EYEWITNESS REPORTS ON CONDITIONS IN LATVIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320659-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 659
• Publication Date: July 11, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPOR~ 50X1-HUM
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY USSR - Latvian SSR
SUBJECT Political; Military; Sociological
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
CLASSiFit TION coNFIDEnTIAL CONFIDENTIAL
Weekly newspaper-
30 Mar 1950
Latvian
or Till OSITlo STATES WITln 1116 .anlo ~. ?+?^' -. I. s C. /l Ass st, As *15111S. Lis TOASSAISSIOO OO 1ss OIUNTIM
5111.10.NTT LAW 60 UPART OOOYM1.TSIOO or TN Von* Is MoO OIOI u 12 no'
SOURCE Latvju Vards, No 13, 1950.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1949
DATE DIST. /I Jul 1950
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
EYEWITNESS REPORTS ON CONDITIONS IN LATVIA
The following information regarding conditions in-Latvia-at the end-
of 1949 was given by a Latvian refufee to a Polish Nationalist who later
forwarded the report to Sweden.
One of the noticeable changes in Riga during 1949 is the fact that there
are far fewer Red Army soldiers in the streets than in former years. This
.%~?'is true in other parts of Latvia, except the coast of Kurzeme on the Baltic
and cases'of robbery and rape, a daily occurrence in the first years of
occupation, have also decreased.
The Nakhimov Naval Cadets School is located in the former "Pulvertornis"
(Gunpowder Tower) and surrounding buildings. This school has very strict
discipline. Cadets are admitted to the school at the age of 10. They are'
often seen marching through the streets of Riga, wearing white gloves, and
led by a military band.
It appears that considerable Soviet air forces are concentrated in
Riga,. as bombers and fighter airplanes are constantly seen flying over the
c11y?
The Spilve Airport has been greatly. expanded and transformed. into a
large military airfield. Next to it is the civilian airport which handles,
passenger transports on several air lines (Riga-Moscow, Riga-Liepaya, etc.)
Tickets for air transportation are vexy expensive but can be purchased by
anyone'. In buying a ticket, one has to give personal information. such as
name, address, etc. The airplanes are serviced by Russians.
and especially the two sea ports of Liepaya and Ventspils. However, the
number of MVD units has increased and, especially in Riga, it is estimated
that,.ne half of all men in uniform are MVD members. In general the Red
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CLASSIFICATION
ISTATE NAW NSRS
ARMY b(JAIR FBI
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Railroad transportation is also expennlve; for instance, a third-class
ticket from Riga to Ventspils costs 34 rubles. At the time of the "currency
reform," railroad tariffs were not changed, but .in September 1948 they were
raised 15 percent. It is not necessary to have a special permit for rail-
road travel within the Soviet Union. I. is, of course, easier and simpler
to obtain tickets for people who have travel orders or sufficient funds to
"make presents" to the train conductors. People sitting on the train steps
may travel free of charge. This is not official, but it is an unwritten law
and many have made use of it; one can often see railroad cars with ragged
tramps and barefooted teen-age boys, mostly Russians, sitting on the steps.
Train conductors are very strict about not letting any of these individuals
without tickets get inside the cars. All cars are numbered, and passengers
may board only the car indicated on their ticket.
There are few trains and the times of departure and arrival indicated
in timetables are not strictly observed. This applies even more to bus
transportation, which uses broken-down old busses. It is simpler, therefore,
to travel along country roads by truck, which can be stopped by raising one's
hand and agreeing with the driver as to the cost of transportation. The
latter is around 50 kopeks per kilometer. Roads are in poor condition and
most of the bridges are the s?me as in 1944/1945, when they were repaired
with wooden materials after being demolished or damaged during the war.
Bridges are carefully guarded; for example, the bridge across the Gauya
River near Strenchi is guarded day and night by 50 soldiers. A new railroad
bridge is being built across the Lielupe River on the Riga-Tukum line.
Even more attention is given to the coast of Kurzeme, where watch-
towers have been built and which is patrolled by Soviet units. All boats
on the shore are placed behind barbed-wire fences and carefully guarded.
To go out to sea, one has to obtain each time a permit from the staff of the
frontier troops, and only those fishermen may claim such permits who have
previously received fishing permits. Those fishermen who are considered
politically unreliable have no hope. whatsoever of obtaining a permit. It
has also been observed that among the fishermen who are allowed to go out
to sea and remain there from 1 to 4 days, there are always MVD agents.
All Kurzeme districts located along the coast of the Baltic have been
declared a restricted zone. This zone is crossed by the automobile road
leading from Ventspils to Kuldiga and Ventspils to Liepaya, but bus passengers
are forbidden under threat of heavy penalty to get off the bus before they
reach their destination. All "politically unreliable" persons have been
banished from the restricted zone.
It should be noted that anyone is allowed to go out into the Gulf of
Riga without a special permit and many people make use of this opportunity.
The Soviet government even makes propaganda for water snorts, especially
the "bourgeois" sport of sailing. Fishermen do not need a permit in the gulf,
as long. as they are artel members and have not aroused the suspicion of the
Soviet powers.
