Thread: Regarding Russian in the Baltic States

Very funny incident to do with the Latvian language issue came up at work today. It went like this.

(Steering group meeting)

Global HR manager: Oh, and I have some exciting news for you: It's finally official! We are expanding to Latvia, so you need to sort out a Latvian version of the software by xx date.
Me: Oh, actually, then we have to add EUR 35k to the project budget because I am almost certain that Latvian is not an existing language from the vendor.
My boss: 35k!!!!
Me: Yes, there is quite a lot of work to add a new version from scratch, actually, and it's the same price as I just added to the budget for purchasing a Bulgarian version.
My boss: How many people live in Latvia??? Don't they speak Russian too? I know someone from Latvia and he speaks Russian! Lots of people were speaking Russian when I was there. How about if we tell them that they can have either the Russian or the English version?
(Clueless) HR manager: But there is a Latvian language, isn't there? The policy is that all of our employees should get the software in their own language. There is no guarantee that they speak either Russian or English! It's really a core value for us.
My boss: Well if there are 300 new employees in Latvia, then the price is EUR 150 per person to follow that policy! And they already speak Russian.
Me: The best thing to do might be to speak to the new manager there and ask what they recommend... I've heard that the language situation in Latvia is quite sensitive...
HR Manager: Ok I will take care of that.

This company is very big and successful, but the IT department is really backwards. For what it is worth, I thought the Russian idea was really crap, and I was shocked that the Global HR manager was not 100% certain that Latvian was a real language!! The right thing to do is definitely to add Latvian.

There is no guarantee that they speak either Russian or English!

Actually I haven't met any Latvian that don't understand at least one of them.
Everyone that works in IT industry in Latvia know English.
And I don't really care about localized versions - a lot of IT terms lack a proper translation - and our linguists usually come up with new words that sound funny or retarded.

all your antiRussia comments on this Russian website

If I like/know Russian language, that does not mean that I have to like Soviet Union or Russian government (especially if it is unfriendly to my country).

let bygones be bygones and look to the future instead.

Many Russians that live here do not want that - they want their soviet time privileges back.
And that's why they started this referendum that will achieve absolutely nothing, and will waste 4 000 000 $ of taxpayer money (that could be spent a lot better - to renovate some russian school or something like that).
I will go and vote against too.

you just can't ignore demands of the third part of the population.

People who immigrated illegally want to demand something?
They should be grateful that they were not deported (like Czechoslovakia did with migrants that settled during Nazi occupation).
We also have most liberal naturalization policy in the EU - you only can have problems with it if you don't know Latvian.
Those who did not immigrate during soviet times got citizenship with no questions asked (more than 200 000 russians).
All russians are NOT non-citizens.

Also many non-citizens do not want to naturalize (even if they know language), especially those who live near Russian border.
They do not have to buy a visa to travel to Russia.
So they can go and buy much cheaper fuel and other goods in Russia.
And can visit their friends and relatives living in Russia.

equal rights for everyone

All Latvian CITIZENS have absolutely equal rights - does not matter what their native language is.

like language police slapping a fine on people for insufficient use of the Latvian language at work

Yes - it is shameful that 20 years after we got independence we still need something like that.
And that some people don't learn language of a country they are living in.
xdns - what would you do if you called emergency service and got someone who does not understand russian on the other end?

political boycott

LOL WHAT?
Mayors of Rīga (capital) and Daugavpils (2nd largest city) both are ethnic Russians.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ушаков,_Нил_Валерьевич
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кулакова,_Жанна_Михайловна
And also - ~1/4 of our parliament are ethnic Russians too (last time they even elected one who does not know Latvian lol).

I agree with you that it's a shame to live in independent Latvia without knowledge of the Latvian language. But I think that Latvian authorities should swap sticks for carrots. How about abolishing language police and introducing free Latvian courses instead? How about tax deductions - the higher your level of Latvian (B2, C1 etc.), the lower your taxes? People should have an incentive to learn the Latvian language. It is a job for the minister for integration to devise approaches that really work and integrate, not alienate people, after all! And in the same time Russian should be at least made official in several places with significant Russophone population, according to European practices of minorities' treatment (described, for example, in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages).
I think that the forthcoming referendum is considered by many Russian Latvians as a way to draw attention to the shortcomings of Latvian society. The authorities apparently gave them no other chance to be heard, because their representatives are excluded from the government (I meant THAT political boycott, on the state level).