In January 2025, researchers from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Latvia initiated a three-year project to examine the post-exilic experience of Latvian exiles following Latvia’s regained independence in 1991.
The term “post-exile” has a double meaning – it marks both the end of exile and the possibility of returning home, but it also suggests that the exile experience doesn’t simply end at a specific moment. After World War II and the Soviet occupation of Latvia, around 200,000 Latvians f led their homeland and lived in exile for over 50 years. When Latvia regained independence in 1991, some returned, while others remained abroad, becoming part of the broader Latvian diaspora. In recent decades, a new wave of emigrants has left Latvia, gradually integrating into the existing diaspora. Despite clear differences between these groups, policymakers and researchers have often used the term “diaspora” to refer to all Latvians abroad, focusing mainly on the experiences of recent emigrants.
Building upon these considerations, and also recognising that even now, more than three decades after Latvia regained its independence, distinct Latvian communities in the West are discernible based on their time of arrival, this project aims to explore the “post-exilic” period of the Latvian exile community from a historical viewpoint. As such, the main goal of the study is to examine the evolution of the Latvian exile community, which maintained a robust identity throughout the long years of Soviet occupation, and how it adapted to the rapidly changing landscape of their homeland. Moreover, the study endeavours to understand the processes of integration or, conversely, non-integration of members of the exile community into the regained homeland and of the new diaspora with representatives of the “old exile”
Alongside traditional historical research methods, the project will leverage the scientific team’s extensive expertise in applying a biographical approach and oral history methodologies. This approach will provide insights into individuals’ sense of belonging and the evolution of identities during a period marked by significant population movements both in Latvia and globally. Moreover, by amplifying the voices of exiled Latvians and their descendants, the project can help alleviate potential tensions between exiles and local residents in Latvia, fostering empathy, understanding, and cohesion, while breaking stereotypes rooted in historical and experiential differences.
Project team: PhD Maija Krūmiņa (project leader, history), PhD Kristīne Beķere (history), PhD Maruta Pranka (sociology), PhD Daina Grosa (migration studies), Ginta Elksne (PhD candidate in sociology), Elvis Friks (PhD student in literary studies).
The initial work undertaken by researchers in the project includes identifying and reviewing existing life story interviews preserved in the National Oral History (NOH) Archive, which holds approximately 4,500 interviews, including several hundred with members of the exile community. Additionally, new interviews are being conducted with representatives of the exile and diaspora communities across different generations and experiences—both those who have returned to live in Latvia and those who remain abroad. By the end of the project, a total of 45 in-depth interviews will be conducted, enriching the NOH collection and ensuring that these materials remain accessible to researchers beyond the project’s completion.
The project will result in academic publications, an international conference (Riga, 2026), and various public outreach activities. Updates will be available on the project’s website and Facebook page. If you are interested in learning more about the project and its activities or would like to discuss potential collaboration, please contact the project leader (maija.krumina@lu.lv).
The project is funded by the Latvian Council of Science (No. LZP-2024/1-0114).