"Stalin Would Turn in his Grave"

DW-WORLD: The Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited the heads of state of all the countries that fought against the Third Reich, to join him on 9th May in marking the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. The presidents of Estonia and Lithuania have declined the offer, but you are planning to go. Yet media reports say you initially described the invitation as an "insult". What made you change your mind?

Vaira Vike-Freiberga: I don't recall having said that. The feeling in all the Baltic states was that it is difficult to celebrate this occasion at all. At the end of the Second World War we were occupied by the Soviet Union and remained under its occupation for 50 years, so in that sense, there is nothing to celebrate. The Russians are celebrating because it was a victory over National Socialism and Hitler. For them it is a day of joy filled with the memory of the heroic acts of the Red Army. I decided to go to Moscow, because I believe that we have to think about the symbolic value of the end of the war, but I also wanted to remind Mr Putin and all the other heads of state that it is unfortunately also a very sad day for Latvia.

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The Latvian people genuinely suffered under the occupation, how did they react to your decision?

I think it was initially perceived as a provocation. They thought that no Latvian should travel to Moscow to celebrate the Red Army's victory over their own country. And that is the reason why the Estonian and Lithuanian presidents ultimately decided to stay at home with their own people. But in Latvia there was a lot of debate and I have massive support from the government, from parliament and from the people. It's a matter of explaining what this chapter in history means to Latvia and to us as Latvians, but it is also a matter of showing Latvia's good will, of making a gesture of friendship to Russia. We want to work together to create a new Europe, in which wars like WWII will never happen again.

One could see your trip as a gesture of reconciliation. Is it not reasonable to expect Russia, on the other hand, to use the occasion as an opportunity to acknowledge its occupation of the Baltic states?

I stressed that point in my letter to President Putin. I think it is very difficult for the president and for the Russian people to accept that it was an occupation. I don't know if it is simply an emotional issue, or whether they are worried that the Latvians will demand compensation. I think they are afraid of that legal possibility.

Is this fear founded?

There are many people who lost a lot, whether it was their fortune or members of their families. Latvia really did lose a lot. But there is currently no-one in our parliament calling for compensation.

Will you be able to speak to Putin on 9th May, and repeat to his face what you wrote in your letter -- that he should acknowledge the occupation?

I wrote the letter, and although I have not yet received an answer from him, I have received many other, very nice letters in which people told me they understand how hard it is for Latvia to remember this date, and that they know that the Latvian people suffered greatly. But they also support my decision to travel to Latvia.

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, you said "Stalin would turn in his grave if he knew I was going to Russia." What did you mean by that?

Stalin wanted to build an empire, he wanted a world revolution. And Stalin and his propaganda always said that it would be a great asset for that empire to absorb the Baltic states into the Soviet Union. So if he knew that the president of an independent Latvia was in Moscow, he would really be very angry.

Turn to the second part to read about the Latvian President's personal recollections of Germany and to find out why the Latvians like modern Germans.

The Latvian people seem to be divided in their relationship to Russia and Germany. On 18th March, there was a procession of Latvian SS veterans paying tribute to their comrades who lost their lives. There were counter-demonstrations and there was even some violence. What did you think when you heard the reports?

The old veterans of the Second World War go to church on this day in remembrance of their comrades who were killed in action, then because so many don't have a grave, they take flowers to the peace memorial. My father's brother was killed somewhere in Belarus and his body was left there. The Wehrmacht violated international law and simply drafted Latvians to fight. This memory has now become politicized. There are many extreme Russian groups, mostly the National Bolshevists, who want to politicize the memory of the old men and say it is a sign that Latvia and the Latvian people are all facists. At the same time there are extreme right-wing groups. The government doesn't acknowledge the extremists from either side, and as president, I made an official statement declaring that we don't want any form of extremism in Latvia. But people cannot be stopped from remembering their comrades in private however they choose.

Russia has often accused Latvia of discriminating against its Russian minority. What do you say to that?

It is important to define the meaning of discrimination. In order to be granted Latvian nationality, people don't have to be able to speak perfect Latvian, but they do have to be able to speak a little. And they have to do an easy test in which they are required to cite two verses of the national anthem and answer a few questions about the constitution. It's very easy, but some people say it amounts to minority repression. But for us, it's totally normal.

Does that mean there is no discrimination?

Of course there is a difference between nationals and non-nationals, but there is the opportunity to become a national. People can choose for themselves if they want to take up that opportunity or not.

How do the Latvians feel about Germany today?

I think the Latvians are quite fond of Germany. It's a country which helped us a lot. Ever since we regained independence in 1991, Germany has been our main economic partner and an example of how a country can rebuild itself to become a rich and successful country following war.

What does the 60th anniversary of the end of the war mean to you personally? You fled to Germany in 1945 and were accommodated in a refugee camp.

I don't have any happy memories of being a refugee child. When we fled, we had to leave everything behind including my house, my grandparents and the family. Then one month after we left, my little sister died. We were all hungry and sick and we witnessed the bombardments in northern Germany before going on to spend several cold and hungry years in the refugee camp. It was a very difficult time for me and many others. Later, we were not able to write to Latvia because of the iron curtain. We didn't know who was there and who wasn't. When I think about that time now, I thank God it is over. I would hate to have to return to those times.

Another important date this year is the first anniversary of Latvia's entry into the EU. What has changed in the past twelve months?

There's been an increase in the rate of economic growth from 7.2 last year to 8.5 percent this year, and investment has risen also. One negative is the inflation rate, but that aside, the mood is very good and we will be celebrating May 1st and May 4th, the 15th anniversary of our new independence.