Mūsu pienākums ir atgādināt, ka tas bija noziegums

Augsti godātie represētie, mīļā latviešu tauta,

Mēs esam pulcējušies šeit sēru zīmē par visiem tiem, kas nevainīgi tika tiesāti un sodīti, bet bez tiesas un apsūdzības, pašiem to nezinot. Tas bija noziegums pret cilvēci, tas bija genocīds pret latviešu tautu, tā bija zvērīga necilvēcība, kuru mēs šodien atceramies un pieminam. Mēs noliecam galvas to priekšā, kas pārdzīvoja šo šausmīgo datumu mūsu tautas vēsturē, mēs izsakām līdzjūtību visiem tiem, kas to ir pārdzīvojuši un kas zaudēja savus radiniekus, savus mīļos, savus draugus un kaimiņus.

Šis datums bija viens no pēdējiem lielo deportāciju vilnī, bet arī varbūt pats šausmīgākais izsūtīto skaita ziņā. Bija pieprasīti desmit tūkstoši ģimeņu kā upuri, lai tiktu iebiedēta Latvijas tauta. Un tika izsūtīti trīspadsmit ar pusi tūkstoši ģimeņu, vairāk nekā četrdesmit viens tūkstotis nevainīgu civiliedzīvotāju, lai iebiedētu Latvijas tautu, lai nostiprinātu komunisma režīmu, lai sadzītu ļaudis kolhozos, lai aplaupītu tos, kas kopš klaušu laikiem paaudzi pēc paaudzes sūri, grūti strādājuši un izcīnījuši savu zemi, izcīnījuši to no purvājiem un no mežiem, iekopuši laukus un tīrumus, godīgi strādājuši, audzinājuši savus bērnus, un tagad bez brīdinājuma izrauti no savas dzīves un aizsūtīti mokpilnā tālumā.

Mums ir jāatceras šis notikums, jo to prasa mūsu taisnības izjūta. Mums ir jāatceras šis notikums, lai atgādinātu, ka tas bija noziegums, kam nav attaisnojuma. Ne visi, kas toreiz bija vainīgi, ir stājušies vai kādreiz stāsies cilvēciskās tiesas priekšā, bet es esmu pārliecināta, ka Dieva priekšā savu sodu viņi saņems. Mūsu pienākums ir atgādināt, ka tas bija noziegums, ka tas nav pieņemami. Tie nebija nekādi varoņi, kas uzlika savu parakstu šo nevainīgo ļaužu izsūtīšanai, šādus ļaudis dēvēt par varoņiem ir rupjš izaicinājums pret visām cilvēcības vērtībām, un šādus ļaudis apveltīt ar sarkanām neļśēm ir ciniska un klaja ņirgāšanās par latviešu tautas ciešanām, par cilvēka ciešanām vispār. Tas nav pieņemami, un mēs vienmēr atgādināsim, ka tā nedrīkst notikt, un tas nav un nebūs nevienam pieņemami, nekad un nekur mēs to nedrīkstam pieņemt. Noziegums ir noziegums un kā tādam tam ir jābūt pazīstamam gan mums pašiem un nākamām paaudzēm, gan visas pasaules acīs.

Šogad ir tā sanācis, ka 25.marta izvešanu atcere iekrīt arī Klusajā nedēļā, tieši pirms Lieldienām. Un varbūt mēs varētu izmantot šo datumu sakritību, lai šajā dienā padomātu arī par šśīstīšanos, par izlīgšanu ar savu pagātni, jo ne jau sveša vara vien bija atbildīga par šiem izsūtītajiem. Uz izsūtīto parakstiem bija arī paši latvieši svešu vārdu vidū. Un mēs ļoti labi zinām, ka bija kangari, iztapoņas un oportūnisti, kas ar prieku palīdzēja veikt šo akciju, lai pēc tam karinātu medaļas sev pie krūtīm par šo sasniegumu un nopelnu. Es aicinu Jūs padomāt par to, kā viņi uzvedās tad, kad pārnāca atpakaļ šie izsūtītie no izsūtījuma. Varbūt kaimiņi bija paņēmuši viņu mājas, dzīvokļus un īpašumus. Lai atceras katrs, kas pārgāja pāri pār ielu, kad redzēja pretī nākam savu agrāko skolas biedru, draugu, darba biedru, kaimiņu un izlikās viņu nepazīstam un nepalīdzēja viņam iekārtoties darbā, novērsās no viņa, un tā turpināja to sodu, ko viņš Sibīrijā jau bija paguvis izciest un tomēr pārdzīvot.

