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Aug. 9, 2020 - Radio Renaissance - Jared Taylor
46:27
Konstantins Pupurs: "Nationalist Movements in the Baltic Republics" (2015)
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Our next speaker, Konstantins Popors, was born in Latvia in 1964 at a time when that country was still part of the Soviet Union.
In the late 1980s, as a young man, he took part in the movement to try to achieve independence from the Soviet Union.
Well, that was a very dangerous thing to do in those days.
And in 1988, Mr. Popors was stripped of his Soviet citizenship and expelled.
He spent the next few years in Europe and the United States, returning to Latvia only in 1992 after independence had been achieved from the Soviet Union.
He stayed in Latvia only two years because he was the victim of an assassination attempt that left him very seriously injured.
He left Latvia and came to the United States for a period of about 20 years and then returned for home, Latvia for Good, in 2010.
And after that return, he became very active in the All for Latvia Party, for which he has served in a number of official capacities.
He now works in the private sector, but he speaks frequently on modern contemporary Latin history to school groups and other civic groups.
And please welcome our next speaker, Konstantins Papurz.
Well, first of all, I would like to say Beek.
Thank you to Mr. Teller and all of you for inviting me to this conference.
So I'm very happy in behalf of our national alliance, Latvian national alliance party, to address all of you today.
I prepared the speech, you know, I printed it out.
Most likely I'll try to talk spontaneously.
Last night I didn't have a nice sleep.
I woke up at 4 o'clock thinking what I'm going to say, in what way, how far I have to go about certain issues, and should I talk about the details.
Before I go to the United States, I talk with some party members.
Some Latvian nationalists.
Some of them, they kind of have the wrong perception about American people.
They ask me,"Why are you going to the United States?" These people are kind of ignorant.
They won't be able to understand you.
So they don't know the history of the Second War or the current events in our country.
They're always mixing, you know, Balkan people with the Baltic people.
Well, I used to say to them, you know, it's not the case.
You guys now are trying to get into the United States, some of them, you know, for the better life.
Or anyway, going abroad, seeking for the better life.
But who in Europe will greet you with such a welcome?
As Americans do usually, you know, someone coming from Europe and get asked the question, you know, so how long are you going to stay?
You answer, well, for good.
I'm an immigrant from Europe.
Normally, I'm talking from my own experience.
Normally, you get a response from Americans.
Oh, welcome.
Welcome to our country.
You'll be a good American.
But in Europe, you're going to have the same greeting.
Nowhere. And Mr. Teller just said a few words about me.
Let me tell you a little bit more about who I am, where I came from.
So basically I came from a family whose parents and grandparents, grandparents and grand-grandparents actively fought Bolsheviks.
One way or another on the front lines or, you know, being involved in some anti-communist movement.
Some of them get executed for that shot.
Some of them have been sent to Siberia for a long, long time.
Some of them didn't return back.
So, from my childhood, I already had an understanding of the system I'm growing in.
And psychologically, kind of, I was already on the track of being to do something, you know, against the regime.
But my first experience, bad experience, was when I, being 18 years old, I get drafted into the Soviet Army, and I had to face the brutality of the Red Army from inside of the ranks.
When I get off from the Soviet military, I...
I was ready to really kind of psychologically and to do something in order to make the difference back then at that time in USSR.
And I went to Moscow.
I went to Moscow, you know, to get a good education.
And I was a student in history college.
I was fortunate to meet the right people, anti-communist people.
Back then, being Latvian ethnically, of course I was always dreaming about our country, one day getting back our independence like it used to be before the Second War.
But back then I thought, well, first we have to deal with it.
We're the Communists.
We have to get rid of that regime more.
And that's why our slogan was for yours and our freedom.
Back then, we've been together, working together, and been supporting each other.
Obviously, one year later, they...
Who are they?
The KGB.
They came up to me straight to the class when I was in my university.
I was taken straight to the prison, major headquarters, KGB in Moscow.
They put me in the basement and saw interrogations and lights into your face, a corner in one corner, captain.
KGB captain and another one, like from those famous movies about the bad cop.
Bad cop, good cop.
One was screaming, yelling.
Another one was polite.
For hours and hours interrogations.
But at the end, I had a feeling that something is wrong.
Something is not right.
