After the formation of independent Russian and Polish communities, ethnic conflicts in the Baltic countries have moved from a latent into the open manifestation. The most pressing of these conflicts were the following.
In 2003–2004, in Latvia there was a movement of protest against the forcible transfer of Russian schools in Latvian. Spontaneously formed Defense Headquarters of Russian schools gathered activists who organized meetings and demonstrations, gathered the tens of thousands of students and their parents. Parents held meetings, signed petitions, and staged a multi-day hunger strike. So-called “reform of Russian schools” was managed to stop. However, the authorities deported Russian leader of the resistance movement A.Kazakov and subjected to criminal and administrative prosecution of other activists of the Staff of protection of Russian schools. In 2011–2012, in response to a referendum of Latvian national radicals with a proposal to prohibit public school instruction in their native Russian language, society, it was initiated by organization’ ”Mother Tongue” a referendum for granting the Russian language in Latvia status of second state. For this initiative in a referendum voted absolutely all Russian population of legal capacity.
In 2012–2013, the Russian activists initiated and conducted the election of deputies to the Parliament of unrepresented. The Parliament claims to be the central institution of representation in government as 300,000 non-citizens of Latvia and the whole Russian population.
In Estonia in 2008–2009, the activists of the society “Night Patrol” organized mass protests of the Russian population against humiliating actions of the authorities in respect of their shrines – a monument to the Liberator Soldier in Tallinn. The protests were brutally suppressed by the police, and activists were prosecuted, some of them are forced to leave the country.
In 2012, the Estonian Russian society created “Russian School”, which defends the right of children to learn Russian in high school in their native language. For the protection of the right to the preservation of national identity Estonian authorities were again used against activist’s society tools of intimidation and prosecution.
In 2008–2009 in Lithuania Association of Teachers of Russian schools held a protest against the forced transfer of Russian schools in the Lithuanian language teaching. Including the mass hunger strike was organized by the teachers.
In 2012–2013, the Polish community in Lithuania organized protests against the deprivation of the rights of national minorities to learn their mother tongue. These meetings were supported by members of the local Russian community.
For two decades in power, the bureaucratic elite the titular established in the Baltic republics classic ethnocratic regimes. These regimes are characterized by three main features. First, they are irremovable dominate the titular power elite. Second, the titular population formally controls his elites through the standard democratic procedures, and non-titular population is deprived of such opportunities. Thirdly, the ruling elite controls the titular society through provoking ethnic conflicts and thus away from the real political control by the masses of the titular population.
When the masses of the titular population tired of the empty promises of the National Liberal politicians, the last one closed and opens another party, spend the next parliamentary and municipal elections, but retaining all of the same set of people in power. Essentially there is a realized dream of the former national communist nomenclature: it irremovably in power and retains the integrity of their social status and income.
In the framework of the Baltic ethnocratic systems develop political parties claiming to express the interests of that part of the non-titular population, which has a right of citizenship. This is the party of “Harmony Centre” in Latvia and the Centre Party in Estonia. However, they are mostly only simulating the activity in solution Russian question. More active Latvian party “ForHRUL” (For Human Rights in a United Latvia), Russian Party of Estonia and the Russian Party of Lithuania, unable to cope with the tasks, lost the support of Russian communities. Polish election initiative more effectively protect the interests of Poles in Lithuania and enjoys continued support of the Polish and Russian voters. Almost all of the parties are constantly in the opposition and did not significantly affect the nature of the Baltic ethnocratic regimes.
The constant emphasis by the ruling National Liberal Party of the public attention on the problems of ethnic issues allows them to avoid responsibility for the poor implementation of the socio-economic functions. Not accidentally during the economic crisis of 2008–2012 the decline in production and the level of unemployment in the Baltic States were the most significant in Europe. The severity of the crisis lay down solely on the shoulders of ordinary working people. But there were no protests by ordinary Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians were not. The ruling titular elite intimidated its workers so that their grievances can take advantage of foreigners, and it would undermine the foundation of nation-states.
Along with the large Russian and Polish communities in the Baltic States there is small Jewish community. Large indigenous Jewish population was killed during the war by local and German Nazis. By 1991, as part of the Jewish population of Latvia is dominated by immigrants from other Soviet republics. After the establishment of ethnocratic regimes the bulk of the Jews emigrated from the Baltic countries, fearing that once again might be persecuted. At present, the proportion of Jews is not more than one tenth of one percent of the total population of each of the Baltic countries. Most of the Jews living in the Russian cultural and linguistic basis and only partially support its national identity while participating in some religious and secular activities of their own community. Jews were subjected to mass ethnic restrictions, as members of the Russian community. However, there are specific ways of discrimination against Jews. Thus, in all the Baltic countries openly anti-Semitism is flourishing. It exists in the statements of the radical nationalist politicians and media publications. Jewish cemeteries are desecrated. There have been numerous attempts to blow up a synagogue. Jewish communities have not returned their pre-war property in full.
Ethnic Jews are active in human rights activities within the Russian community, and this activity is supported by the members of this community.
Titular peoples of the Baltic States are not ethnically homogeneous. For example, along with Latvians – balts in Latvia independently lives quite a large ethnic group – Latgallians. Balts formed on the basis of Lutheranism, and under the influence of German culture. The basic religion among Latgallians is Roman Catholicism, and dominating factor at their formation was a Polish cultural influence. Latgallians have their own language and, more ancient than among the balts, writing. In this language, published thousands of books, magazines and newspapers. Latgallians have their own writers, artists, historians, musicians and teachers. In Lithuania, along with the Lithuanians, there is a separate ethnic group Zhemaitians. In Estonia, among Estonians is living separate ethnic Setu. Recently, there is an active emigration Setu into Finland, and its numbers in Estonia declined significantly. Ethnic self-identification Latgalians is high enough but the process of forming an independent community they had not yet ended. Processes for the development of identity in Zhemaitians and Setu are going slowly.
In hierarchical systems of power created by the titular Baltic elites Latgallians, Zhemaitians and Setu occupy a lower social status than the actual Latvians – Baltieshi, Lithuanians and Estonians, but higher than the Russian and Polish. Higher social status they provide citizenship and a good knowledge of the language of the titular nation. However Latgallians, Zhemaitians and Setu are not able to send their children to schools in their native language and to familiarize them with the basics of the history and culture of the people. In the languages of these peoples are not published magazines and newspapers; they do not have the ability to create their own radio and television programs at the state’s expense. In respect of Setu and Zhemaitians this can be explained to their low number. For Latgalians case is a fundamental unwillingness Latvians to give them the opportunity to develop their national identity. In the political elite Latgalians can enter only if they completely abandon their distinct ethnic identity.
In general, we can say that the Latvian-Latgal, Lithuanian-Zhemaitian and Estonian-Setu conflicts are of secretive nature. For Russian and Polish considered small ethnic groups occupy the position of titular elites, though not as aggressive.
On the situation of ethnic conflict in the Baltic States