William Tyler
Freedom: Found, Lost, and Found Again: The Story of The Baltic States in the 20th Century
Summary
William Tyler explores the complicated quest for freedom in the three Baltic states.
William Tyler
William Tyler has spent his entire professional life in adult education, beginning at Kingsgate College in 1969. He has lectured widely for many public bodies, including the University of Cambridge and the WEA, in addition to speaking to many clubs and societies. In 2009, William was awarded the MBE for services to adult education, and he has previously been a scholar in residence at the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
Well, it’s a fait accompli in the Baltic. It’s not a fait accompli in Ukraine and the Russians definitely don’t want Ukraine to join. Moreover, their view of Ukraine is different because of Kyiv, because that’s where the first Russian state, Rus, began. It’s where Christian orthodoxy began in Russia. They see it as absolutely central to Russia being Russia. It’s as though in America Philadelphia was not American. It is if, in Britain, London was not American. It’s that central to Russian belief about themselves.
I haven’t got the figures. Yes, there are, particularly in Latvia now. The Estonians made it very difficult. They closed Russian schools down, and when I was there, they were very, very anti-Russian. But the Russians have gradually come back, but Latvia, yeah, a lot. Lithuania is different. Lithuania is different. And Estonia has had support from Finland and Sweden, although Sweden has got, the biggest department store in Riga in Latvia is Swedish.