Cancelled Victory Day
Posted in History, National Minorities, Soviet Past on May 8th, 2008
RIGA – Latest PR move of the Latvia’s Ministry of Environment turned their faces red.
On one hand, creating a mascot such as cūkmens, or pig-man, (pictured) to educate the public about enviornment and to fight swine-like behavior of uncouth Latvian public in woods and lakes of this beautiful country may seem like a good thing. After all, no one wants to be a pig.
On the other hand, declaring May 8 – Victory in Europe Day – a day of victory over plastic bags to promote linen bags serves as a slap in the face of those who died in the Second World War, regardless of their nationality. It’s just down right a stupid, or perhaps, ignorant, move on the part of the government. Many Latvians don’t understand what Victory Day means to Russians. Mostly ethnic Latvians work in the government. And the incident further underscores the deep division within the small society as Russians and Latvians are drifting further and further apart.
The government lent Cūkmens to the Lithuanian chain, Rimi, to celebrate replacing plastic bags with linen ones in its stores throughout Latvia.
It has to be added that no one is more vigilant when it comes to Victory Day then the local Russian newspapers. Russia Today “reports”:
The Latvian government are using a mascot called Pig Man, who is meant to symbolise litter louts, in a bid to help clean up their streets.
But the end of the campaign was to coincide with Victory Day, on May 8.
Earlier a Latvian Russian-language daily, The Telegraph, had labeled the move to hold the so-called ‘Day of Victory over plastic bags’ a provocation.
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