592:(reinstating the 1920 constitution subject to a transitional period) by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR affirmed that the restored Republic of Latvia would base its relations with the Russian Federation on the treaty principle. In January 1991, the Russian Federation (while still in the USSR) and Latvia signed a document regulating their bilateral relations. The Latvian delegation attempted to include a reference to the 1920 treaty but the Russian delegation objected. In essence, Russia views Latvia as a newly independent country and consistently refuses to acknowledge that Latvia was occupied and illegally incorporated into the USSR, while Latvia insists upon the legal continuity of Latvian state occupied in 1940. Key players in post-war politics in the West never recognised or at least questioned the legality of the incorporation of Latvia into the USSR, but there is pressure on both countries to resolve the issue. This can be seen on the example of their attitude towards events from the beginning of the 20th century in Latvia. Thus, the European Community, for example, did not use the term "recognition" but referred to "the
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38:
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617:. On 29 April 2005, Latvia announced that it would sign an interpretative declaration in conjunction with the proposed border agreement with Russia, noting that the border agreement would in no way affect "the legal rights of the Latvian state and its citizens" under the 1920 treaty. As a consequence, Russia scrapped the border agreement, as it saw this as attempt to prolong debate on Abrene.
549:, based on a request by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR, in violation of even Soviet law (the 1936 constitution then in force required that changes in internal borders be confirmed by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, not the Presidium). Though the official documents transfer 1075.31 square kilometers, 1293.6 square kilometers were actually transferred.
609:
Federation, though. Currently, the
Republic of Latvia compensates those who lost property. The former residents also complain of the difficulty of visiting their family graves, asking that the Latvian and Russian governments facilitate border procedures. Despite Latvia's assurances that it makes no territorial claims, Russian president
572:. Officials from Russia proper replaced local administrators even at the village level, and even some who had fought for the Soviets were mistreated. In these circumstances, large numbers of people left for the Latvian SSR. Today there are substantial communities of former residents and their descendants in
608:
parties) to formally ceding the Abrene region, surveys show that most
Latvians do not believe that the transferred territory will ever again be administered by Latvia. Many in Latvia – especially the former residents of the areas now in Russia – are interested in seeking compensation from the Russian
354:
and borders Latvia. "Abrene region" in current usage very often treats the area joined to Russia as though it had comprised the entire district, which can be misleading since nearly three quarters of the former district are in Latvia, but many treatments of the transfer of the eastern
493:
The inhabitants held
Latvian citizenship regardless of ethnicity. Parliamentary Latvia pursued a liberal policy of multiculturalism, guaranteeing education in minority languages from 1919. Modern schools providing bilingual instruction in Latvian, Russian, Belarusian,
596:
of sovereignty and independence" when restoring diplomatic relations in 1991; the US to "the culmination of the USA’s 52 year refusal to accept the forcible incorporation of the independent Baltic States by the USSR". (See, for example, Roland Rich's paper for the
537:, the return of Soviet forces in 1944, and the illegal mobilization of Latvian citizens by both occupying powers, severe demographic changes took place. The transfer of the eastern part of the district to the
454:"Especially in the north, the Russians had agreed to the Latvians' strategic demands, not complaining about the ethnographic principle having been disregarded. Several civil parishes were completely Russian."
437:
recognized Latvia's independence, in August 1920, the border was not drawn alongside ethnographic lines: once the frontier was negotiated (the border was not finalized until 7 April 1923) large
Russian and
410:, conducting linguistic field research in the area in the late 19th and early 20th century, found that many people, called "Russian Latvians" by the local Russians, still spoke the High Latvian dialect.
462:
and 648 Belarusians. The demographics differed sharply on either side of the Viļaka ridge, which bisects the district – the eastern civil parishes had small ethnic
Latvian minorities: 17% in Kacēnu
769:
717:(edited by D.A. Loeber, V.S. Vardys and L.P.A. Kitehing), originally published by the Institute for the Study of Law, Politics and Society in Socialist States, University of Kiel, 1990.
620:
In
January 2007, the Latvian Parliament agreed to sign the treaty, making no open references to the 1920 treaty. By the end of 2007, the border treaty was ratified by both parties.
510:
resulted in curtailing multiculturalism after 1934. Many minority schools were closed. The Abrene district as a whole differed from most of Latvia by religion, too – it was 48%
604:
The
Latvian Foreign Ministry has reiterated "that Latvia has no territorial claims to the Russian Federation", however, and though there is some opposition (particularly among
589:
762:
727:
Letters and documents on the annexation from Aldis
Bergmanis, Senior Expert at the Centre for Documenting the Consequences of Totalitarianism (SAB TSDC), quoted in
442:
communities were left on the
Latvian side. Strategic concerns also played a part, because of an important railway junction within the Abrene region. The historian
1053:
755:
1048:
699:
443:
367:
The Abrene region was long a point of contact and friction between the Finno-Ugric, Baltic, and Slavic languages, cultures, tribes, and countries. The
728:
710:
584:
The
Latvian constitution stipulates that the borders of the Republic are set by international treaties, and the government considers the 1920
334:, six eastern civil parishes – Purvmalas (Bakovo), Linavas (Linovo), Kacēnu (Kachanovo), Upmalas (Upmala), Gauru (Gavry) and Augšpils (
458:
The population of the entire district in the census of 1935, divided by ethnicity, was as follows: 60,145 Latvians, 45,885 Russians, 1,558
339:
490:. The town of Abrene itself, which developed around the Pytalovo railroad station, had 1,242 inhabitants, 484 of them ethnic Latvians.
