking the pact. Latvia was already in undesirable situation as Poland was occupied both by Germany and Soviet Union and sizable Red Army garrison already stationed in Courland. In the summer of 1940 Germany opened the Western front and Stalin was sure that is the right time to “fix the Baltic problem”. For this a small provocation was required.

The 14 June 1940 was a peaceful day for Latvian border guards and civilians of the Abrene district. Many came to Latgalian song and dance festival at Daugavpils. 24 choirs with 1101 singers and 55 instrument players went there forming the second largest delegation. With the presence of the president Kārlis Ulmanis the song and dance festival marked the last normal day for Latvia for many years to come. Meanwhile the border guards organized the sport instructor courses. In the same time in Paris the German army marched on the main streets, but in Estonia two Soviet bombers shot down the Finnish civil airplane Kaleva (Junkers -52) over the Strait of Finland. Soviet submarine prevented the rescue or search of the crash site and collected all the remains. Estonian government made no protest to USSR. Meanwhile  the Soviet documents falsely stated that the plane was shot in June 23 meaning that it was done after the occupation of Estonia and therefore not an act of international piratism  but a defense move by Soviets. At 23:30 in Moscow the Lithuanian ambassador was summoned to Kremlin to meet Molotov, where he gave the ultimatum that Lithuania had to accept until 10:00 at morning.

The Maslenki or Lejnieki border station was one of the first border stations since 1920. The guard-house was a wooden building built in 1929/1930. The commander in charge was senior officer Frīdrihs Puriņš who was notorious for his drinking and brawls with Russian locals. Soviet border guards often tried to provoke him because of it. Despite that his experience in the war of freedom brought a great respect from his senior colleges.

At Midnight a border guard brass band rehearsal took place. The night unusually cold, on guard post were Jānis Macītis and Pēteris Cimoška, one was patrolling other was hidden post. Kārlis Beizaks was resting on wait his shift to replace Cimoška.

On 2:30 25 special soldiers of the NKVD the Soviet secret service managed to cross the border at river Ludza. NKVD had surrounded the border cordon from all sides. Around the guard-house a bags of grenades were placed excluding the main doors meaning that NKVD men intended to capture the border guards without a single shot. The attackers were discovered by patrolling Jānis Macītis. He followed the instructions that if the stranger is spotted, he must let him closer for 20-30 meters and only then call him to stop, so he will be surprised and wont use arms. However, this instruction did not bear the fact that stranger may have an automatic weapon. And precisely at this moment the NKVD men opened automatic fire at the Latvian border guard. Latvians only had shotguns that were useless in thick fog and bad visibility.

NKVD realized that they were spotted and turned to burn down the guard-house and kill all the border guards. Macītis was badly wounded and tried to reach the guard-house and stepped on the hand grenade and lost his left foot. Border guard on the disguised post Pēteris Cimoška opened fire, enemy tried to locate his position to surround him. Cimoška retreated back to guard-house cause he heard other border guard Valdis Grīnvalds resisting. But he stepped on bag of grenades and were torn in peaces.

In the guard-house Valdis Grīnvalds was desperately trying to hide from Soviet bullets that fired trough the walls. As the visibility was bad he fired back without no aiming. Kārlis Beizaks also in the house decided to flee and jumped out of the window. He managed to run 199 meters passing house of Žanis Krieviņš that also was surrounded by NKVD men who killed Beizaks. They even threw grenades at him. Since some resistance was shown from  guard house the NKVD threw inside burning liquid and house went on flames.

In the apartment room of the guard-house the commanders Frīdrihs Puriņš wife Hermīne and his 14-year-old son Voldemārs were caught up in the middle of the firefight. Hermīne jumped out of the window with pillow in his hand to protect herself from the bullets. She was shot dead and later found in strawberry plants. Voldemārs run out of the doors and escaped and hided in nearby pile of firewoods. Soviet attacker had been under cover there and shot Voldemārs in stomach and foot. Valdis Grīnvalds left the house on the same moment and made way to river where he was captured by the soviets.

The body of killed Hermīne Puriņa

NKVD also assaulted the border guards Žanis Krieviņš house. He was there with his wife Lida, son Artūrs and five year old Rita. Two grenades were thrown in. Lida was wounded as Soviets broke in  took away his husband and children.

As the resistance was put down, the Soviets started to evacuate their killed and wounded men. However, because of the poor visibility they left many of their displaced war equipment. Soviets also abducted two civilians Olga and Dimitry Maslov. As Latvian reinforcements arrived at the scene the Soviets had left with guard-house burned down, three guard men killed, commanders wife shot, his son wounded and many people abducted.

At the same time Soviets attacked other guard post at Šmaiļi. Here Soviets managed to capture the border guards without a fight. Also local civilians were taken as hostages. Also another attack was planned at Žuguru station. However, the plans were thwarted because the border guards wife Marianna turned 25 and border guards threw a big party. This became known by commander Voldemārs Gailītis and he came there with his men to inspect. At the night the border guard Kronis fired the signal pistol alarming the guards on duty and the guests. In 16 June they found a Soviet camouflage suit and wire breaking scissors nearby. It could be that Soviets were scared away by the sudden arrival of the commander himself and his men. The guard Kronis who spotted the Soviet intruder fired a signal rocket and loud talking by alarmed guests confused the NKVD men and made them turn back.

