Radicalizing memories in times of war: how Latvian parties narrated the Soviet monuments’ question after the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Adriano Ricci

Journal of Baltic Studies, 2025, vol. 56, issue 3, 463-483

Abstract: This article provides an insight about the evolution of Latvian parties’ public debate on the existence and symbolic relevance of Latvia’s Soviet monuments after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A qualitative analysis was conducted of Latvian parties’ Facebook posts published between 24 February 2022 and 15 November 2022. These were characterized by an overall radicalization of ethno-linguistic party-specific narratives, based on the criminalization of Soviet monuments and ostracization of Russian-speaking minorities by both government and opposition Latvian-speaking formations, and the delegitimization of public authorities and governing parties by the main Russian-speaking party. This work represents an attempt to bridge the extensive literature on radicalization and the fields of Baltic memory studies and political sciences by providing an ‘updated’ state of art following the watershed of the invasion.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/01629778.2024.2433950

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