Small towns of Latvia: disparities in regional and urban development
The article reports on the results of an economic and sociological study conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Daugavpils University (Latvia) in 2020—2021. The study aimed to identify the reasons for the disparity in the development of small towns in Latvia. A comprehensive approach was taken to integrate the results of territorial, spatial and socio-economic analyses. By employing ...
Artificial Intelligence: a catalyst for entrepreneurship education in the Baltics
... characterized by rapid and dynamic shifts in technology, markets, and business models. The study concludes that proficiency in working with AI-powered equipment and algorithms is of paramount importance in amplifying the entrepreneurial potential of students in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. This aspect is increasingly gaining attention from universities, which collaborate closely with the business sector, governmental bodies, and regional agencies to provide diverse forms of support to aspiring business students....
Regional trends in electoral support for Latvian parties: the neighbourhood effect
... elections, the ethnic and national leaning of parties considered. The study expands a set of electoral geography tools by adding modern techniques of spatial analysis as well as by increasing the knowledge on the position of the Russian speakers within Latvia’s political party landscape. The research aims to evaluate the role of the neighbourhood effect at Latvian elections and identify stable spatial voting clusters. The degree of spatial autocorrelation and changes in it were analysed for each parliamentary ...
A typology of the Baltic region states according to excellence in science and technology
... economic ties and developed industries. A significant element of any manufacturing system is its scientific and technological subsystem, which is described in this article for ten countries (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia), based on an analysis of a clustered set of national characteristics: R&D financing and staffing in the scientific and technological subsystem. A total of ten indicators, absolute and relative, are investigated. The study ...
Current problems in Russian-Latvian relations
Current relations between Russia and Latvia are still influenced by a series of mutual claims that appeared after the demise of the USSR. Latvia — as well as Estonia and Lithuania — is both an EU and NATO member state. However, unlike the above mentioned countries, its relations with ...
Territorial structure of inbound and domestic tourism in the Baltic States
This paper examines the transformation of the territorial structure of tourism in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The spatial and temporal organisation of tourism in these countries has undergone significant changes since they became independent and joined the EU. These changes have affected the geography of tourist flows and destinations of ...
The Visegrad Group and the Baltic Assembly: coalitions within the EU as seen through Russian foreign policy
... study uses a comparison method to analyse the activities of the two organisations and identify their significance for the EU.
Introductory remarks
Eastern European states (Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic) and the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) are amongst the closest geographical neighbours of Russia. The history of Russia’s bilateral relations with them is rich in significant events from the countries’ common past and reflects all the vicissitudes of European ...
Work-life balance during the Covid-19 outbreak: the case of Latvia
This paper aims to shed light on work-life balance in Latvia during the state of emergency. The Covid-19 outbreak has led many governments to introduce lockdowns. While imposed restrictions may help to contain the spread of the virus, they may also result in substantial damage to population well-being. The ...
International Migration in the Periods of Transition and Crisis: the Case of Latvia
... processes are amongst the most relevant issues in the geography of the Baltic States. The authors analyse the changes in migration patterns from the early 1990s until today. The focus of the study is the recent trends of migratory movements in the case of Latvia. Due to the country’s economic recession, migration has accelerated in the recent years. Empirical results show the response of the migration system to the changing internal factors and external influences in the times of transition and global ...
Three Russian Baltic regions in the context of confrontation between Russia and the West
... obstructed the construction of the “Nord Stream-2” gas pipeline, these countries did not advocate for additional sanctions against Russia beyond those imposed by the EU.
3. Most anti-Russian countries: Poland, the Baltic States (including Lithuania and Latvia), and Sweden emerged as the most anti-Russian nations in the Baltic region. Not only did they endorse common sanctions, but they also independently imposed additional measures against Russia.
From February 23, 2022, to June 23, 2023, the EU imposed ...
Latvia in the System of European Territorial Security: a View from the Inside and Outside
... combination of interconnected institutions with Latvian participation operating in the field of security, Latvian cooperation with other European countries in the field of security, and the European perception of major security challenges and threats (that Latvia may or may not agree with). A systemic approach to studying the role of Latvia in the territorial system of European security requires a solid theoretical framework. The theories of international relations discussed in this article fall into two ...
