Vilniaus ir Kauno latvių savimonės bruožai XX a. pabaigoje-XXI a. pradžioje

LTStraipsnyje analizuojami Vilniaus ir Kauno latvių savimonės bruožai XX a. pabaigoje-XXI a. pradžioje remiantis 2010-2011 m. lauko tyrimo metu surinkta medžiaga. Siekiama atskleisti dviejų didžiųjų Lietuvos miestų latvių savimonės sudėtingumą, kai kontaktuojant su lietuviais, ypač su jais sukūrus mišrias šeimas, pradeda formuotis dvilypis, tiek latviškomis, tiek lietuviškomis ypatybėmis pasižymintis latvių kultūrinis tapatumas. Kadangi didžioji dalis pateikėjų buvo pirmos kartos emigrantai, pastebėtas didesnis poreikis puoselėti latvišką savimonę. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Baltiškas tapatumas; Kolektyvinis tapatumas; Lietuva, latviai, savimonė, tautinis tapatumas, baltiškas; Lietuvos latviai; Savimonė; Tapatumas, kolektyvinis tapatumas; Tautinis tapatumas; Baltic identity; Collective identity; Identity, collective identity; Lithuania, the Latvians, self-awareness, national identity, Baltic; National identity; Self-awareness; The Latvians of Lithuania.

ENThe Latvians residing in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas started to feel the need for upholding their national self-awareness as early as the beginning of the 20th century, and yet, it was only after the establishment of the independent Lithuanian State that the activity of Latvian organizations gained momentum. This activity was concentrated in Lithuania’s provisional capital Kaunas. The idea of Lithuanian-Latvian unity was popular at that time, and thus a part of the Latvians in Kaunas city saw importance in upholding their Baltic self-awareness in cooperation with Lithuanians and Lithuanian and Baltic organizations. During the Soviet period, the Latvians in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas had no possibility to engage in any cultural activity, and their national self-awareness awoke only during the period of National Rebirth (Atgimimas). During that period, the interwar-era Society of Lithuanian-Latvian Unity was re-established and took upon itself the task of strengthening the Baltic self-awareness of its members.This Society encouraged the Latvians living in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas to start establishing their own organizations, thus fostering collective national identity. However, even having established their own clubs, the Latvians did not distance themselves from the Lithuanians with Baltic self-awareness. The Latvians who were born in Lithuania or have created ethnically mixed families see the co-existence with Lithuanians as absolutely normal, and their own self-awareness becomes Baltic - i.e. containing features of both Lithuanian and Latvian cultures. The study showed that the Latvians living in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas tend to strengthen and uphold their Latvian rather than Baltic self-awareness - this is especially true of Latvians who emigrated in the 21st century. However, depending on the character, some Latvians prefer upholding their national identity individually, while others favor collective efforts in this field. [From the publication]