The Russian Embassy in Riga voiced strong objections to the Latvian Parliament’s new rule that bars all public gatherings nationwide on May 9. The statement described the move as an affront to historical memory and to the millions who endured hardship during the war years, stressing that such restrictions are out of step with widely accepted commemorations in many countries.
According to the embassy, the decision amounts to a deliberate mockery of the memories of those who died fighting in World War II, and it was criticized as an action that undermines the solemn duty to honor heroes who served and sacrificed for freedom. The message from the mission framed the law as a provocative limitation on public remembrance and an attempt to redefine how the past is recalled in Latvia.
Diplomats also noted what they described as an ongoing effort in Riga to remove Soviet war monuments, arguing that this campaign targets a shared part of history and risks erasing layers of the wartime experience that remain meaningful to many residents and veterans. The embassy urged respect for the historical record and for the complex memory that many communities hold about the war years.
In the embassy’s view, any effort to diminish the Soviet Union’s contribution to defeating fascism and to erase the heroism displayed by Soviet people across occupied territories will inevitably fail to gain broad acceptance. The statement stressed that the liberation of many regions from occupation involved significant sacrifice and that those memories deserve a balanced and thoughtful treatment within public discourse.
On the eve of the Latvian Parliament’s vote, the government enacted a ban on public events for May 9. The law prohibits celebrations, rallies, marches, and other gatherings in outdoor or public spaces on that day, aiming to regulate how the date is observed and ensuring public order. Civil society groups and observers have since debated the implications, highlighting the tension between collective remembrance and regulatory measures in a country with a diverse and evolving view of its wartime past.