From Livland to Latvia

In 1993, thanks to the efforts of Yuri Abizov and the Latvian society of Russian culture, founded by him, the first volume of “From Livland to Latvia”, including mainly articles of journalists from the pre-revolutionary „Rizhsky vestnik”/„Riga herald” and the above mentioned newspaper „Segodnya”/”Today”, saw the light. As to their content, the articles of the first volume cover the epoch from the Middle Ages until the New Times, but, as to the time of writing – from 1880 to 1935. The collection contains a broad selection of articles of Boris Shalfeyev (1891-1935): „St.Christofer”, „About the Goblet Thrown Down from St.Peter`s Church Tower”, „Peter the First in the House of Dannenshtern”, „How Riga residents did not notice Wagner”, „The Oldest Ancient Russian Cemetery in Riga” and others. Fyodor Pavlov (1872-1933) with the pen-name Spectator, is also among the authors. He has written the following articles: „Grandiose Public Merry-making in Olden Times”, „Russian Merchantry in Riga in the Past”, „New Year’s Celebration in Riga in Olden Times”, and others; there are also articles by others - not less famous „pen- sharks”. The second volume of „From Livland to Latvia” is collection of articles, published in the period from 1917 until 1938. As mentioned in the foreword by the compiler, „It is impossible not to be impressed, that alongside the historically proved facts, the reality is given also in the „author’s interpretation”: myths, legends and frank fiction, i.e. the derivative from the historical reality, stipulated by the „state of minds”. Two-volume work „From Livland to Latvia” does not claim to be scientific. This edition was meant for ordinary readers. Moreover, in the situation of temporal lack of the profound scientific researches, books of such a type promoted the development of interest to the past of the Russian community in Latvia. Among the authors of the second volume Boris Shalfeyev (known also as B.Pomorsky) must be repeatedly marked out Sketches about the Moscow suburb of Riga (forshtadt) was left by Georgy Ivanov (1894-1958) - one of the most prominent men of letters among the Russians living abroad, who was a frequent guest in Riga, where father of his spouse Irina Odoyevtsova (1895-1990), the advocate Gustav Heinike owned a house in the Moscow Suburb. Articles of Yanis Sudrabkalns(1894-1975), a Latvian poet, were also included into that collection. There are also works by Sergey Mintslov (1870-1933), a popular writer in the pre-war Riga, a journalist Henrich Grossen (Neo Silvester) (1881-1974), writers Yury Galich(1877-1940), Leonid Zurov (1902-1971) and others. The second volume includes also an interesting illustrative material, selected by Y.Abyzov. General public can be interested to in the lists of former and contemprorary names of towns, settlements and rivers of the Baltics, as well as the names of streets in Riga, districts and localities, mentioned in the book. As it is known, toponimics of the Baltics, has undergone many changes due to political cataclysms.

Tatyana Feigmane. Latvian Russians in Historiography of Latvia from 1990-2010