Soviets had taken away 37 men and women and children. Latvian border guards were put on alarm. But, Latvian government made no direct action or even protest against USSR. In 15 June Lithuania submitted to Soviet demands and allowed entry of the Soviet forces. Lithuanian president Antan Smetona fled to Lithuania. Worlds eyes were on France it seemed hopeless to make any significant move. Latvia made investigation commission on the incident but that was it.  In 17 June Soviet forces entered Latvia. Border guards were told not to resist, they had plans for it, but now the border became open to the enemy. At the night between 16 and 17 June all main roads to Latvia were cleared of mines. If Latvian border guards showed some resistance there would be no myth of peaceful occupation of Latvia and the removed district of Abrene.

In 7 July 1940 Soviets sent back to Latvia their 37 hostages. The captured guards were submitted to interrogation. The later events, the occupation and war put them on the extremes again.  The only one who did not return was Dimitry Maslov who was agent of the Latvian Secret Service. He was executed in  1942 at Astrakhan prison.

The attack on Maslenki was intended to force Latvian government to accept the Soviet demands. Soviets blamed Latvia for this tragedy and interpreted as a breach of mutual agreement pact, that was one of the reasons why Soviets demanded the full entry of the Red Army. Also it was a revenge by NKVD to Latvians for the actions of their secret service on the Soviet border. The attack was also made to test the Latvian army leadership, fearing it may order full resistance, instead Latvian leaders showed confusion and weakness. However, the attack on Latvian border station must be seen as act of aggression and treachery that shows that the occupation of Latvia was brutal and bloody not peaceful.

The border guards of the Maslenki and their families before the tragedy

Soviet Plans for Worldwide Socialist Revolution 1917-1939

Soviet propaganda poster showing the unification of the world under the Red Flag

Already after the Bolshevik coup at October 1917 the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin made clear that this is the only the beginning and the Soviet fight will only end when the World Soviet Socialist Republic will be established. Everything needed to be done to lighten up the proletarian revolution in other countries. The Bolsheviks hoped on postwar troubles in and revolutionary sentiments in western countries. Moscow supported the revolution attempts in Bavaria, Germany and in Hungary in 1919. These bloody revolutions were crushed and the one in Munich was witnessed by Adolf Hitler then a discharged soldier who saw the need for his own revolution. In March 1919 at Moscow the Communist Internationale (Comintern) was established with goal to weaken the socialdemocratic movements in Europe and to take complete control over all communist movements outside Russia. The beginning of the Comintern was very prudent as only 34 delegates took part in the founding congress with only 4 of them from abroad. However, the organization became immensely powerful over the next two decades and Lenin was sure that soon the Worldwide Soviet Federate Republic will be established.

Comintern was an international communist party that used its sections based on iron discipline to brought down the capitalist order in violent way. The sections were financed mainly by Moscow. In twenties Moscow gave large sums of money to Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, German, US, British, Sweden and Finland sections. The money was raised by selling the Czarist time valuables and robing the churches. Only French section of the Comintern was able to finance itself.

To transfer the money Soviets used illegal means mainly supported by the Soviet intelligence agencies. Baltic states were used as the window to Europe to transit these sums of money. Tallinn and Riga were used as the main gateways. In short time Soviets sent 451 million golden rubles trough Tallinn. In 1921 Soviets already spent 2/3 of their gold reserves to finance the worldwide socialist revolution.

In 1920 the Red Army started the offensive against Poland. It was clearly seen in the propaganda at that time that the Poland was not the sole enemy in this offensive. After the fall of Warsaw the Soviets would take Berlin and move to west. However, at the river of Vistula the Red Army was crushed and the ideas for world takeover had to canceled. In next decades Soviets viewed Poland as a grave enemy and the defeat at 1920 made the next Soviet leader Stalin hate the Polish country. Also the independent Baltic States and Finland was seen as  a great dissatisfaction. The Russian Empire was fallen but its imperialism remained now in the clothes of idea of the world socialist revolution.

Despite the calls for revolutions, Soviet Union made agreements with the Western powers that was seen as a temporary coexistence until the final fight and the victory of the communism. In 1922 Soviet Union made Rapallo agreement with Germany that brought many means for two state cooperation especially the military. The Western powers had delusive assumptions that the Soviet Union is just as the other countries and can normally cooperate with them. By that from 1924 to 1933 the Soviet Union was recognized by most democratic countries in the world.

While western countries no longer viewed Soviet Union as a bridgehead for revolution the idea of worldwide revolution was integral part in the Soviet ideology. In first Soviet Constitution accepted in 1924 the Soviet Union was called as the Fatherland of the World proletariat from which the Worldwide Socialist Republic would arise. From 1918 to 1936 in Soviet calendars the anniversary of the October coup was not mentioned, instead the 7 – 8 November was celebrated as the beginning of the worldwide proletarian revolution. In the documents of the Comintern it was undoubtedly written that the proletarian revolution cannot rise in one state only it was possible only in the international level. The anthem of the Soviet Union was Internationale until it was changed by more nationalistic anthem in 1943. The first state radio program was called the Comintern Radio.

The ideas for worldwide socialist revolution was deeply affected by the Hitler’s rise to power. This was also partial “success” by the Comintern because Moscow ordered to weaken the German socialdemocrats that made Nazis much easier to defeat them. The rise of nationalsocialism was direct answer to the growing influence of communism in Europe caused by the Great Depression and the actions of the Comintern.

By that Moscow has got itself in unusual situation while the all plans of the world revolution backfired they caused the rise of Nazism and Fascism and rise of Authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe. All of them were hostile to communism. Nationalsocialism was common to communism in many ways – use of terms of revolution and socialism, single obligatory ideology, state wide terror, single party rule, the centralization of the economy and the cult of personality. The main difference  that Soviets were internationalists while Nazis- nationalists.

