A Soviet military monument is dismantled in Riga in August 2022. (Ints Kalinis, Reuters) Latvia Country Report June 2026 By Vladimir Kovtun Latvia has a long history of foreign rule, most notably under the Russian Empire (1721-1918) and the Soviet Union (1940-1991). This longstanding sociopolitical connection with Russia has created serious animosity between Russians and Latvians, primarily because of Russia’s Russification policy and Soviet era repression of dissidents. Latvia’s history...