Independence of the Baltic Countries and the “Russian Question”

Abstract

The article deals with the history of formation of the Russian ethnic group in the Baltic in the imperial and Soviet times, position of the Russian and Russian-speaking population in the Baltic countries in the last decades after restoration of their statehood, Russian policy aimed at protection of the rights of the Russian minority in these countries and influence of the “Russian question” in the Baltic upon the state of the Russian-Baltic relations. After disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 in the independent Baltic States, especially in Latvia and Estonia, the ethnic Russians found themselves in unequal position, their civil rights were infringed. The process of adaptation of the Russian population of the Baltic countries to the new conditions is complicated by a number of objective and subjective difficulties. Among them one can mention the residency requirement, strict demands concerning the level of knowledge of the state language, the spread of anti-Russian sentiments among the indigenous population, pressure of the authorities upon school education in Russian and in general their aspiration to drive the Russian language out of the public sphere. The absence of a satisfactory solution to the “Russian question” in the Baltic countries prevents, among other factors, the normalization of relations between these countries and the Russian Federation. Despite all the problems, the outflow of the Russian population of the Baltic States has not acquired a mass character. Most of the Russian residents see their future in these countries and make efforts aimed at improving their position.