Before Hitler Soviets had few attempts of lighting up the communist revolutions in Europe the Hamburg Uprising in 1923 and the communist coup attempt in Estonia 1924. Now Stalin changed the state ideology from Soviet internationalism to the Soviet Nationalism or Patriotism as it was called. The Soviet Union was now called Motherland and the last Comintern congress in 1935 now forbid to scare the world about the worldwide socialist revolution and called to make peoples front in the fight against the fascism.

After 1933 the main goal to reach the worldwide socialist revolution trough military power of the Red Army.

The idea of exporting the worldwide socialist revolution by arms was abandoned. Instead, Stalin now focused on Socialism in Sole State. That would be achieved by forced collectivization and industrialization. But, that would be achieved only by strengthening the state outer security by building the mighty Soviet army. The very goal for worldwide socialist revolution was not completely abandoned instead it was intended to be achieved by the Soviet military potential. Stalin was convinced that the World War II is imminent so his army should be ready to defend the Soviet Union and take offensive part in the world war when necessary.

By that a complete reorganization of Soviet military forces was underway.  The Great Purges in 1937 was made to get rid of all the military staff that Stalin distrusted and replace them with people that would carry his plan in every single way. The Red Army witnessed great modernization and in 1939 it was already one of the strongest army in the worlds in the means of the equipment and weapons. The military training and discipline however was much more worse.

Stalin not just waited for the world war to begin he took active part to instigate it. Lenin already stated that the main goal for Soviet foreign policy is to use the disagreements of the capitalist states to drive them in to war. Stalin too in 1925 thought that Soviet Union must be the last one to join the conflict to say the conclusive word.

And Stalin put his words to actions in 1938 when he allowed Hitler to occupy Czechoslovakia and allow the Munich Agreement. The goal of Adolf Hitler was to unite all territories inhabited by ethnic Germans under Germany and so his next target was Danzig and Polish corridor. When at first Hitler intended to gain these lands by the means of talks with the Polish government he was turned down and by his disappointment he issued plan for war with Poland. Allies this time choose to support Poland in case of war.

That put Soviet Union in an important role to decide the fate of Poland. Stalin could do nothing and allow Hitler to attack that would brought German troops to Soviet borders and witness the war in the west. Or Stalin had chance to unite with allies against Germany. Poland would be spared as Hitler would not fight two front war and Germany would became isolated between two powers. But that was not according to expansionist plans of the Soviet Union. So Stalin had the third possibility to make agreement with Germany. By that Soviet Union could take important parts in war affairs and and make means for unexpected attack in the same time. So the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was signed in 1939 23 August. Stalin was convinced that the war between the west will be for a long time that will make the German hands tied until Soviet Union have a chance to join the war as the main force and take over the world.

The Comintern was no longer needed for this. Stalin did not bother to inform the leaders of the Comintern about his plans for changes in relations between Soviet Union and Germany. The Comintern was confused and made statements that despite the Molotov – Ribbentrop pact Soviet Union is still able to cooperate with Great Britain and France. The main goal in international communists scene was proclaimed as the fight against fascism.

Stalin was dissatisfied with this Comintern approach. It was also understood by the leader of Comintern Georgi Dimitrov who in 5 September sent a letter to secretary of the communist party Andrey Zdanov where he state that the formulation of the new goals of the communist movement has become extremely difficult within the new international situation. In 7 September 1939 he met Stalin together with Andrey Zdanov and Vyacheslav Molotov. Stalin described the new war as the fight between two groups of the capitalist states. He demanded to turn down for calls for peoples fronts and called the possible destruction of Poland as just disappearance of another capitalist country from the map. Moreover Stalin was convinced that the downfall of Poland must be used to conquer new territories and peoples.

In the end of the conversation Stalin proposed Dimitrov to make short thesis with new goals of the communist movement in the light of the new international situation. These thesis was published in 9 September and they made a complete change in the Comintern tactics. Document stated that the working class must never support war, but must ready to fight against socialdemocrats. The Comintern and its sections had to postpone all the anti-fascist propaganda and the classification of the capitalist states. The word fascism was gone from Comintern propaganda instead the fight was forwarded to France and Great Britain. The Comintern had to support new friendship with Germany.

The Comintern was now used for Stalin’s offensive plans towards the Baltic States and Finland. Comintern made agreement of cooperation with the puppet government of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Finland. The leader of Finnish communists Avro Tuominen declined the offer the lead the government and resisted the orders of the new Comintern. Confusion was high in all Comintern sections and Georgi Dimitrov published a theoretical writing to promote the new policy. It was called “The War and the working class of the capitalist countries” that was completely based on Stalinist view on the world events.

At the end of the 1939, Comintern became unnecessary for Stalin. Stalin was ready to please Hitler by firing the Comintern already in 1941. The German invasion changed this for a short time until Comintern was liquidated in 1943.

The Stalin’s plan of worldwide revolution by joining the World war II with unexpected  attack backfired. In 1940 Germany quickly defeated France and isolated Great Britain. Stalin was able to seize the Baltic States and steal lands from Finland and Romania, but was unable to attack Germany when it was caught up with the allies. But still Stalin planed to attack Germany and was nearly ready for it before 22 June 1941. The victory over Germany in 1945 the  sovietization of the Eastern Europe was still small success to Stalin, comparing to what he wished to achieve in 1939.

Soviet Antisemitism 1945-1991

Antisemitic caricature published in Soviet Satirical magazine “Krokodi” in 1952 during the “Doctors case”.