629:
1083:
1063:
338:), as well as the town of Abrene (a total area of 1293.6 square kilometers with 35,524 inhabitants) – were annexed to the
556:, accompanied by rampant robbery and destruction, including the demolition of farmsteads and mass mortality among livestock.
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598:
693:
403:
125:
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with an area of 4,292 square kilometers (1,657 sq mi) that was formed in 1925 from the northern part of the
81:
59:
52:
738:
585:
542:
1058:
17:
568:) were deported with their families (2728 persons in early 1949 and 1563 persons in May 1950), primarily to
1068:
402:
east of a slight ridge at Viļaka were gradually russified from the 15–16th centuries, but the philologists
482:. The civil parishes immediately to the west had strong Latvian majorities, ranging from 71% in Šķilbēnu
634:
839:
502:
were constructed (by 1936 there were 162 primary schools and 3 secondary schools in the district). The
247:
613:
claimed that Latvian wishes to get control of the area and that such claims are against the spirit of
327:) comprising the district were reorganized thrice (there were 12 in 1929, 13 in 1935 and 15 in 1940).
854:
844:
834:
829:
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46:
884:
879:
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by citing interbellum demographic statistics for the whole region, rather than by civil parish.
804:
63:
859:
1073:
824:
809:
407:
384:
942:
814:
552:
The transfer was not formally finalized until 1946. The territory was subjected to forcible
874:
869:
849:
747:
711:"Kā Narva, Pečori un Abrene tika iekļauta Krievijas Sociālistiskajā Federatīvajā Republikā"
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526:
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8:
927:
902:
864:
779:
347:
992:
967:
962:
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1027:
681:
576:
and Rīga. The former civil parishes joined to Russia are almost totally delatvianized.
499:
413:
292:
987:
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932:
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name for the town and region, Pytalovo, probably derives from the Finno-Ugric
1042:
997:
982:
434:
351:
331:
375:, "tributary, flood"; the region was part of Tolowa (or Tholowa; Latvian:
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561:
439:
335:
421:
605:
430:
380:
534:
519:
515:
320:
152:
737:
On the deportations and population transfer, see Jānis Riekstiņš,
715:
Regional Identity under Soviet Rule: The Case of the Baltic States
495:
395:
388:
304:
342:
in 1944. That part of the former Abrene district is now part of
783:
694:"Krievijas un Latvijas teritoriālais strīds Abrenes jautājumā."
614:
557:
343:
288:
110:
573:
538:
399:
316:
777:
678:. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 1959.
684:, “The Russian-Latvian Territorial Dispute Over Abrene” in
662:
Krievu ekspansija un rusifikācija Baltijā laikmetu tecējumā
546:
688:(1995, Vol. 2, pp. 537–559). (Available in German in
459:
599:
Symposium on Recent Developments in State Recognition.
323:and 14 villages, and the civil parishes (Latvian:
1040:
676:Soviet Policy Toward the Baltic States 1918–1940
669:Latviešu un lietuviešu austrumu apgabalu likteņi
724:. Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation, 1967.
686:The Parker School Journal of East European Law
564:, and "bandits" (often those accused of being
1054:States and territories disestablished in 1945
763:
650:. Washington, D.C.: Alpha Printing Co., 1965.
315:in 1938. The district included the towns of
99:
425:Border changes of Estonia and Latvia in 1944
417:Abrenes apriņķis on the map of Latvia (1938)
340:Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
734:, 17 January 1994. Retrieved 3. XII. 2005.)
1049:States and territories established in 1924
770:
756:
739:"Kā 'tīrīja' un 'iekārtoja' Abrenes pusi."
138:
387:(from ca. 1180); the area became part of
82:Learn how and when to remove this message
630:Territorial changes of the Baltic states
506:policies of the authoritarian president
433:were driven from what is now Latvia and
420:
412:
45:This article includes a list of general
729:"Jauni fakti par Abrenes pievienošanu."
671:. Chicago: Jāņa Šķirmanta apgāds, 1958.
664:. Chicago: Jāņa Šķirmanta Apgāds, 1966.
657:. Stockholm: Trīs Zvaigznes, 1952–1953.
394:In the 1270s the area became a part of
14:
1041:
744:, 7 June 2004. Retrieved 3. XII. 2005.
