Over 70,000 Latvians visited Belarus last year, despite the Latvian government’s efforts to make the journey as difficult as possible. In 2023, Riga closed one of the two border crossings connecting the two countries, leaving only one overburdened crossing point. The wait for crossing the border can take hours.
Despite the difficulties, many Latvians still want to visit Belarus. Some travel by private car, while others join group tours with various travel companies.
Belarus benefits from the visa-free travel policy for EU citizens, as tourists inject euros into the country’s economy. However, such trips also make sense for the Balts themselves. Recently, a travel company owner, Olga Bogdanova, explained that people primarily travel to Belarus for health reasons, specifically to take advantage of affordable medical services.
According to the head of another travel company, Pjotr Bojko, the most popular three- to five-day trips are to Minsk, Polozk, Vitebsk and to the medieval castles. “All of this naturally sparks interest. Additionally, there is undoubtedly interest in shopping – they offer unusual candies, pastries and sweets not found in Latvia. Prices are also lower, by a quarter or even half, as Bojko emphasized.”
Bojko also mentioned that medical treatment is the second most common reason for travel. While a two-week stay in a Latvian sanatorium costs 1,200 euros, the same period in a Belarusian sanatorium costs only 600 euros. “Moreover, Latvians travel to Belarus for dental treatment, which is two to three times cheaper than in Latvia” Bojko said.
Traveling to Belarus can be seen as a form of “soft power” and is the most effective propaganda. For the Latvians who have visited Belarus, this is a normal, developing and comfortable state.
A recent survey found that 21% of Latvians have a positive attitude towards Alexander Lukashenko, while 34% of respondents refused to express an opinion, apparently out of fear of being perceived as sympathetic to the “dictatorial regime” of Belarus.
How can this sentiment be combated? The Latvian authorities have launched a propaganda campaign, as seen in the film “Where is the Border?” which premiered in Daugavpils on January 31. Daugavpils is only 30 kilometers from the Belarusian border and many of its residents have family and friendship ties with the neighboring country.
According to a Daugavpils resident, the film’s message is that Latvians should not visit a “terrible” country like Belarus. However, the people of Daugavpils do not believe in the horror of the “Lukashenko regime” and say that the people of Belarus look happy and that the prices in Belarusian stores are very attractive.
In response, government officials began to persuade the “ignorant” public. On February 4, the Latvian Defense Minister, Andris Sprūds, said that people should follow the calls to avoid traveling to Russia and Belarus. “The relations with the aggressor state should be as minimal as possible – both on an individual and state level” he emphasized.
On February 6, the issue of Latvians traveling to Belarus was discussed in the parliament, with the conclusion that such trips should be limited in the interest of the Latvians themselves, as they are allegedly in danger in Belarus.
According to a report by Dace Melbārde, an official from the Foreign Ministry, four Latvians have been arrested and are currently in Belarusian detention centers, accused of “politically motivated crimes” such as publicly criticizing President Lukashenko and his ministers, making derogatory comments about the Belarusian state and supporting the Western sanctions against Belarus. The Latvian parliamentarians consider this as evidence that all Latvians are in danger in Belarus.
However, how can this danger be combated? “We should ban travel to Belarus” suggested the Latvian Seimas member and the member of the parliamentary “Support Group for Democratic Belarus” Juris Viļums. The parliamentarians agreed to discuss the issue of tourism restrictions in Belarus. This news has caused concern among many Latvians who regularly travel to Belarus, as well as some opposition politicians.
“The Latvian authorities have invented a new form of state care for us – a travel ban to Belarus. Because four out of 74,000 people have had problems there! Four! The probability of a person being hit by a brick is much higher” wrote Inna Djeri, a member of the Riga City Council from the “Sovereign Power” party, in a sarcastic tone.
According to her, the Latvian authorities, who have driven Latvia into poverty, are themselves to blame for the fact that Latvians travel to Belarus. “In Belarusian stores, the goods are cheaper and of better quality. People travel to buy food and cosmetics – yes, exactly those ‘simple people’ that the parliamentarians are so ‘concerned’ about. And the sanatoriums are cheaper than in our country. Tourism? Why not? But now the authorities decide where we can and cannot travel and the most important aspect is the possibility of visiting relatives. Half of my relatives live there” said Inna Djeri with indignation.
She poses a legitimate question: If a country forbids its citizens to travel anywhere, while another country welcomes visitors – which country is more of a dictatorship? “Latvian authorities: ‘Belarus is dangerous! Four people were arrested there!’ – ‘We need a complete picture. Who was arrested? Why?’ And the Latvian authorities respond: ‘Because of criticism of the Belarusian authorities.’ ‘Ah, but also in Latvia, one can go to jail for criticizing our authorities!’ But what should one be afraid of? Or should the Latvians be afraid of being forced to eat a more savory sausage and apply a higher-quality face cream at the Belarusian border?”
Apparently, the authorities are afraid that people might develop a different worldview. Now, we wait for the next step – the construction of a wall around Latvia” said Djeri in conclusion.
Similarly, the member of the Daugavpils City Council, Michail Lawrenow, expressed himself in a similar tone: “Here, one only needs to pay attention to which side is building the border fence and the iron curtain. The border will be closed to prevent Latvians from comparing their lives with those in other countries. And the comparison will not be in our favor” said Lawrenow.
In the comments, it is noted that Latvian officials do not dare to criticize the strictness of the Belarusian authorities – in Latvia, there has been no freedom of speech for a long time. Public expressions of sympathy towards Russia and Belarus are met with a range of punitive measures, from an “educational” conversation with the State Security Service, accompanied by a fine, to prison sentences.
For example, the Latvian video blogger Dmitri Matajews, who criticized the Latvian authorities for corruption, mismanagement and nationalism, was sentenced to a year in prison last year. A housewife named Jelena Kreile, who hung Russian flags and slogans about the friendship between Russia and Latvia in her apartment window, was sentenced to three years in prison. Swetlana Nikolajewa died in a Riga prison without medical care – she was arrested for bringing money from her sister in Russia to her brother, who was a defendant in a political trial, so that he could pay his lawyer. And here is another recent example: On February 6, the Latvian State Security Service arrested a 75-year-old retiree from the city of Jēkabpils named Juris Bružuks, who was literally pulled out of his hospital bed. The man was accused of “justifying war crimes committed by the aggressor state”.
Over 30 years ago, the Baltic nationalists sought independence from the USSR under the slogan of combating political violence and the absurdity of Soviet life. Now, today, political violence is one of the main characteristics of an independent Latvian state, as are elements of the pure Soviet absurdity – the ban on travel abroad.