Undoubtedly Nazi Germany was the biggest enemy of the Jewish people. Organized, systematic attempt of destruction of whole nation should never be forgiven and always must be remembered to prevent from it happening again. But, Jewish oppression continued even after the holocaust.  However, there was another totalitarian regime that for many decades tried to assimilate, hinder and oppress Jewish community. It was Soviet Union who is largely responsible for constant abuse of national rights of all nations that lived in Soviet Union. It was not only Jews; Latvians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Fino-Ungrian peoples also were subjects of Russification  and suppression of the national culture. The constant abuse of national rights and culture have done great damage to Jewish community in former Soviet Union. The result is almost complete extinction of Eastern European Jewish language the Yiddish, the decline of Jewish Ashkenazi  culture and Jewish religious life.  Latvian Jews have also greatly suffered from this Soviet policy. In last 20 years in former Soviet Union there have been Jewish cultural awakening, the revival of old culture and independent historical study of Jewish nation. However, the aging Jewish population is running out of time to pass their legacy to younger population. Why this has happened will be discussed further in this post.

After the World War II there were 12 million Jews in the World. 3, 2 million Jews lived in Europe, 2 million lived in Soviet Union. There were only 225 thousand Jews remaining in Poland, mostly refugees from Soviet Union that returned. Also many Polish Jews were deported to Soviet camps. 700 Jewish officers of the Polish army were murdered in the Katyn massacre. In war affected parts of Europe only 1,6 million Jews had survived.

Therefore Soviet Union was potential place for new cultural center for Eastern European Jewish Diaspora. It could replace the Poland and the Baltic states. The Jews had every rights for it as the 500 thousand of them had fought in the Red Army and were awarded with Orders and Medals. The Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his government decided to use the Jewish factor in his foreign policy. In 1942. the USSR Jewish Anti-Fascist committee was founded. Its leader was Daugavpils born artist Solomon Mikhoels the director of Moscow Jewish Theater. The JAC issued a call to whole world to support the  Soviet Union in fight against the Nazi Germany. On 1943. Mikhoels and his deputy Izick Fefer went to United States and acquired greater support from American society and businessman for more funding for Soviets. Even after the war JAC continued to call for greater friendship between USSR and US. Stalin wanted to use the contacts between Soviet Jews and American Jews to gain support from American financiers for rebuilding of the war-torn economy. A scheme was made to promote the Soviet and other countries Jews emigration to Crimea where the Jewish Autonomous Republic was to be founded. Mikhoels was intended as the chairman of the republics higher council. According to KGB official Pavel Sudoplatov the idea of Crimea Jewish Autonomous republic was made by Soviet foreign minister Molotov and supported by Stalin, who wanted to use this to get 10 billion dollars from the US. The JAC only had to submit the proposal.

However, the Stalin’s scheme to use Jews for his foreign policy failed. It was because Stalin wanted the new state of Israel to be under the Soviet influence. The American support for right-wing Zionists angered him. Therefore the KGB now issued a report that JAC is against the Soviet foreign policy in Middle East and spreads Jewish nationalism. KGB concluded that JAC has fallen to Zionist – nationalist positions and poses danger to Soviet Union. However, Stalin still hoped that he can influence the founding of the Jewish state in Palestine and spared JAC. Mikhoels even received the Stalin’s price.

It soon turned out that Soviet Union cannot influence the Zionist movement. The new State of Israel was founded as western democracy and American ally. Stalin’s gamble had failed. The Kremlin blamed Mikhoels for it. The KGB was alarmed by the JAC proposal for making not Autonomous, but united Jewish republic in Crimea that could secede from USSR according to constitution. KGB ordered the assassination of Mikhoels. He was killed January 1948, by poisonous injection at his summer cottage in Belarus. After that his body driven over by a truck to fake his death reason. KGB arrested all members of JAC and the organization was closed. The repression  campaign was hidden from public as the antisemitism was still officially condemned.

In same time the communist party started campaign against “cosmopolitanism” – the unpatriotic bowing to western ideas, works of art and western lifestyle. From Autumn 1948, Soviet newspapers begun to uncover the “spreaders of cosmopolitanism” placing emphasis on their Jewish names and surnames and disclosing their pseudonyms.  After that these persons were fired from their workplaces. Every Jew who was working intellectual job was fired, Jewish officers and generals were fired, professors, academics, members of writers unions even top communist party members became victims of anti-Jewish action. Even Molotov’s wife P. Zhemchuzina was arrested for having links with Zionists in US, where his brother lived and for her friendship with Israeli Ambassador Golda Meir the future prime minister of Israel.

On July 1952. after long painful interrogation the 15 members of JAC were sentenced to death. Along with them the deputy of Foreign minister Solomon Lozovsky, writer Izik Fefer were shot but academic biologist Liza Stern was deported.

From 1951 to 1952 almost all Jewish artistic collectives across Soviet Union were banned. The theaters, troupes, writers groups and studies were closed. That was the beginning of the decline of the Jewish cultural life and shift in to Russian culture. Jewish songs could only be sung in private apartments or closed restaurants the Jewish language was replaced by Russian.

The Stalinist antisemitism was beginning of the new ideological takeover in Soviet Union. The 19. century Marxist ideas was to be replaced with new imperialistic Russian nationalist government model. Stalin considered Jews as the enemies of this model that had to be dealt with at the very beginning in the time of new changes.

The culmination of the Stalinist Antisemitism was the so called doctors plot. After party veteran and Stalin’s personal friend Andrei Zhdanov died in rehabilitation center, the KGB presented Stalin a fabricated information about the plot by nine Kremlin doctors six of them Jews against him personally and the whole Soviet government. The named leader of the conspirators  was Mikhoels cousin Miron Vovsi (also from Daugavpils) who has secret contacts with Jewish organizations in US. In November 1952, the doctors were arrested. The case was discussed by the politburo and the Soviet main newspaper begun a series of antisemitic publications about the “Jewish, Zionist murderer conspiracy. Jews were fired from medical institutions on February 1953. 37 people were arrested. Jews suffered from insults and verbal attacks in public places, in Jurmala a leaflets were found with slogan “Beat the Yidds!”. Stalin was planing to initiate Jewish pogroms in major Soviet cities that would result of mass deportations of Jews to Siberia and Far East. Barracks for captives were already under construction. According to documents found in early nighties also the Latvian Jews were intended to deported. The culprits of the doctors case was to be hanged in Red Square. All these actions were halted by Stalin’s death in 5. March 1953.