I would have applied maybe physical force or I would be putting, you know, in cell and kept there for a long time.
But I was surprised.
I get released under conditions of...
I wasn't allowed to leave Moscow, had to be registered every day, and basically it was like a home arrest.
Back then I didn't know exactly at that time.
Mr. Gorbachev, the last president of the USSR, announced to the entire world that, look, we don't have any more prisons of conscience, you know, prisons and concentration camps.
And indeed, in fact, he began to release all these people from the camps and prisons.
And that's why the KHB probably get confused.
They didn't know what to do with me.
So they get expelled from the college.
I was asked to leave Moscow.
I came back to my native country, Latvia, at the time, being still occupied by the USSR, by the Soviets, and actively get involved in anti-communist resistance movement.
So we were the first to organize the demonstrations against This is the picture of 1988,
June 14th.
We've been commemorating the victims of the Bolsheviks back in 1941, when the Soviets came into our country.
Basically, at that date, on 14th of June, 1941, just a few days before the war broke out, during one night, they sent to Siberia around 40,000
people in cattle wagons.
That day was a day we decided to rise our national banner, the flag of an independent country.
As you can see, well, you cannot see black and white, but originally the flag is maroon, white, maroon.
These colors were strictly banned during the occupation time for 48 years.
Anyone who tried to expose us in public would be immediately arrested and sent to Prison minimum for five years.
In some cases, seven, ten.
And we decided to take our chances, basically.
Take a risk.
That day in particular, the KGME didn't arrest me because I was surrounded by so many people, hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people.
But the next day, they came up to me again.
They took me into custody.
And then at this time, they announced that the supreme Soviet, that is to say the government of the USSR, Gorbachev himself, decided to kick me out from the country.
From now on, I'm persona non grata.
I'm losing my citizenship and I have to leave the country within two weeks.
So, what is interesting, you know, years later, when I used to work for the Massachusetts government, you know, in Boston, I get my assignment to meet and greet and be the personal translator for Mr. Gorbachev.
So, what a shock, you know.
So, I met the guy at the plane, basically, you know, and first...
He said,"Well, you must be from the Russian Embassy." I said,"No, Mr. Gorbachev, I'm not.
I'm from the opposite side.""Well, how come?
But your Russian language is perfect.
No accent, nothing.
You must be from the former citizen of the USSR." I said,"Actually, yes.
But what are I doing in this country?" I said,"Well, thanks to you, Mr. Gorbachev.
If not you, probably I would have cut the timber somewhere in Siberia for another 10, 15 years." All right, you are the troublemaker.
I spent two years in Europe first and I was actively involved in European issues.
I've been introduced to different parties in Europe and groups of people, patriotic, nationalistic type of people.
And then, two years later, I came to the United States and, like Mr. Taylor mentioned, when the USSR finally collapsed, I decided to come back.
Unfortunately, the former KGB, the members of the Communist Party, were still obviously alive and kicking in full force.
At this time, underground.
And I was warned, you know, if I would get involved in politics, you know, I would end up pretty bad.
And that's what happened.
I'm not going to go into the details, but basically they tried to kill me the same way like they did kill my grandfather when I was a young kid.
And then I left the country again and came to the United States.
I stayed for another 22 years, 21. I went to schools, different schools here in this country, you know, served in the military, got commissioned as a second lieutenant, you know, and got sent to Iraq, you know, for missions.
So I came back.
My base was in Germany.
Well, and then I decided, well, when I get off from the military, I thought, well, I'm so close to...
To my former country, maybe I should go back and try to do something.
I'm not too old still.
Maybe I'll be useful.
So that's how I return to my country and get involved in native politics, basically.
This is the picture right after I came from Iraq.
This is my spouse.
I married a Ukrainian girl, and she's here, dressed in a Ukrainian outfit, and I'm in my uniform.
So, this is the slogan of our party during the election time.
This word means all for Latvia is the real man's choice in translation.
So, you see the Chuck Norris and Stallone.
Next to the blonde guy.
So it's like these two actors kind of in the eyes of many East Europeans, you know, symbolizing the real manhood, you know, whatever you call it, you know, standing for the right thing, kind of.
So I would like to say, obviously, some words.
About our party, what we're standing for.
Some people in Latvia call our party party of the youth, of the young people.