Estonian ‘Balticness’ as a social construct: meanings and contextual specifics
... model.
Introduction and literature review
The current literature on Baltic identity<1> offers up two main interpretations of the phenomenon. The first, positive one, highlights narratives such as strengthening the positioning of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as a progressive EU subregion and the inadmissibility of their marginalisation, distancing from the ‘negative’ image of post-soviet countries, joint efforts to increase the Baltic States’ influence in the international arena ...
Latvian policy on the Russian-language education
The article studies the development of Russian-language school education in independent Latvia from 1992 to 2020, as well as the process of reforming this system by official authorities. At the time of declaration of independence and withdrawal from the USSR, a bilingual education system which was formed in Latvia, made it possible to get ...
The ethnopolitical movement as a vehicle for nationalism institutionalisation in modern Latvia
This article investigates the Popular Front of Latvia, a public ethnopolitical movement that substantially contributed to the independence of the modern Republic of Latvia. The study aims to identify how much the movement influenced the development of ethnic nationalism, which has become essential ...
The Baltic economic model: some results of the 1990—2015 transformations
... 2009: growth of 5.6%], 2013, Delovye vedomosti [Business News], available at: http://dv.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=d329f296-517d-452b-8fef-70a83e1d52cb&open=fou (accessed 14.07.2008).
16. Economist: Latvija smogla dostich' nevozmozhnogo [Economist: Latvia managed to achieve the impossible], 2010, DELFI - Vadošais ziņu portāls Latvijā, available at: http://rus.delfi.lv/news/daily/business/economist-latviya-smogla-dostich-nevozmozhnogo.d?id=30262511 (accessed 01.03.2010).
17. Pylendik, K. 2014,...
The role of transit in the economy of Latvia
Transit is an important issue in the history of world economy, including the economy of Latvia. Transit makes a significant contribution to the budget of many transit countries, one of which is the Republic of Latvia. These countries do not have significant natural resources and prefer to focus on logistics and infrastructure in order to ...
The Russian-speaking diaspora in the Baltic states: a socio-cultural aspect
Currently, more than 20 million Russians permanently reside outside Russia. As migration trends show, their number will be increasing in the future. The Russian-speaking diaspora in the Baltic States is an essential part of the Russian community abroad. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia used to be a single state with Russia for a long time. It could not but affect the formation of these countries as subjects of international politics. Since May 2004, the Baltic States have been members of the European Union....
Changes in the structure and geography of tourist flows during the COVID-19 pandemic
... in inbound tourist flow in most regions. The structure of inbound tourism changed markedly during the pandemic, with the share of tourists from the Baltic States growing. The strongest rise was in some regions of southern Finland and more modest in Latvia and Lithuania.
Introduction
Tourism suffered much more than many other industries from the travel restrictions and other COVID-19 response measures. The bulk of studies exploring the effect of the pandemic on tourism tackle the problem at ...
The political elite recruitment in the Baltic: the role of the ethnic factor
The role of the ethnic factor in political processes in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia has been rather significant since these countries’ independence. The author investigates the assumption that after the completion of major Eurointegration procedures, the ethnic factor — which became especially important in the ...
The assessment and factors of increase in innovative competitiveness of Latvian regions
Latvia’s participation in the process of integration and globalization within the European Uni on creates a need to improve tools of competitiveness and management assessment of the country’s regions. It also requires the development of common approaches ...
Russians in Latvia: Peculiarities of Socio-cultural Adaptation and Identity
The author identifies trends and variations of the socio-cultural identity and integration of Russians in Latvia. According to the author, since the middle 1990s, two trends have been recognized - first, the “ingrowing” of ethnic Russians into the life of independent Latvia, and second, forming their new identity. The article presents a number of factors ...
The image of a doll in Latvian and Russian traditional folklore texts: the aspect of ritual practices
This article offers a comparative analysis of the image of a doll in the Russian and Latvian folklore traditions and examines the dialogue between the national cultures. The author emphasise the presence of the image in Russian and Latvian folklore texts and compares its functional features. The major difference in representing the image of a doll in the aspect of Russian-Latvian connections is that, in Russian texts, a doll is traditionally presented as a living object, whereas, in Latvian ones...
