Occupation

The Museum of the Occupation of Lativia, 1940 -1991 presents some dispering material. Hitler rolled in and deported the Jews, then Stalin came in after and tried to report the rest of the Latvians. It really was the definition of out of the frying pan into the fire. Thousands were sent to Serbia, most never made it back. They died in concentration camps throughout Europe and Asia. Experimented on by the KGB. Stalin really was an awful thug, 27 million killed on his watch. That sort of scale is hellishly impressive. Unforgivable. Under Stalin, in Latvia, Death had obtained a quality that wasn't finality as if found at the end of life, but it became elemental as common and as certain as Earth, Wind and Fire. 


Of course, we knew he was bad. The Allies, even thought about going on the attack the moment peace was declared; naming it Operation Unthinkable. We didn't, if was unthinkable, but might have worth it.

I was in Riga for VE day. 65 years peace in Europe. Good news. There were celerbations over Russia and Europe, lest we forget. We'll never forget. The sacrifice made by the USSR to defeat Hitler is tremendous, 19,000 citizens died everyday through the conflict The bloodiest battles of the were fought on the Eastern front, I was heading to Stalingrad, the bloodiest siege in Human history. Unimaginable violence on the Stepes of Europe. Russia has always thrown labour at problems, it mashed the Germans into the ground, with the weight of bodies. The Germans, were better led, better equipped, better trained, but they couldn't replace dead men. That's no way to fight a war, grinding another country to attrition Latvia really had it tough, losing one despot for another. 

Outside the museum they have a exhibition to Latvian independence. For us Brits, in which democracy was won so long ago, its rather nice to see such freshness in governance. Its already turned to cynicism in Latvia, with 26% unemployment, endemic corruption, but not Bitterness like in England. Politics never sleeps.

Outside the museam they have translated phrases that were written about independence in 1991. Something must have been lost.

"Why is everyone so elated?  What are they so happy about? Does this not mean that human fulfilment requires something differant other than that which we chase in the grey exhaustion of our everyday routine? What was our treasure then? What was our prosperity? Wasn't it our Spirituality?

The meaning an enigma, I was heading to Russia, and that was a greater mystery.