In fact, it's true.
The average age for the members is from 20 to 40. And in the beginning, when the party started back, actually, not the party,
but nine kids from the high school decided to come up with a patriotic nationalistic club called All for Latvia in order to have the concerns of our national heritage,
our traditions.
We get weaker and weaker by the policy of the Liberals and International Mondialists, if you call it.
Nine young kids from 14 to 18, year after year, they gain support.
Other kids began to join the club.
And finally, in 2006, they became a party with hundreds of, like 300 members or something back in 2006.
But during the first elections back in 2010, the party...
First time in the history of Latvia, basically, during the time of the Second Republic, since 1991, the Nationalist Party of all Latvia.
And at that time, we get united with other two parties, Fatherland and Freedom and National Independence Movement Party, which were kind of moderate nationalists, no very radical ones.
But in order to gain some seats in the parliament, we had to be united.
So, and finally, during the elections of 2010, we get eight seats in the parliament.
Although, over this time, the party was in opposition to and didn't manage to make the big difference in the policy, internal policy of the country.
But during the last elections in 2014, We already gained 18 seats in the Parliament and three ministerial positions in our Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Development,
and Ministry of Justice.
So, basically, the nationalists are in charge of those ministries in Latvia.
It's only one country where the nationalists were so successful, actually.
In comparison with, say, Lithuania or Estonia.
Although Estonians get some six-seat Estonian nationalists during the last elections, but Lithuanians still don't have any representative in their Saima, let's say, parliament.
Uh...
Our party...
Well, actually...
Everybody knows, in order to survive, for the nation needs some kind of traditions recently invented or some historical heroes or whatever.
So our party was the one who began to...
came up with the new traditions.
And one of them is the so-called The Flag Alley in front of the Monument of Freedom on March 16th.
If you can see flags making like a corridor to the Monument of Freedom.
Well, let me tell you a little story about the Monument of Freedom.
It was built back in 1934.
And symbolizing the freedom of the Latvian people, final freedom.
And it's very, as we all know, even buildings and monuments have their own fate and destiny.
So by all logic, communists shouldn't leave that monument basically alive.
And in fact, indeed, during the Second War, the Russian jets, when they bombed the city of Riga, The first target for the pilots, target number one, was that monument.
But it survived.
And right after the Second War, they wanted to remove that monument.
But fortunately, one of those famous Russian architects by the name of Muhyna, she said to Stalin,"Comrade Stalin, we cannot remove that monument.
It's still internationally recognized." From the artistic point of view, as an art, it's very valuable for Latvian people, and they decided to leave it.
But during the Soviet time, if you, say, put even flowers at the base of this monument, you could have been immediately arrested and then sent to jail.
So it was staying in the middle of the town, the capital of the city.
Totally abandoned and neglected.
But right after 1991, all kind of events, particular nationalistic events, taking place around that monument.
And 16th of March, why 16th of March exactly?
So it was the date when, back in 1944, two Latvian divisions, 1915 divisions fought shoulder by shoulder.
In Russia at Volkhof against advancing Soviet forces.
It's only one time when these two Latvian divisions on the side of Germany fought against the Bolsheviks.
And that day became a day, a veterans day for Latvian people.
A day when we're all commemorating, giving our respect to those who fought.
One way or another against the Communists during the Second War and after the Second War as well.
Because the armed resistance didn't stop in 1945.
The people of Latvia, some of the former soldiers and officers, they took to the woods and continued to fight.
The occupying forces of the Soviets until 1954.
Armed resistance.
Not only in Latvia, but in Lithuania, Estonia, in some parts of Ukraine as well.
So this is another day we invented, not invented, but...
Establish the new tradition.
That is to put the candle corridor in front of the monument.
All the way from monument to the entrance of the old city.
Medieval town.
So it's taking place on August 23rd.
Why exactly on August 23rd?
It's a date when...
If you know from the history, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact had been signed back in 1939, on August 2023.
Basically, these two big powers divided Europe between themselves.
A year later, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania get occupied.
They tried very hard with Finland, but get kicked out from there.
Poles get attacked from both sides on September 1st, from the German side and on September 17th from the Russian side.
So on that date, we decided to, it's like Commemoration Day, you know, that path symbolizing the tragic path of Baltic, Latvian, Baltic people, you know, because it's...