According to some historians and publishers Stalin was killed by his closest aides, who were afraid that they will become the victims of the new purge. Beria, Malenkov and Khrushchev either killed Stalin or did everything to prevent his recovery from stroke that he suffered. There are even wilder theories that Stalin was preparing for new war with Western powers. In all possible scenarios, his successors brought halt to doctors case and all anti-Jewish repressions.

During the Khrushchev era the state antisemitism did not disappear, it was under the guise of anti-Zionism and condemnation of Soviet Jews who wanted to emigrate to Israel.  Soviet Union considered Israel as its enemy and did much to finance its enemies, supply them with weapons. Any support for Israel was considered a national treason, Jews were forced to publicly denounce Israel and support the pro-arab coalition. After the Six Day war in 1967, the campaign against Israel was getting stronger.

The economical pressure by the Western powers made Soviet Union to allow emigration to Israel. The military victories by Israel sparked national awakening of the Soviet Jews. Soviets were against it since many important leading specialists in science and technology were Jews. Soviet attempts to block the emigration sparked resistance as in 1970 a group of Jews some of them from Latvia, tried to hijack a plane in Leningrad to escape to Israel.  They were sentenced to long years in prison.

But, the wave of emigration was unstoppable in 1967. 1416 Jews left Soviet Union, but on 1971 already 13 033, 1972 – 31 681 and in 1973 34 733. After the another Israeli victory in 1973 Yom Kipur war, the emigration quota was downsized, but later again increased. It was decreased again after the Soviet Invasion in Afghanistan 1979.

The growing Jewish resistance sparked even more Soviet Antisemitism.  It was banned to commemorate holocaust or to write about it. Attempts of doing so were met with repressions. Also Moscow became main center of antisemitic publications. Soviet Union mastered the anti-Zionist ideology and exported it to Western world and the Middle East. Most Israeli enemies – Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the terrorist groups received support from Moscow.

The Gorbachev perestroika and glasnost lifted the barriers of Soviet antisemitism. Large waves of Jews left Soviet Union. However, the political reforms also sparked the rise of Russian nationalism, extremism and neo-czarism that was aggressive towards the Jews.

Today’s  Russia is not officially practicing  state antisemitism. Jewish cultural and religious life has returned. Jewish national and cultural organizations are working again. Famous cultural workers, artists and singers no longer hide their Jewish nationality. However, many aspects of the Russian Jewish culture has become long forgotten as the Yiddish language is rarely spoken today. In Latvia and Russia a hard work has been done to educate Jewish history and culture to younger generation.

The remnants of the Soviet antisemitism has not completely disappeared, it’s still down in Russian society and affects the Latvian society also. Russian internet is full of antisemitic sites, and antisemitic books are still published and exported. Russian anti-Zionist ideology has largely influenced the Western antisemitism. Local Latvian antisemites take many of their ideas straight from Russian antisemite propaganda. The reason for this is to hide Russian aggressive foreign policy by blaming the US and Israel in the worlds troubles. Russia is a creative center of the various conspiracy theories headed against the west. Its part of Russian policy of deception that seems to never end no matter of what kind a political order is in Russia.

Great Soviet myths about World War II

Again the 23th August the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact has arrived. From all the latest researches in the last two decades we can say that Soviet- Nazi agreement started the World War II and it was the Soviet Union who took the most responsibility for starting it. It has been discussed in this site before. This article will speak about so-called Soviet mythology the distorted view of history of World War II from the Soviet history books, propaganda movies and literature. Stalin and his henchmen made an enormous effort to re-write the Russian history and after the end of World war II the myth of the Great Patriotic war was created. Every Soviet history textbook declared that Soviet Union only joined WWII in 22. June 1941, was not ready for such war, nor it even wanted the war with Germany. Also the secret protocols of the Molotov – Ribbentrop pact, the occupation of the Baltic states and the Katyn massacre was declared a false accusations or just not mentioned. The Soviet historiography generated a number of myths about the German-Soviet relations, the great defeat of 1941, the bravery and loyalty of Soviet soldiers, the great victories in 1943-1945 and the outstanding talent of the Soviet Generals. Also the defamation campaign against the Baltic States and Ukraine has already begun in the Soviet Era.

Today not much have changed. Russian official historiography still accumulate the many biases of the Soviet propaganda. The official Putin ideology still endorses the myth of the Great Patriotic war and the attempts of questioning it may end with repressions. Book shelves are full of biased “academic” works and Russian movie industry refrains from showing the ugly side of Soviet -German war. In fact these myths are massively used in the war of information against the Baltic states and Ukraine. Now we will list some of the most popular Soviet Myths about the World War II that still correspond today.

The “Great victory” occurred on 9th May not later and not earlier.

It is a widespread view in Russia that German capitulation signed by German chief of staff Alfred Jodl together with Allied commander-in-chief Dwight Eisenhower in Reims on 7th May was a separate and unfinished act of surrender and the real complete capitulation took place on 9th May in Berlin.