Es domāju, ka mūsu tautai daudz kas guļ arī uz pašas sirdsapziņas. Un šajā sēru dienā mēs varam no šīs vainas atpirkties, gan godam cienījot tos, kas ir cietuši, gan arī paši domādami par to, ko mēs varam darīt, lai izpirktu savas tautas vainu nākotnes priekšā. Man šśiet, ka vislabākais gandarījums netaisni cietušajiem būtu gādāt par to, lai tā valsts, kuru mums tomēr izdevās atgūt, būtu stipra un droša, lai tā būtu civilizēta valsts, kurā kaut kas tāds vairs nedrīkst notikt, lai tā būtu valsts, kurā valda tiesu vara un taisnība, lai tā būtu valsts, kurā cilvēka dzīvībai ir augstākā vērtība un kurā mēs visi kopā esam gatavi strādāt un pūlēties, lai veidotu tādu valsti, par kuru tie, kas gāja bojā, varētu justies, ka ir gandarīti un atriebti.

Novēlu visiem šajā dienā, lai jūsu pārdomas jums dod jaunu spēku, ceļot nākotnes Latviju.

CD-ROM reminds us of Podnieks’ greatness

Juris Podnieks was one of Latvia’s best-known and most successful filmmakers. His accidental death in 1992 was a tremendous loss to Latvian film. Podnieks’ unique combination of talent, determination, skill, courage and incredible ability to motivate others to exceed their limits allowed him to create films that transcended their subject matter. His films are comparable to similar works by such notable documentary filmmakers as Errol Morris and Ken Burns.

In celebration of what would have been his 50th birthday the Latvian film forum Arsenāls put together a CD-ROM in his honor titled Juris Podnieks: The 20th Century As Seen by the Latvian Filmmaker. It is a must-have for all those with an interest in Latvian film and Latvian and Soviet history.

Podnieks and his crew were on the front lines as Latvia and many others nations emerged from the yoke of Soviet occupation. His films captured the tenor of the times and the courage and determination of a people who would not be denied. Is It Easy to be Young? played to packed movie houses all across the Soviet Union and won numerous international awards. It captured the alienation of youth and the banalities of the Soviet Union at a time when to even raise the specter of such issues still carried a great deal of risk. Homeland captured the unraveling of the Soviet Union in vivid detail while chronicling the "singing revolution" in the resurgent Baltic republics. Homeland. Postscript chronicled the nightmarish crackdown by Soviet authorities. Two of his closest friends and collaborators, cameramen Gvīdo Zvaigzne and Andris Slapiņš, were killed in Rīga during filming by OMON troops.

The CD-ROM is full of details about Podnieks the filmmaker and the person, as well as general Latvian history. However, the true standouts are the bits and pieces from Podnieks’ various films. It is impossible to watch them without being affected, both by their strength of vision, and powerful message, and by feeling a profound sense of loss at the death of the man who made them. His death at the age of 42, an age when filmmakers enter their best and most productive years, is still being felt across the Latvian film industry.

You can’t help but be affected by footage of a young man, in Is It Easy to be Young? breaking down in a court room, while a passive monotone voice reads the judgment of the court that sentences him to three years in prison for getting carried away during a rock concert. In We, a series of documentaries on the Soviet Union made by Podnieks for England’s Channel 4, the audience gets a glimpse of the incredible courage that it took to stand up to the Soviets.

In what was either an intentional or unintentional homage to the Odessa steps sequence in Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin and is eerily similar to a similar event that took place in Tianamen Square years later, a woman runs into the frame and tries to stop armed soldiers from getting down an outdoor staircase to break up a protest in Armenia. In Homeland. PostScript you watch with horror the footage of both Zvaigzne and Slapiņš getting shot as Slapiņš, despite being mortally wounded, exclaims, "Keep filming!"