Basically, the day when we began to lose our independence.
Our fate was decided already.
Obviously, the biggest event, it's our Independence Day, November 18th.
Before our party, there were celebrations here and there, but nothing special too much.
But the party came up with a new tradition, so-called torch, march with the torchers.
First, we have a tendency like 80 people only.
But last year, we had close to 25,000, 30,000.
So, and I would like to maybe show you the short video from that event.
Mooji
These torch marches are taking place not in the capital, Friga, like you just had the chance to see, but practically in all major cities of Latvia at that date, under the flags of our party.
What else?
I can say that All for Latvia, the national alliance, was the most successful party in attracting young people in our ranks.
And we're doing this in all kind of different ways.
First of all, our traditions are kind of strong and still since hundreds of years, whatever, you know, from the time before Christianity.
And a lot of people, Latvian naturally, Latvian people, they like, you know...
Like folk dances, folk songs.
Each and every person at least knows five, six old songs from the older times and can perform the traditional dancing.
And we, every week, we're organizing those.
It's like in our offices, we're inviting young people to sing with us, to sing those songs and learn them.
and so.
People like it.
People coming with their families and through the folk introduction to the heritage of Latvia, they get involved in politics as well.
They became our supporters.
Also, the National Alliance is the most successful party.
Trying to revive these old traditions, like during the First Republic, we had all kind of different organizations for the young people, like saying from the seven, six years old,
like or the Scouts of Latvia.
And we don't have these organizations, unfortunately, at this time.
Even during the Soviet times, What is interesting, the Communists, it's obvious, they've been paying attention very much to the young generation.
And therefore, they had all kinds of different organizations like Pioneers for the very little children and the Young Communist League for those starting from 14 years old.
But after the collapse of the USSR...
In 1991, it's sad to say and admit, you know, a lot of corrupt people took over the power.
Basically, in their hearts, they were not nationalists.
They pretend to be in the beginning.
They joined our movement, as to say, when they saw that there is no any longer threat, you know, from the KGB, you know.
So, basically, they pushed away those first guys, you know, who were on the front lines, you know, fighting the communists.
And then when they understand that everything is safe and the Soviet Union going under for good, so then they appear on a political stage and basically took over the entire country.
It's not the case for Latvia, but basically for entire East Europe, more or less.
Same scenario happened in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, other countries.
What they did first, they began to rob the country, you know, destroy the economy, and closing down the factories, cutting, you know, all fleet, marching marine fleet into pieces, and all selling to the right, to the left.
The same was in regards of those organizations.
They obviously, they get banned, you know, because of the...
Because of that communist ideology, which was right.
Obviously, you had to ban those.
But you had to replace with something else, like, say, restoring the same organizations which we had back in the 1930s.
But it didn't take place.
It didn't happen.
Instead, all these summer camps for young pioneers...
Youth from the Young Communist League, they all get destroyed, not destroyed, but abandoned, either sold to some, I don't know, business people or whatever.
And it's a big tragedy, big problem, big tragedy now.
And in my opinion, I think it's been done on purpose, you know, to destroy that traditional national, you know, kind of attachment, you know, from the childhood to the country, you know.
It was done specially.
So, because in those camps, like it used to be, you know, first of all, during the summertime, when the kids have vacation from the high schools and the gymnasiums, you know, they...
They used to go to those camps and being taken care, educated in a patriotic way or get trained in PTs or whatever, physical.
But when these organizations get eliminated, then these kids, during the summertime, the long vacation time for three months, they became like street kids.
First target for some kind of bad influences on the street.
Drugs, hooliganism, whatever you name it.
We're trying to kind of...
You see, we don't have the support from the government.
It's supposed to be done by the government, sponsored by the government like it used to be before the war or even during the Soviet time.
But, obviously, the government is not paying attention to this issue, and we are trying to do our best by organizing those summer camps and all kinds of different folk and other events for the young people,
for instance, like helping the veterans of the Second War or taking care of those who have been repressed.
Several years in the concentration camps in Siberia, or taking trips or tours into the historical places where some events took place in the history of Latvia.
And by doing this, we get the huge support from the ordinary people.
They're happy that their kids are now taking care, and they're happy that the kids are learning something positive, not the bad things.
