Russian Latvia in the break of centuries. From the sunset of the USSR to the crisis of the European Union

This book is the most voluminous and most detailed documented presentation of the political history of the Russian community of Latvia from the end of the twentieth century to today.
To understand the context of political events, the authors included the most necessary information about the economic, social, cultural and historical prerequisites and circumstances of the changes in Latvian reality.
The presentation of the sequence of events, the analysis of the causes of their occurrence, the goals and motives of the main participants are based on extensive and reliable primary sources. These are documents of state authorities, political parties and movements, non -governmental and international organizations, the European Parliament, materials of the Latvian and Russian press. The public documentary primary sources are supplemented by unique memories, clarifications and assessments of direct participants in historical events.
This became possible, since the authors of the book are Tatyana Zhdanok and Miroslav Mitrofanov, like members of the editorial board of the publication, have been and remain active participants in political processes in Latvia and beyond its borders for more than a quarter century. Both authors, the parties co -chairs, which over the past decades with a change of historical circumstances has changed the name - "equality", "for human rights in the United Latvia" and the Russian Union of Latvia. But this party did not change its role as a tough opposition to the existing system of the monopoly of Latvian mono -ethnic parties to state power. This is also the opposition in relation to the simultaneous and single -pole foreign policy of the ruling parties, unambiguously and consistently confrontational in relation to Russia
The book obviously does not claim the role of an absolutely neutral source of information. It contains both ideological assessments of events, and the expression of the position of authors as existing politicians. And this is especially interesting. These are all significant works on history and even more so on political history and political science - from Danilevsky and Oswald Spengler to Zbignev Brzezinsky. Books deprived of ideas are bored. Therefore, the authors preferred a clear expression of their position in the assessments of events. Facts, chronology and problems are analyzed in accordance with their significance for the history of Russian Latvia and do not aim to bring the reader to pre -planned conclusions.
This applies to the facts presented in the book about the role and methods of the leadership of the CPSU and the USSR, the USA, the European Union, Russia under Yeltsin. In creating them with foreign policy departments, conditions for constructing the political reality in which Latvia and its Russian population are the last quarter century.
The experience of political self -organization of Russian Latvia is unique for the entire post -Soviet space. He deserves the interest of historians, political scientists, acting politicians and everyone who is interested in the modern political realities and processes of the postmodern era. Russian political participation in the life of Latvia and Europe in the context of political and legal restrictions, police control, information blockade, unequal political and economic competition, foreign policy pressure proved that we are not a passive object of history, but its characters.
The book includes more than 300 photo illustrations from the archives of photojournalists of Latvian newspapers and news agencies, as well as from personal archives of participants and eyewitnesses of events.
About the authors:
Tatyana Zhdanok - Doctor of Mathematics, co -chair of the Russian Union of Latvia.
From 2004 to the present, a deputy of the European Parliament, which has been re -elected three times.
One of the initiators of the creation of the European Russian Forum.
Miroslav Mitrofanov - by education biologist, publicist, public figure.
The co -chair of the party "Russian Union of Latvia", director of the Institute of Russian Cultural Heritage of Latvia.
From 1998 to 2002 and from 2006 to 2010 - deputy of the Latvian parliament.
In 2004-2006 - an employee of the green faction /European free alliance in the European Parliament