Paper Short Abstract:

Under Soviet occupation the Latvian rural landscape underwent notable changes, with kolkhozes’ infrastructure and villages replacing national homesteads. The paper deals with the objectives of the Soviet authorities, along with society’s reaction to the transformations in the environment and lifestyle.

Paper Abstract:

Significant changes occurred in Latvia's rural landscape during the Soviet occupation, which linked to the authorities’ attempts to industrialize agriculture, to destroy the enemies of the regime and to erase the memories about the Republic of Latvia, including values, traditional lifestyle, and customs. The most important steps taken by the occupying power to accomplish its objectives were the migration of rural residents (emigration, deportations, and immigration, including from Soviet republics), the eradication of private property, the cultivation and reclamation of collective farm fields, and the establishment of new kolkhozes’ villages. Departure or indifference were obvious responses of rural inhabitants to the obstacles that the occupation authorities brought about. A third—active participation—was also present. Immigrants and newcomers had no ties with the site. They made their own one, inspired by the Soviet slogan of building a modern world, which spread via efforts Soviet propagandists and educational institutions. Their fight with nature over the harvest resulted in the loss of farmsteads and orchards, as well as the modification of riverbeds. They built collective farm infrastructure buildings (many of which are now slums) to fulfill their planned duties, and adjacent collective farm villages to increase the productivity of collective farmers by reducing the time spent traveling from home to work. The purpose of the paper is to reflect on the dynamics of power and societal relations in the context of landscape change, using available historical sources, including materials acquired during ethnographic expeditions.