Trimdas latviešu vizītes Padomju Latvijā: iemesli, iespējas, sekas

Kopsavilkums

One of the ways which made it possible to save Latvian identity while living in exile for so many years was visits to the occupied Latvia. Despite various types of restrictions and inconveniences, these visits allowed exile Latvians to return to the longed home for a short time, to meet relatives and for those born outside Latvia (2nd and 3rd generation of exile Latvians) – to see and feel in reality what their parents and grandparents had talked about and to which maintenance so much time and resources was spent. Therefore, although for many years part of the exile Latvian community, including several exile organizations, stood in opposition to any ties with the occupied Latvia, including sharp denial of visiting Latvia, many exile Latvians still used this possibility. Memories on such journeys can be also found in the Latvian national oral history collection where there are several hundred lifestory interviews recorded with exile Latvians living in the United States, Sweden, England, etc. On this basis, the author of the paper will analyze the role of the visits to the Soviet Latvia in the personal biography of each individual, as well as in the wider context – in the maintenance of Latvianess in exile community.