  The first act of capitulation was signed in Reims in the presence of Dwight Eisenhower, general Walter Bedell Smith and Soviet representative of the main Soviet Staff general Ivan Susloparov, also France signed the act. The ceremony of surrender took place in 7th May 2:40 at the Middle European time. General Susloparov sent a request to Moscow for authorization to sign the protocol, however no answer came in time and he signed it with his own risk. The act of capitulation came into action in 8th May 23:01 Middle European time while it was already 9th May at Moscow. Stalin sent an instruction to Susloparov not to sign the agreement, but when found that it was singed anyway, ordered to organize a separate capitulation signing with Germans. Stalin said that the capitulation in Reims must not be recognized, for the importance of this act dictates that it must not happen in the territory of the victors, but in place the fascist aggression came from – Berlin. And the real action was supposed to be signed by the all the main commanders of the allied forces and some top executive of Nazi Germany. The repeated act took place in Berlin suburbs of Karlshorst with the presence of German Feldmarchal Wilhelm Keitel, Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet commander marshal Georgy Zhukov. Since the capitulation text was the same as 7th May signed since it was already approved by the US and UK, the World war really ended on 7th May and it was signed by the Soviet representative albeit not authorized by Stalin. The 9th May capitulation was Stalin’s caprice and later in the era of Brezhnev, the 9th May victory day was introduced as a mass celebration to make big parades and get more medals. 9th May has become a mythical victory festival to Russians the only date they really celebrate.

The World War II really started on 22th June 1941, after the German invasion in the Soviet Union and it was called the Great Patriotic War. All the combat actions that took place before was a separate happening that has nothing to do with the Soviet entry in World War II

The Red Army first opened fire on 17th September 1939, when entered the Eastern Poland. Soviet forces captured all Polish territory that was marked as the Soviet sphere of interest in Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It was a use of force and therefore the Soviet Union entered World War II as a German ally since they held a friendly joint parade at Brestlitovsk. Soviet invasion was the finishing blow to Poland and helped Germans to win the invasion more quickly. Even if the Winter war in Finland could be taken as the separate war, it also was a part of a Soviet campaign to acquire all territories in the Soviet sphere of interest and at this time the Soviet Union was the German ally and British were considering to send an armed support for Finland. Also the occupation of the Baltic states and Bessarabia of Rumania was a military action. So again the Great Patriotic war myth was created to hide the unholy alliance with Germany and the actions done before 22. June 1941. The Napoleon invasion of Russia in 1812 is also called  Patriotic War, but it was also a part of Napoleonic war same as the Eastern campaign in 1941 was the part of World War II that the Soviet Union already begun in 1939.

The Finland was to blame for the Winter war

The Soviet Union for a long time blamed the Finns for shelling the Mainila village at Karelia that resulted the Soviet counter attack. In reality Finland was in the Soviet Sphere of interest and after the talks of signing mutual cooperation pact with Finland went nowhere, Stalin gave directives to the Leningrad military district and the Baltic fleet to prepare for the invasion. In 23. November Soviet army received a note that “we are not coming as conquerors, but as the liberators of the Finns!”. Stalin gave an oral order to attack. The shelling at Manila was done by Soviet NKVD (secret police) at 26. November. Soviets took the blame on the Finns and declared that four people was killed and eight was wounded. In reality no military causalities or even gun shots were not recorded in Soviet documents. Finns recorded that the shelling came from the Soviet side at their own territory.

The Baltic States were incorporated and annexed by their own will and consent so as the Bessarabia and Eastern Poland.

This myth is still official in Russia. The mutual agreements with the Baltic states in 1939, was given by the Soviets in ultimatum form and Baltic diplomats were warned of grave consequences  if they refuse to sign it. Soviets gathered large forces at the Baltic borders that Baltic armies could not counter with. The Finland did not sign and it resulted invasion. The Baltic States had no other chance but allow the buildup of Soviet garrisons or to face war of destruction. The Soviets were considering large amount of deportations in case of invasion.  When at the Summer 1940, when Hitler defeated France, Stalin decided to completely solve “the Baltic problem”. As there were already garrisons at the Baltic States and the ultimatum to allow full entry of the Soviet forces in their lands gave no other option it was not really on the consent of the Baltic leaders. And the annexation process was not really supported by a majority of Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians, as no official plebiscite on joining Soviet Union was not held, and the new communist governments were elected in unfair elections with the result drawn out in Moscow before they even started. Same goes for occupied Eastern Poland were annexation took place without the consent of the local populace and the Bessarabia was given away by Rumania after threats of complete Soviet invasion. Also Germany advised Romanians to give up Besserabia  because Germans needed their oil reserves that they did not want to give to the Soviets.

Stalin was afraid of Hitler

The popular myth of Stalin’s fear of Nazi Germany and that he has done everything to preserve peace until the last-minute does not correspond to reality. Stalin did everything to make Germans sign agreement in 1939. When the British were considering sending a military support to Finland, the Soviet navy received directly that their main enemies are not British but Germany and Italy. The war with Finland was stopped because Stalin wanted to move all important forces to the Western borders before Hitler strikes in France. At the 7th May 1940, when German campaign in western front was underway Stalin apparently said: “We will not fight with America, we will fight with Germany and the Americans and British will be on our side!”. He already stated in 1939. 19 August that the Soviets would enter the war when the Germans will get stuck in the western front. Apparently he was waiting for his strike against Germany since the German eastern borders were poorly defended. Even when Germans held outstanding victory over France, Stalin did not lose courage and ordered to prepare more forces to attack. His demands to Germany were aggressive that would violate the security of Germany and its allies. He left no doubts that he wanted Eastern Europe for himself even the Rumania with its oil reserves the only source for Germany. So it was Hitler who was more afraid of Stalin than Stalin from Hitler. There is much evidence that Soviets were ready to attack on Germany some days after the German attack date.

