Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity'
Since the early 1990s, when Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet Union (1991), Latvia's historical region of Latgale has become a site of unending political activism aimed at opposing Latvian nationalism. Claiming to represent Latvians of that region or Latgalians, political activis...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Anthropological Society of Oxford
2014
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| _version_ | 1811140984699879424 |
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| author | Krauze, M |
| author_facet | Krauze, M |
| author_sort | Krauze, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Since the early 1990s, when Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet
Union (1991), Latvia's historical region of Latgale has become a site of unending political
activism aimed at opposing Latvian nationalism. Claiming to represent Latvians of that region
or Latgalians, political activists have been declaring that they are struggling against the
ongoing state oppression of their distinct, regionally and historically rooted Latgalian identity
and language, and have been demanding more autonomy in cultural, linguistic and economic
affairs for Latgale. In this article I will attempt to reveal the wider historical, political and
social contexts that are evoking, triggering and shaping Latgalian political activism. I will
argue that Latgalian activism represents an attempt to invigorate an imagined Latgalian
community that is separate from Latvians in order to achieve official affirmation of Latgalians
as an inseparable part of the Latvian nation. I also engage in theoretical debates on different
manifestations of sub-state nationalisms inside Europe by presenting this case study of a
territorially based nationalist movement as being aimed not at separation, but at inclusion
within a dominant nationalist imagination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:30:40Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:e60242a9-4650-4f43-8816-0967acae293f |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:30:40Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Anthropological Society of Oxford |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:e60242a9-4650-4f43-8816-0967acae293f2024-08-24T11:53:42ZLatvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity'Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e60242a9-4650-4f43-8816-0967acae293fEnglishJASO_articles_31BulkUploadAnthropological Society of Oxford2014Krauze, MSince the early 1990s, when Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet Union (1991), Latvia's historical region of Latgale has become a site of unending political activism aimed at opposing Latvian nationalism. Claiming to represent Latvians of that region or Latgalians, political activists have been declaring that they are struggling against the ongoing state oppression of their distinct, regionally and historically rooted Latgalian identity and language, and have been demanding more autonomy in cultural, linguistic and economic affairs for Latgale. In this article I will attempt to reveal the wider historical, political and social contexts that are evoking, triggering and shaping Latgalian political activism. I will argue that Latgalian activism represents an attempt to invigorate an imagined Latgalian community that is separate from Latvians in order to achieve official affirmation of Latgalians as an inseparable part of the Latvian nation. I also engage in theoretical debates on different manifestations of sub-state nationalisms inside Europe by presenting this case study of a territorially based nationalist movement as being aimed not at separation, but at inclusion within a dominant nationalist imagination. |
| spellingShingle | Krauze, M Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title | Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title_full | Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title_fullStr | Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title_full_unstemmed | Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title_short | Latvian nationlism and the construction of a 'Latgalian identity' |
| title_sort | latvian nationlism and the construction of a latgalian identity |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT krauzem latviannationlismandtheconstructionofalatgalianidentity |