Youth unemployment in the Latgale region of Latvia: causes and consequences
Youth unemployment is a serious problem in Latvia, as unemployed young people make up 16.3 % of the total number of unemployed in the country, while in the Latgale region the number of unemployed young people aged 15—24 years was 18.8 % of the total number of unemployed in the country in 2015....
The Effect of Migration on Latvia’s Sex and Age Composition
... sub-replacement level of the total fertility rate is growing. In these conditions, population dynamics and the sex and age composition are increasingly affected by migration. The above holds true for Eastern European countries. Population decline has haunted Latvia for two and a half decades. Since 1990, the net migration rate has been negative, which contributes to depopulation. This study aims to reveal the effect of migration on the sex and age composition across Latvia and its largest cities. The authors ...
Russia and the Baltic States: Some Results and a Few Perspectives
... v global'noj politike [Russia in Global Affairs], Vol. 3, no. 4, p. 111—212
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7. Feldmanis, I. 2015, Okkupacija Latvii — istoricheskie i mezhdunarodno-pravovye aspekty [The occupation of Latvia — historical and international legal aspects], The official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, available at: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/ru/information/history/history-juridicalaspects/?print=on (accessed 03.04.2014)....
Natural Increase in the Baltic South and South-West
This article analyses the natural population increase (decrease) in the postcommunist part of Baltic Europe (the federated state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian, and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Kaliningrad and Leningrad region, and the federal city of Saint Petersburg) in 2002—2011. The study uses standard methods of demographic analysis, the data provided by national statistical services and Eurostat. All regions analysed ...
The economy of Russian Baltic regions: development level and dynamics, structure and international trade partners
The article explores the challenges encountered during the formation of the Baltic macro-region comprising Russia and eight EU countries (Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) in the context of the ongoing geopolitical and geo-economic changes. The article aims to assess the dynamics, level, structure and pace of economic development of three Russian regions located on the Baltic Sea (St. Petersburg, Leningrad ...
Coalition Within a Coalition: The Baltics in the European Union
... Such an asymmetric strategy makes it possible for small powers to advance their interests within alliances and save resources. The authors test this hypothesis on the behaviour of the Baltics in the European Union. It is demonstrated that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have created a stable small coalition within the EU and actively form ad hoc alliances with the leading states to push union-level decisions, as it was the case with settling the migrant issue. In other areas, these states tend to ...
On crisis trends in the legitimacy of the political regimes of the Baltic States
... States by analysing three major parameters: confidence in political institutions, level of corruption, and the development of their party systems. The author identifies the major crisis trends in the legitimacy of the political regimes of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The article stresses the problem of legitimacy reproduction resulting from the limited representation of the national party systems. Special attention is paid to compensatory mechanisms used by political elites to ‘artificially’ ...
The problems and prospects of higher education mod-ernisation in Latvia
This article examines the socio-economic factors that determine the possible outcomes of modernization of higher education in Latvia, as well as the promising directions of improving the quality and effectiveness of higher education and science in Latvia.
1. Министерство образования и науки Латвии : [информационный сайт]....
The intellectual interconnections between Königsberg and the Baltics in the 19th century
This article analyses the Königsberg context of the activities of 18th century enlighteners — Johann Gotthelf Lindner and Jacob Lange — in the Baltics and offers an overview of their linguistic works. On the basis of the hypothesis about the influence of the Königsberg spirit of Enlightenment on the formation of Lindner’s and Lange’s linguistic activities, the author shows that, in the Baltics, the Enlightenment had several modifications differing in forms and objectives. It is demonstrated...
Gas infrastructure development in the countries of East Baltic as a way to increase energy security
... provide political and financial support to only one of these projects. The paper explores the role of gas and energy in the economy of the Eastern Baltic countries. The author concludes that the countries mostly dependent on Russian gas are Lithuania and Latvia. The announced LNG terminal projects are being reviewed in detail. Their necessity is estimated from the perspective of the current and future demand for natural gas, including the terms and conditions of contracts concluded with OAO Gazprom. Different ...
