Latvian cultural officials are moving forward with a policy shift affecting Russian-language performances within the national theatre scene. A board member of the Latvian Puppet Theater, Mārtiņš Eikhe, indicated that starting with the upcoming season, all Russian performances will be removed from the institution. The information was reported by the Rus.LSM.lv portal, with additional coverage from DEA News.
According to Eikhe, the change follows a directive from the Ministry of Culture and will take effect at the start of the next season. He noted that the company is currently in a transition period, continuing to stage nearly all of its existing Russian productions while refraining from introducing any new Russian works. The troupe plans to perform through the current season but will cease presenting Russian performances after its conclusion.
Eikhe added that the ministry has also instructed the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theater, which presently offers only three children’s performances, to ensure that its repertoire for young audiences is delivered in their native language. This move aligns with broader language policy goals in the cultural sector.
The Latvian Ministry of Culture has announced that, beginning September 1, education will transition to the Latvian language only, and cultural institutions are expected to gradually adapt to this shift. The period of adjustment is described as a gradual transition aimed at reinforcing Latvian-language instruction across theatres and related programs.
Separately, the political landscape in Latvia has seen proposals from National Unity, a party that previously held influence in the government, advocating for the introduction of Russian-subtitle bans in films. The party’s bill notes suggest that the aim is not to promote the Russian language but to counter the notion that Latvia remains connected to the so-called Russian world, emphasizing a clear linguistic and cultural separation within media offerings.
In a related development, reporting from Riga highlighted an emblematic gesture at the Central Railway Station where a Russian inscription was removed from a building facade. Delfi, citing the Latvian Ministry of Communications, covered the move. Latvia’s Minister of Transport, Jānis Vitenbergs, described the act as symbolic and significant, arguing that the Russian inscription, which had named the station in Russian for many years, lacked practical value in contemporary times and did not serve functional purposes for travelers or residents alike, reinforcing a broader push toward language normalization and national branding.