MY LATVIA

Heat. Heat. [Music] My name is Albert. I am Latrian. I was responsible for all photography for the free Latan government. The film you are about to see is a true record. If the communist had caught me with it, I would have been shot. This is this story of what happened to my country Latvia in one year, one terrible year when Latia was invaded and occupied by the Soviets. These scenes you will see are part of history. They are pass. But I ask you to look at them and think what happened to Latia has happened to other nations. Don't let it happen to Europ. Latvia is an ancient nation like Estonia and Lithuania are neighbors on the Baltic Sea which borders us on the north. On the south is Poland. On the west is Germany. and on the east is Russia. We Latians have our own traditions, our own language, our own culture. Since the early 19th century, we have fought many battles for our independence. Our short history as a free nation shows that we have asked nothing of the world but peace and the freedom to enjoy it. In 1918, Latvia won its independence. At this ceremony in Ria in 1920, our first president, Choxa, is decorating some of the men who distinguished themselves in the final struggle through which we won our independence from the Russians. Our national heroes were the men who helped to make us free. In honoring them, as we are doing here in 1921, the entire Latvian people were voicing our determination to preserve and make the most of the freedom we had won after so long. [Music] Something else happened in 1921. These are starving Russian peasants who fled across the borders into Latvia. They were among the world's first refugees from the Bolevik regime. This is 1926, a great song festival in which our entire nation participated. [Music] On the right you see President Rand of Finland who was Latvia's guest. [Music] God Bless Latvia is our national anthem. It was the closing song at this festival of a free people. In 1939, our beloved poet Verza wrote the fateful summer, which prophesied the shape of things to come for the people of Latafia and the other Baltic countries. The summer, he said, will never again be the same as it was. The Soviet Union had demanded that we enter into a mutual assistance pact with her. It was said that communist might would protect the nations on the Baltic, but we knew that the treaty would be used as a pretext for other things. In October 1939, the borders of Latvia and Estonia were forced open. The Baltic nations were to be hosts to thousands of communist troops. In Latia, they demanded these bases these in Estonia and still others in Lithuania. On June 15th, 1940, the town of Muslinki was sacked. The Soviets claimed that we had attacked first. They told the world that a nation of 186 million people had to be protected from 6 million ba. On June 16th, we received an ultimatum. submit to total occupation or be attacked. This meant the end of independence. June 17th, 1940, they moved in to complete the occupation of all three Baltic countries. This was in direct violation of four treaties between Latapia and the Soviet Union. A peace treaty signed in 1920, a treaty of peace and friendship 1921, a non-aggression pact 1932, and the mutual assistance pact of October 1939. This pact guaranteed no interference in Latvian civil affairs. Against this armed strength, there was no possibility of resistance. On the same day, Andre Vashinsky came to Ria to initiate the new order. He appointed a puppet government with Agugust Kirinstains as prime minister. Communists replaced every loyal Latian in the cabinet. On June 21st, the jails were opened supposedly for political prisoners. The men who were released were given uniforms and weapons. They became a new police force. On that day, the new government decreed a Thanksgiving demonstration and the people were ordered into the streets to participate. Special Soviet envoy Vashinsky reviewed the parade from the Soviet embassy. He promised that Latvian independence would be respected. These are Russians who have been sent in as civilian technicians with the troops. The banners and signs had been prepared by fifth columnists. These banners demanded that the Kirkinstein's government seek admittance into the Soviet Union. Johannes, second secretary of the Communist Party, formally presented the demands to the Latvian Parliament. Members of the parliament had also been appointed by Bashinsky. There were no opposing votes. The proceedings were watched carefully by members of the NKVD. On the same day in Estonia, an identical proposal was made before a new Estonian parliament with Soviet troops supporting the communist appointed government. Their presence in the chamber was in direct violation of the Estonian constitution. On August 3rd, Kirinsteain left Ria with a delegation to the Supreme Soviet. As the head of the new Latvian government, he was to petition for the acceptance of Latvia as a Soviet state. He was received in Moscow with all the honors befitting his mission. Similar delegations from Estonia and Lithuania would receive the same honors. This is the inside of a Kremlin. It has been very rarely photographed. The welcome for the Latvian delegation included applause from Stalin himself. [Applause] The Latian delegation led by Kirkinsteins as prime minister was made up of communists. They were surrendering the Latian flag for the right to fly the hammer and sickle. The audience was made up of representatives of the other states in the Union of Soviet Socialist [Music] Republics. Hunames read his speech badly in Latvian. It had been written in Moscow and he had not had a chance to study it. His audience did not understand it. They applauded Anu with machine-like precision when they heard the names of Soviet leaders. Other Soviet leaders besides Stalin were Kushchovinkov and on August 5th 1940, Latia joined the Soviet Union. Estonia was next. Joining in the applause were Molotov, Nikoan, and Gaganovich. An enthusiastic demonstration speeded Kirkinsteins on his way home. There is little doubt that what had taken place was a triumph of communist planning. For Kirkinstein's welcome back to Latvia, Soviet troops with the guard of honor. A red flag was flying over Latvia. It would also replace the flag of Estonia. Under the new regime, national holidays were declared at frequent intervals, sometimes