The only flaws of the CD-ROM are that the text, most likely written by a non-native English speaker, seems stilted and ackward at spots, and that there isn’t more footage of Podnieks’ works. It’s ironic in a way. Podnieks was known for almost never using narration in his films. He allowed the subjects to speak for themselves. It’s a shame that we couldn’t have more of his films on this CD-ROM, and in the future, to do his speaking for him.

Details

Juris Podnieks: The 20th Century As Seen by the Latvian Filmmaker

Augusts Sukuts et al.

Rīga:  International Centre for Cinema Arsenāls,  2000

Notes: Minimum requirements are a Windows 95 Pentium-based computer computer at 166 MHz, 32 MB of RAM, 2X CD-ROM, 256-color monitor with 800×600 resolution, sound card, QuickTime 3.0.

Recording helps kids live Latvian folklore

Labrītiņi, rītiņā

The best advertisement for Labrītiņi, rītiņā is our 4-year-old son. He just loves it! He’s fascinated by the songs and rhymes and the children who sing them. Right away he recognized the couple of pieces that were already in our family’s repertoire, and he has since picked up several more. In fact, when the compact disc comes to an end and I go to put in another one, he protests. Every time. Need any more reason to get this recording?

The children singing on Labrītiņi, rītiņā are plain, regular kids, aged about three to six, from a school in Jūrmala, Latvia. Actually, they are all pupils of Ilga Reizniece of the world music band Iļģi. On this recording Reizniece also provides many of the accompaniments, as well as a vocal motherly nudge here and there.

The CD doesn’t sound so much as a performance as it sounds like walking into a room of preschoolers going about their daily activities. They sing songs and tell rhymes, sometimes giggling in between: jājam, jājam mēs ar zirgu… cepu, cepu kukulīti… ar vilciņu Rīgā braucu… dop, dop Rīgā… vāru, vāru putriņu… sitam plaukstiņas… sīkas, mazas meitenītes… kur tad tu nu biji, āzīti manu?… Dievs nosvieda bumbuli zemē… etc.

Labrītiņi, rītiņā does not try to make recording artists out of young children. Just the opposite: the idea behind this project is to have the children and their performance of the songs sound as natural as possible. So, no synthesizers and drum sets. Out-of-tune notes and changes in tempo are forgiven. The shy child is helped along by the teacher. This is not the Rīga Dome Boys’ Choir or the poppy Neparastie rīdzinieki, nor does it try to compare with them.

Instead of the elaborate (and often annoying) arrangements so common on many Latvian children’s recordings, the arrangements on Labrītiņi, rītiņā are appropriately simple and unobtrusive. A kokle here, a guitar there, a quiet whistle or drum is all. The words can be understood fairly well, but all the texts are written in the liner notes so that it’s easy to follow along and learn the songs. The translations are good, with the exception of a couple of odd words. For those who do not know Latvian, the texts will probably often sound silly or senseless. But keep in mind that many of the rhymes are actually little finger or lap games with accompanying motions, kind of like "This little piggy went to market."

Reizniece stresses that folklore is inseparable from everyday life, that folklore is life. She writes: "Folklore has never been a school subject; it’s the very life of our ancestors simply given a foreign name. And if it is not lived daily, but once or twice a week for half an hour, it can remain incomprehensible and unloved." With this recording parents can help to make traditional Latvian songs and rhymes a part of their children’s—and their own—everyday lives.

Although it’s the perfect thing for young children, I honestly don’t know whether I would listen to this CD much if I had no children. That’s probably because I’m just not one of those people who finds young children irresistably cute (except my own, of course!). But, even though I’m not a "cute" person, the cuteness of several of the tracks has really grown on me.

Labrītiņi, rītiņā definitely has children’s appeal. A former Latvian school director I recently spoke to suggested that every Latvian school and family with young children ought to have this CD.

Details

Labrītiņi, rītiņā

Latviešu tautas mūzikas kolekcija

UPE Recording Co.,  2002

UPE CD 028

Where to buy

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