Russian minority and the economic life of interwar Latvia
In the 1920’s and 1930’s the economic situation in Latvia differed radically from that at the beginning of the 20th Century. Most of those industrial enterprises that had been evacuated to Russia never returned to Latvia after the First World War. After the war Latvia’s economy could not rely on raw material or the market of Soviet Russia. The industry of independent Latvia was dominated by agriculture as well as medium-sized and small businesses, mainly in food and wood-processing. >>
Russians in the Economy of Soviet Latvia
After the end of the Second World War Latvia once again became a republic of the USSR. Restoration of the economy destroyed by war began. At the same time the painful transition to a socialist economic system was also resumed. During war time and Stalin’s repressions, Latvia lost almost a third of its population. Therefore in the first post-war years there was a deficit in the labour force, including skilled workers. The integration of Latvia into the united economic space of the USSR, the development of new industry, mass-scale construction and transport demanded a migration of the labour force. >>