The Soviet Union won the war thanks to the courage of the Soviet people and the wisdom of the Soviet command. The allied help was not that important

In the first weeks of the German invasion, the Germans captured large areas and went to far distances. It was partly blamed on Red Army attack stance not defensive, but also the lack of morale, loyalty and courage was to blame. In fact in the first phases of the war Red Army took a chaotic panicked retreat all the way to Smolensk and Leningrad. The airplanes, tanks and guns were just abandoned to Germans. Divisions located many hundred miles from the front retreated. It was only the Stalins order of “no step back” and shooting the men from behind that stopped the complete collapse of the Red Army. Reason? There was a lack of discipline in the Soviet ranks, lack of professionalism and no big support to Stalin. Especially in Western Ukraine, where after the Stalinist repressions and the Great Famine was a heavy sense of Ukrainian nationalism. Same goes for Baltic states were Red Army had no support from the local populace.

Only when Eastern Front stopped near Moscow, and Soviets gathered enough forces with draconian efforts, Red Army was ready to fight again. Plus the Germans failed to fill out the hopes of the Ukrainians and Baltic people and did many atrocities that moved Russians against the Germans. So it was a fear that helped the Soviets to fight not bravery. And the incompetence of the Soviet command that emphasized on brutal majority not tactics cost thousands of life’s.  The only German advantage over Soviets were their discipline and professionalism of their commanders. However both of the leaders of the Germany and Soviet Union were more or less  bloody military amateurs.

UK and US send 50, 1 billion dollar military support to the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union sent 2,2 billion dollars in return. Allied fleets lost a large amount of ships and sailors on their way to Soviet ports as they were hunted by German submarines. Even if the Soviets counted that only 4% of the allied Land lease was part of their economical surplus, 57% of the plane fuel came from allies, Soviets received more automobiles than they could build. A large part of railway track came from allies. Also the large amount of materials for military industry. True that Soviets almost did not use any of the allied supplied tank or airplane. But their weapons were built with allied resources. In military field the allied war in West did help Soviets to defeat the Germans. On 1943, when the Germans attacked Kursk, the allied landing in Sicily caused Hitler to cancel the attack on the eastern front. If the D-Day would fail or never occurred Germans would have enough resources to fight against Soviets all the way to 1946.

The Red Army veterans are heroes and all the accusations of atrocities are false or the victims deserved it. The local population in the liberated countries who did not greet the liberators are Nazi supporters and scoundrels

At 12th Januar 1945 General Ivan Chernjachovsky commander of the third Belorussian front gave the following order: “Two thousand miles we have walked past to see the destruction of all that was dear to us. Now we are standing at the lands from where the aggressors attacked on us.  We will not stop until we will clear it. There will be no mercy for no one as there was no mercy for us. You cannot demand to the Soviet Soldier that he will be merciful to the enemy. He is burning in flames of revenge and hate. The land of Fascists must become a wasteland as ours is now. Fascists must die just as our soldiers died!”. And the Soviet soldiers did their best to fulfill this order. Only the Fascists they killed and raped were not soldiers and members of the Nazi party but women and children. Eastern Prussia, Silesia, Poland and even Serbia became a subject of rape, killings and looting.  Even if there was a German crimes against Soviet population, it was on a smaller scale, plus the German soldiers and SS members were prohibited to rape because of the racial laws. The Holocaust in Soviet Union is a different story and it’s doubtful that Soviet Soldiers rape and killed to avenge the Jews. Antisemitism was no lesser in Soviet ranks than in German.

Many of today’s   last generation of the surviving veterans had little or no combat experience. The real heroes died on first lines of the battlefield in Soviet mass attacks. Their medal count does not manifest their bravery since the awarding of low rank medals, orders and badges are the part of the Soviet War cult. And the Soviet officers and generals who did nothing to stop the soviet soldiers from doing bad deeds are not worthy to be called heroes.
We cannot call Poles, who knew what happened in 1939, Latvians who knew what happened in 1940 and others who resisted Soviet “liberation” fascists since the freedom that the Soviets brought was no better. Soviet Union had no plans for freedom of the Eastern Europe so it’s no wonder that today the Soviet liberation is not much appreciated.

This is only a short list of the Soviet myths. Its requires books to break them apart. Many of them have been broken by Russians themselves. But Putin’s Russia continues its revisionist policy from Yeltsin democracy  to Stalinism.  So the Great Patriotic war is not only the myth its a religion a belief system on its own and its god is Stalin that still rules Russia.

Soviet Mass Deportations of June 14 1941

The arrested people were loaded into cattle trains and taken to camps in Siberia

The June 14 was one of the darkest nights of the Latvian nation. Thousands of people were taken from their homes and loaded on freight trains and taken to Siberia. Whole families, women, children and old people were sent to death camps in Siberia. This terrific crime was done by the Soviet occupation regime, ordered by high authorities in Moscow.

In  August 23 1939  Soviet Union and Germany signed non aggression agreement the Molotov- Ribbentrop pact. Latvia was included in the Soviet sphere of interest. On  June 17 1940 Latvia was occupied by Soviet forces. As the Karlis Ulmanis government was removed new illegitimate elections were held in June 21 1940 with only one party list “electing”fake parliament which made resolution to join the Soviet Union. The resolution was drawn up in Moscow already before. Latvia became part of the Soviet Union in August 5  and on 25 August all people in Latvia became citizens of the Soviet Union. The Ministry of Foreign affairs was closed isolating Latvia from the rest of the world.