And through that, they're also joining the ranks of the party, if not, at least our potential waters and supporters.
And
Well, in other means, we're very active on the internet as well, so our party is most active, attracting people who are spreading our ideas by the means of internet as well.
Other parties kind of not, so our webpage is most attending one, you know, in comparison with other political parties in Latvia.
And as for making difference in terms of politics, unfortunately, we're trying to do our best.
We're trying to counter those attacks from the liberals, plutocrats, all kinds of cosmopolites.
But it's very hard because they're in charge.
They're the people who are holding the financial...
Basically, they have money.
They can do whatever they want.
And they have the big support from Brussels, from the policy of the European Union, obviously very liberal.
But it's not so easy for them.
Basically, I would say, I feel sorry, in the beginning of our conference, I heard a guy from England, Matt, if I'm not mistaken.
I've been there.
I know I live in West Europe.
I get my degree from London School of Economics.
So I live in London.
I know the situation there.
Basically, how we call them in East Europe, the nationalists, East European nationalists, saying, well, what do you want from those West Europeans?
They're dead.
Dead as a dead rabbit.
I mean, spiritually dead, I'm talking about.
Unless some kind of miracle happens, God Almighty will intervene and do something.
Nothing will happen in those countries.
Because they're so brainwashed.
Their nationalist movements are so weak and not influential, basically, that we don't see any future for them at all.
But we're still alive and kicking in East Europe.
Not only in Latvia, but in Lithuania, Estonia.
Poland, Czech Republic, and other countries.
And we'll continue that way to save, to preserve our traditions, heritage, our language as well.
We have our own problems, issues.
We have some differences between ourselves in Baltic states, for instance.
As for the racial issue, like, say, different immigration, you know, like, of the different people with a different, totally different cultural background, you know, coming from somewhere, different parts of the world, we don't have that at all.
Some people were surprised, you know, but...
We don't, we don't, on a regular...
We don't have that.
In a way, I would say yes, it's good.
Like we used to say, if that thing happens with us...
We're not so many.
We cannot compare in numbers ourselves with Germans, French, British people, English people.
And we have a big problem.
Before 1991, we had 2 million population in our country, which was heavily mixed, actually, with the Russian, ethnically Russian people, too.
But at this time...
We have 1.2 only left.
And this is without any wars, any environmental disasters.
We lost 350 people.
That's official data, official numbers.
These people are gone for good.
So they left the country for the better living.
Going back to that racial issue, it's probably one of the reasons why we don't have those people in our country.
We don't have the same good welfare for those parasites who are coming to West Europe with five kids or six or ten.
For each kid, they're getting money from the government and never, ever even trying to get a job.
So we cannot supply with the money those people.
We don't have enough money for our own.
And it's metamorphosis, we used to call it.
And that's how we get safe from that problem, at least.
But we have our own issues, and the situation at this time is very tense in the Baltic states because of these events in Ukraine, you know, the Civil War, which is going on in Ukraine, and it's a big tragedy, you know.
I cannot finish my, you know, presentation without saying a few words about what's going on now there.
Maybe you cannot even imagine, but it's a big tragedy.
It's the white people from the same, basically, family with the same historical roots, using the same language, praying to the same God.
They're fighting each other now.
They're killing each other.
18, 19, 20-year-old kids are now dying in mass by thousands on both sides.
And what is interesting, you know, And pretty sad as well.
We have a lot of volunteers, you know, in East Europe going to that spot, you know, to Ukraine.
From England, from Sweden, from Baltic states.
And again, the people who care the best, you can call them different names, you know, they're patriots, fanatics, lunatics, or romantics.
But they're people who care about something.
At least they care, one way or another.
They're going to this spot and get killed, slaughtered.
You know, same citizens, say, from Germany or from Baltic states, fighting on opposite sides, against each other.
But just a few days before, they've been living next to each other on the same street.
So it's a big tragedy.
And I think it's not over.
It's just the beginning.
It's a little piece at this time, but skirmishes and fights taking place every day, people dying there, you know.
And everybody knows and sees that both sides are getting ready for the big offensive on both sides.
And it's in East Europe that Russia is involved, the West is involved, you know, other countries.
It could spin out of control.
And basically everything in the hands of God.
We'll see what happens.
I hope that madness should be stopped.
One way or another.
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