Russian and Latvian proverbs and sayings on sin
This article examines the semantic scope of the notions of «грех / grēks» as fundamental ones in Russian and Latvian worldviews. Russian and Latvian proverbs and sayings help identify the basic, universal ideas about sin, as well as particular, national ones. The author comes to a conclusion that the Russian mentality — unlike the Latvian one — reflects the interaction and partial interference between the Christian an folk worldviews, whereas the notion of sin is found in the intersection...
The «(Un)Encapsulation» of the Political Elites of Latvia and Estonia and Russian-speaking Minorities
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Between the Eurasian and European subsystems: migration and migration policy in the CIS and Baltic Countries in the 1990s—2020s
... subsystems — Eurasian (centred in the Russian Federation) and European (the European Union) from 1991 to 2021 (before the recent events in Ukraine). A step-by-step analysis of the migration situation in the countries of the former USSR — Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine and Estonia was conducted. The article examines bilateral and multilateral migration processes, analyses the main factors influencing their development and explores migration policy measures and their impact on the ...
Analysing the dynamics of the Baltic States’s production linkages with Russia
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Towards a classification of transboundary tourist and recreation mesoregions in the Baltic region
... three, the third order (from 50,000 to 100,000 arrivals). The most substantial fall in tourist flows occurred in 2020—2021 in the mesoregins including Sweden and Russia and the least marked in those involving Denmark, Germany, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The findings may help track the future restoration of transboundary tourist flows in the countries of the Baltic region.
1. Korneevets, V. 2008, The concepts of “countries of the Baltic region” and “Baltic region”, Cosmopolis, no....
Text localization as a task of translation
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Land Use Change and Economics of Land Degradation in the Baltic Region
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The system of financing political parties in Latvia
This article considers the mechanism of financing of political parties in the Republic of Latvia. The author analyses the participation of financial and economic groups in the country’s political life. Key business actors affecting the formation of Latvian political system are identified. It is concluded that, since regaining independence ...
Political elite networks in Latvia and their transformation in 1993-2014
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The Baltic Sea region and increasing international tension
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The Role of Political Elites in the Development of Politics of Memory in the Baltic States
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The Role of Small Countries in Post-Soviet Territorial Restructuring: the Baltic Case
This author analyses the 2013 Lithuanian presidency of the EU in the context of the Ukrainian crisis and evaluates the contribution of Latvia and Estonia (the former Soviet republics set to preside over the EU in 2015 and 2018) to the shift in the power balance in the post-Soviet space. Through assessing the actions of small countries in promoting the Eastern Partnership programme with ...
Major infrastructure projects and the foreign policy of the Baltic states in 2010—2014
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drugih-56091 (accessed 07.11.2013)....
The structure of political elite networks in the Republic of Poland in 1993—2013
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Electric energy cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and the role of Russia in it
... despite earlier plans to establish the Baltic energy ring, which would also include Russia and Belarus. The author stresses that one of the most acute problems for the EU today is overcoming isolation of the energy systems of the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) from that of the major part of the EU. This task has become especially relevant after the closing of the Ignalina NPP (Lithuania), which used to be the primary energy source for the three Baltic States. The article examines key projects ...
Nuclear power in the Baltic Sea region: the history of emergence and the political and economic features of its development
... branch of national economy. However, over recent decades, it has already seen rises and falls, and a number of states have had tragic experiences of nuclear emergencies. Nevertheless, many countries — including the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — express a strong interest in development, generation, and application of nuclear power. In the Baltic States, nuclear power dates back to the Soviet times, but its development was suspended pursuant to the EU regulations (the ...
The prospects of nuclear power development in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea region as a factor of the formation of international relations system in the region
... economic cooperation. The development of nuclear power in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea is indicative of the effectiveness of political and economic cooperation in the region. The author believes that Russia and the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have the economic and technological opportunities for building up cooperation in the field of energy. This points to a question whether the traditional patterns of relations that developed among these countries in the past can be ...
The Development of International Tourism in Lithuania: a Comparative Analysis of Regional Aspects
... growth of competitiveness on the international tourism market. Service standards applied in Lithuania at the international tourism market uphold and improve the image of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea region. The interregional cooperation between Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in the field of international tourism development is based on the principle of public private partnership. It has been recently acknowledged that the three Baltic States form an integrating region in the field of international tourism ...