648:Balts and Slavs: Their Early Relations
751:
588:to be still in force. The 4 May 1990
383:, which for a period paid tribute to
31:
579:
404:August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein
24:
51:it lacks sufficient corresponding
25:
1095:
541:was decided by a decree from the
266:
252:
227:
124:
36:
543:Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
1084:Disputed territories in Europe
1064:Historical geography of Latvia
385:Mstislav the Brave of Smolensk
13:
1:
640:
379:), a kingdom of the northern
7:
706:. Stockholm: Daugava, 1967.
623:
590:declaration of independence
10:
1100:
722:Latvia: Country and People
704:Latvijas vēsture 1914–1920
448:Latvijas vēsture 1914–1920
362:
248:Pskov Oblast, Russian SFSR
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790:
696:) Retrieved 3. XII. 2005.
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635:Masļenki border incident
1079:Latvia–Russia relations
793:(dissolved before 1949)
531:German invasion in 1941
66:more precise citations.
840:Jaunjelgavas apriņķis
713:is a translation from
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426:
418:
186:• Disestablished
100:
778:Defunct counties and
452:
424:
416:
309:Jaunlatgales apriņķis
692:, and in Latvian as
655:Latvju enciklopēdija
1069:Geography of Russia
928:Daugavpils District
903:Aizkraukle District
885:Ventspils apriņķis
820:Daugavpils apriņķis
720:Jānis Rutkis, ed.:
674:Albert N. Tarulis:
653:Arveds Švābe, ed.:
470:, 32% in Purvmalas
348:Pytalovsky District
311:), but was renamed
176:• Established
1028:Ventspils District
943:Jēkabpils District
880:Valmieras apriņķis
845:Kuldīgas apriņķis
835:Ilūkstes apriņķis
830:Grobiņas apriņķis
805:Aizputes apriņķis
709:Edgars Andersons:
682:Dietrich A. Loeber
486:to 91% in Viļakas
478:, and 4% in Gauru
427:
419:
301:Jaunlatgale County
293:Republic of Latvia
1036:
1035:
1023:Valmiera District
953:Krāslava District
855:Rēzeknes apriņķis
825:Dobeles apriņķis
810:Bauskas apriņķis
800:Abrenes apriņķis
667:Kārlis Stalšāns:
660:Kārlis Stalšāns:
527:Soviet occupation
474:, 5% in Augšpils
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16:(Redirected from
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1059:Abrenes apriņķis
993:Rēzekne District
968:Limbaži District
963:Liepāja District
958:Kuldīga District
948:Jelgava District
938:Gulbene District
908:Alūksne District
896:(dissolved 2009)
894:Former districts
850:Ludzas apriņķis
772:
765:
758:
749:
748:
700:Edgars Andersons
646:Arnolds Spekke:
580:Border agreement
554:collectivization
466:, 5% in Linavas
444:Edgars Andersons
408:Kārlis Mīlenbahs
313:Abrenes apriņķis
285:Abrenes apriņķis
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988:Preiļi District
978:Madona District
933:Dobele District
918:Bauska District
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870:Tukuma apriņķis
860:Rīgas apriņķis
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742:Latvijas Avīze
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504:Latvianization
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529:in 1940, the
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435:Soviet Russia
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18:Abrene County
1074:Pskov Oblast
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690:Acta Baltica
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352:Pskov Oblast
332:World War II
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217:Succeeded by
216:
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131:Coat of arms
78:
69:
50:
29:
594:restoration
570:Krasnoyarsk
336:Vyshgorodok
212:Preceded by
144:Map in 1940
64:introducing
1043:Categories
641:References
606:right wing
518:, and 12%
440:Belarusian
431:Bolsheviks
429:After the
381:Latgalians
109:County of
47:references
780:districts
535:Holocaust
525:With the
500:Latgalian
391:in 1224.
117:1924–1945
624:See also
520:Lutheran
516:Catholic
512:Orthodox
307:County,
545:of the
496:Yiddish
488:pagasts
484:pagasts
480:pagasts
476:pagasts
472:pagasts
468:pagasts
464:pagasts
396:Livonia
389:Livonia
369:Russian
363:History
357:pagasti
346:as the
330:During
325:pagasti
305:Latgale
291:in the
163:History
149:Capital
60:improve
784:Latvia
615:Europe
558:Kulaks
533:, the
514:, 38%
398:. The
377:Tālava
344:Russia
321:Abrene
289:county
287:was a
166:
153:Abrene
111:Latvia
49:, but
732:Diena
574:Balvi
539:RSFSR
400:Balts
373:tulva
317:Balvi
303:(New
601:).
547:USSR
498:and
460:Jews
406:and
319:and
190:1945
180:1924
782:of
350:of
299:as
1045::
702::
560:,
522:.
450:):
771:e
764:t
757:v
85:)
79:(
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70:(
56:.
20:)
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