Occupation was locally administered by a Latvian Communist Party that became part of the main All Union Communist (Bolshevik) Party. From the first days of occupation it loyally carried out all orders from Moscow. The main task was the liquidation of the “bourgeois” state apparatus and establishment of the Soviet state apparatus everywhere. In economical field the task was the elimination the private property.

 From the first days of occupation the campaign against the enemies of the regime begun. The puppet government lead by Augusts Kirhensteins called to wipe out all reactionary and nationalist elements from the state apparatus by all means.

 So the first arrests of  the “people’s enemies” and “alien class enemies” begun. The first victims were members of the Latvian Army and National Guards (Aizsargi). The number of arrests rose from 20 in June 1940 to 300 in August 1941. On August 30 the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Peoples Commiserate of Interior was established lead by Alfons Noviks. The NKVD officers appointed from Moscow such as Semyon Shustin became the main organizers of repressions. An underground prison was made at Riga Brivibas Street Nr. 37/39 that became the place of torture and death for political prisoners of Latvia.

 Local repressive authorities gathered lists of “people’s enemies” in all Soviet western republics. First deportations already were carried out in the occupied area of Eastern Poland. Polish nationals were first to be sent to Siberia. The decision of mass deportations was made on May 14 1941, by Moscow authorities. The draft order stated that in the Baltic states there is a considerable amount of former members of counter-revolutionary nationalist parties, former policemen, gendarmes, landlords, civil servants of the former government who carry out destructive anti-Soviet activities. Local Interior commissariats were allowed to arrest these people, confiscate their property and deport them to concentration camps for five to eight years. After passing the sentence they will be settled in remote areas of the Soviet Union.   On  May 19 1941  an instruction was sent out to local authorities about how to carry out the deportations. To make the list of the deported people LSSR PCSS central authorities, departments of districts, cities and towns as well as the staff of the Baltic Special Military district prepared the files of the persons to be arrested and deported. The main persons involved in this were Semyon Shustin, Janis Cinis and A. Brezgins.

Shortly before the deportation in  June 14 1941, the Peoples Commissariat established operational groups who preformed arrests, search and seizure of the property. Whole families were arrested and taken to train stations where trains made to transport the cattle awaited them. The arrests took place in all parts in Latvia including rural areas.

The main deportation routes and locations of the camps

  According to research made by Latvian State Archive in 2001, 15, 424 people were deported of them 5, 259 were arrested in 14, June actions in Latvia. Of nationalities 11 418 Latvians, 1771 Jews, 742 Russians, 36 Germans and other nationalities 247 were deported. Of professions 616 merchants, 306 policemen, 29 prison guards, 166 army officers, 7 deputies, 6 diplomats, 31 judges 71 teachers, 24 doctors, 7 clergyman, 15 students, 39 foresters, 1345 peasants, 44 chiefs of pagasts (small rural areas) 13 secretaries of pagasts. The breakdown by nationality and profession of the reported peoples are not completely  accurate  since not all archive files contain such information.

The deported people ended in the Soviet prison camp system also called Gulag. Latvians were sent to Yuhnov, Vyatka, Norilsk, North Uralian labor camp Sevurrallag, Usolye, and to Astrakhan prison. The working and living conditions in the camps were extremely hard. Often there were no light or heating, no possibility to wash themselves or wash and dry clothes in the barracks. People were forced to work to complete exhaustion often 16 hours a day without any proper tools, just hands only. Because of the lack of proper clothes in the bitter cold and extremely small food portions 3 400 prisoners died at their places of imprisonment. Because of that Soviet prison camp could also be called death camps. Unlike the Nazi camps where people were killed systematically, the Soviet camps took their prisoners to slow painful death by imposing hard work and life conditions. Mostly the male prisoners died, families lost their fathers. A large number of children spent their childhoods in Siberia.

On 1948 those who served their sentence in the camps were sent to settlement “forever”. They had no passport, just identity card. The places of settlement were Abana, Achinsk, Bogotol, Boguchani, Dzerzhinsk, Irbeisk, Kansk, Kozulka, Partizansk, Taseyo and other districts in Krasnoyarsk area, also in Novosibirsk, Kazakhstan and Igarka and Dudina in Siberian far north. The living conditions in the settlement were hard as there was no support, the houses and dugouts were not fit for living especially in the winters. Many people again died there.

After the death of Joesph Stalin, the  “thaw” of Nikita Khrushchev allowed the release of the deported persons. Many were rehabilitated and were allowed to move back to Latvia. Many people stayed in Siberia, where they married locals and lived in towns and rural areas. Today there is still few hundreds of deportees and their children and grandchildren living in Siberia.

  Although Latvians were not deported by ethnic means as may Jews and Russians also were deported, it was a heavy blow to the nation as a whole since the those the ones deported were elite members, intellectuals and members of the middle class. The action was done to destroy nationalistic and democratic people within Latvians to cease any possible resistance. They are some speculation that there was another deportation planned shortly after the first but was interrupted by the German invasion in June 22. The deportations of the June 14 sparked a large will of resistance within Latvian people that was shown in the first days of the German invasion.

The memorial site at Tornukalns Train Station Riga where the deportation took place

Selected Sources:

Pelkauss, Elmārs (Ed.) (2007) Aizvestie : 1941. gada 14. jūnijs.Rīga : Latvijas Valsts arhīvs : Nordik.

Starptautiska konference “1941. gada 14. jūnija deportācija – noziegums pret cilvēci”. 1941. gada 14. jūnija deportācija – noziegums pret cilvēci : starptautiskās konferences materiāli, 2001. gada 12.-13. jūnijs, Rīga = Deportation of 14 June 1941: crime against humanity : materials of an International Conference 12-13 June. (2001). Riga. Latvijas vēstures institūts.