The status of frontiers between individual USSR republics is very
peculiar. Actually these frontiers do not even exist and they are not guarded,
for example, the frontiers between Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the USSR.
Anyone may proceed to a neighbor republic and look for a job, if he can obtain
a permit from the employer and-the militia." However, the frontier between
Lithuania and Poland, which was crossed by the author of this report, is very
heavily guarded, as Poland, which is not yet formally considered part of the
USSR, is apparently regarded as dangerous by the Russians.
The only contact with foreign countries which Latvians may have.is by
radio, as strangely enough it is possible to listen to foreign broadcasts, but
it is not permitted to tell others about the "propaganda of lies" heard on
the radio, as this is subject to penalty. However, Latvians know the Russians
well enough not to listen to foreign broadcasts openly. Since 1940, there
have been periodical rumors that Minister Zarinsh was to speak on the London
radio "on such and such a. day," but it is suspected that these rumors are
spread by the MVD so as to disclose "unreliables."
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Latvians become almost frantic over reports concerning the in-ceasing
efforts of America. and England to reach an agreement and understanding with
the Bolsheviks. In the cities of Latvia -- on squares, street intersections,
and near railroad stations -- there are loudspeakers which blare out Riga
and Moscow radio programs from early morning to late at night (0200)
The large Riga radio station is located in Ulbroka ffabout 12 kilometers
from Riga,7 and is guarded by MVD units. The radio committee and broadcasting
studio is located in downtown Riga, in the building of the former Latvian
Credit Bank, opposite the Church of St Mary, or Dome Church.
It is possible to communicate within the country by mail or telegraph;
however, it often happens that letters and telegrams arrive weeks late or
do not arriie at all. Mail censorship was officially abolished iu 1946, and
there is no proof that letters within the Soviet Union hare ba(.u censored
since that time; however, Latvians have learned to be cautious and no one
entrusts his opinions to the Soviet mail. Many signs indicate that all foreign
mail is still being censored, and there is ground to believe that all letters
sent from Latvia to foreign countries are first concentrated in Riga and then
sent to Moscow, from where they are either forwarded or not forwarded, accord-
ing to a "selection process."
Letters to foreign countries must be delivered at a special counter
of the post office. The envelope may be sealed, and the post office clerk
puts on the necessary stamp in the presence of the sender. No documents
have to be presented and the clerk does not ask for the name of the sender or
any other information. Nevertheless, several instances have been known where
persons "guilty" of carrying on a correspondence with persons abroad have been
ordered to appear before the MVD and have been forced to "tell their friends
in broadcasts to Latvians abroad everything they have on their minds." In
that case no excuses are accepted.
The Riga Main Post Office is now at the corner of Brivibas and Komunaru
(former Merkel) streets, in a building which formerly housed the Army Commercial
Store.
The Latvian Information Bulletin appearing in Denmark contained the
following article:
A Danish sailor who was in Riga recently gives the following account of
his impressions in Latvia.
Our ship was destined for Riga, but for some unknown reason we were
first ordered to stop in Ventspils for unloading. Upon entering the harbor,
the ship's transmitter was sealed and the antenna removed. In Ventspils the
ship's crew was not allowed to go ashore and the ship was closely guarded..
After unloading, the ship continual on its way to Riga for timber.
We remained in Riga during the last 3 weeks of December, first in the
export harbor, then in some coal harbor. We had the impression that our ship
was the first one to visit the Riga port since the capitulation. During the
first weeks, the crew was unable to go ashore and the ship was guarded. Five
soldiers were constantly patrolling the quay, along side the ship and machine-
gun posts were stationed nearby.
A great shortage of manpower was noticeable in the harbor; as loading was
done by women'and very old men. Every time one of the workers had to come
abroad, he had to present his passport, and the same was repeated when leaving
tb' ship. The foreman therefore had to show his documents several hundred times
a uay. The loading was done very slowly, and the workers were often driven
to work in the morning by armed soldiers.
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The people in Riga look very depressed and no one enters into conversa-
tion with strangers. Only soldiers and women are seen in coffee shops and
restaurants. Drinks in restaurants are very expensive; for 5 rubles you
can buy only a few glasses of beer. If you ask one of the girls to dance,
she will immediately leave the restaurant and will not even talk to you.
There are relatively few goods in the stores and people's clothes look
shabby. Visitors who have been in this city before are amazed at the change,
as Riga used to be known as one of the most hospitable and well-to-do cities.
One does not see any ruins in the center of the city,, and it seems as
though it had not, suffered much from the war but it is very striking that
the city nevertheless has a wartime look. The corner houses at street inter-
sections have apertures for machine guns and heavier automatic weapons,
usually on the first floor where the stores are located, so as to cover
two streets at once.
Those who know the people in this city are of the opinion that their
resistance to the new regime must be very strong. In a roundabout way we
found out that shortly before Stalin's birthday people had been deported-from
Riga, and many had fled into the woods. In this connection there were distur-
'oances in the city and some workers refused to go to work.
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