as often as once a week. On these occasions, stores, factories, and offices were closed, and the people were ordered into the streets for mass demonstrations. The theme was the promise of the future, the dawning of a new era of peace and prosperity. After a while, there were two holidays a week. Latvia as a free nation had ceased to exist. We had been independent for exactly 22 years, 5 months, and 27 days. Our new constitution was sent from Moscow. Kirinstein supported the Latians to administer the new government. Janisnes, 11 sentences for felonies, released from prison June 21st, became inspector of police. Janis Buchinskis, professional thief serving 3 years and 6 months, chief of the Red Guard. Aban Zipe, housebreaker serving a 4-year sentence, became officer in charge of housing. Zip Gutmanis, a felon serving 3 years and 6 months, appointed prefix of the second police district. Agustom, burglar serving 6 years. He was appointed chief of police of Dgo fields. Matis Botenicus, thief serving 2 years and 1 month, was appointed chief of police of Liapaya. The new government appointed by the communists would govern according to directives from Moscow. Those directives bore little resemblance to the [Music] constitution. The communist propaganda machinery went into action immediately, reaching into every aspect of our lives, telling us that we were still free and showing us the benefits of citizenship in the Soviet Union. It was obvious that a machinery had been set up and ready for a long time. Latvian movies made in Moscow replaced our own. There were a great many of them and it must have taken months to prepare them. Radio Ria was taken over. The only news broadcasts we could receive came from Moscow in Latvian. Every newspaper in the Baltic countries had its name changed. All stories adhered strictly to the party line. Other sources of information were cut off. Our only Latian newspapers were put out either by Russians or by Latian communists. New books suddenly appeared in tremendous quantities and were followed by new poems and articles supposedly written by well-known Latian writers. New plays appeared too, like this one presented for our children. The character with a long nose symbolizes the spirit of childhood. He is being given a map of the world. The red scarf is supposed to be a magic key that will give him control over the entire world. The play to its juvenile audience was quite believable. [Music] This is a news story denying a rumor about nationalization and promising that the rights of private property will be respected. This one less than a week later announcers nationalization for the biggest banks and industries. What actually happened was that everything was nationalized. All assets other than purely personal belongings were declared to be the property of the state. And with the help of Moscow trained supervisors, everything was inventoried down to the last nut and bolt. Business was at a standstill until the inventory was complete. Personal bank accounts were confiscated. This woman was a domestic. During her entire lifetime, she had saved 4,000 lots. Under the new law, she was permitted to keep only 1,000. Workers were ordered to voluntarily lend one month's pay to the state. In every factory, time was set aside for the signing of pledges. Land reforms were promised and carried out. Big farms were broken up for distribution among the peasants. Each family received 10 hectares, which was not enough to live on. In order to exist, they would have to join collective farms. The papers they received were not deeds of legal ownership. Herds were divided too, but the animals still belonged to the state. Technicians and farm equipment were provided by the communists. But as soon as the crops were ripe, everything the communists could lay their hands on was shipped to Russia. The new constitution guaranteed freedom from unreasonable arrest. But on one day, June 14th, 1941, 14,000 men, women, and children were shipped to slave labor camps in Siberia. One of the first victims was Catalusman, leader of the fight for independence and last president of Free Latvia. These death sentences were found in the pockets of corpses buried in unmarked graves. We found the graves after the communists left our country. This was the NKVD headquarters in Ria, vacated when the Nazis came in on July 1st, 1941. The cells in the basement were empty. The NKVD had left no prisoners. The next room was a torture chamber. Its walls were lined with rubber, and it had its own drainage system. [Music] On this list are the names of 78 people. They were arrested by the NKBD on various pretexts. At the end of the list is the notation, "Not politically reliable. Shoot them to [Music] death." We found their bodies and many others in a mass grave in the courtyard of the Ria City Jail. These murdered leaps were of many different ages and from all walks of life. There were government leaders and manual laborers. Some of them had been communist fifth columnists. I was there when many of the bodies were dug up. I helped to identify them. This was Colonel Lukans, aid to President Ulman. This was Pastor Uzu Lynch of Ria Lutheran Church. This was Chuiba, head of Latvia's high schools. This was one of the fifth colonists. I can't remember his name. This was Colonel Straer of the Latvian Army. This was France Cavic, a university student. I couldn't remember this one. Burials like this went on for months after the communists left as we found new mass graves in various parts of the country. We knew that there were others that we did not find. Altogether, almost 15,000 bodies were recovered and reeried. [Music] I was there on July 6th, 1941 when this mass funeral took place in Forest Cemetery outside Ria. I was at the sight of the grave among the mortars as they listened to the words of Archbishop Greenbergs. These were my [Music] people. This happened 14 years ago, but the memory is still fresh in our minds. Today my Latvia is still occupied. After the brutal Nazi occupation, the communists returned. Those men, Vashinski, Kuschov, Malenov, Molotov, Mikoyan, Gaganovich, and others are still in control. We know that nothing will be different. We cannot forget the 50,000 of our countrymen who were killed by the communists. You have seen what they did in my country. Don't let this happen to yours.