Virtuoso pianist Artur Nikulin is one of the many Ukrainian refugees in Latvia. He came after the war began, but he arrived from the Russian capital. Nikulin graduated from conservatories in Lviv and Brussels, after which he started working at the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow - at the National Cultural Center of Ukraine, whose employees were evacuated to Ukraine after the war.
Nikulin arrives in Riga and decides to stay - especially since he is an admirer of the Latvian composer Raimonds Paulus. “I respect Latvia and Latvian culture, I am very grateful to Latvia. And Raimonds Paulus is perhaps the most famous Latvian in the entire history of the country.“
A large number of Ukrainian refugees
Latvia is among the ten EU countries that have accepted the largest number of refugees from Ukraine – about 17 people per thousand inhabitants. This is almost twice as much as the average indicator for Europe. Currently, there are over 30,000 Ukrainians in the Baltic state.
Jānis Bekmanis, Deputy State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia, told DW: “Currently, about 10,500 citizens of Ukraine work here. Interestingly, about 500 people have found the opportunity to work in two places at the same time. This shows how hardworking Ukrainian citizens are – they are not the kind of people who want to live on social benefits“.
Yulia Lopata was forced to flee Ukraine with her young son at the beginning of the full-scale war. In Riga, she first worked as a volunteer – helping her compatriots. After that, she was able to start her own business and a new life – today she runs a popular bistro serving Ukrainian cuisine.
“It seems to me that I have always subconsciously wanted to have my own small establishment, but I have never been able to achieve this. In Ukraine, I worked in a large metallurgical company – I am a leading sales manager and sold metals. When we came here, I had to do something and earn money to provide for my family. As a result, my idea was born to create a place that would remind me of my homeland – something native and homely. That's why I decided to open a kitchen where people can come and feel warmth and comfort - like going to your grandmother's, where it's always cozy and tasty. I wanted to convey exactly that feeling.“
Integration and work
The first wave of refugees from Ukraine to the Baltic countries included mainly women and children. When they left, Yulia's son was only 3.5 years old, and in the meantime the boy had already spent most of his life in Latvia. “He knows very well that there is a war in Ukraine, that people are dying there, and that it is terrible. He dreams of the war ending and us returning. But he has already adapted to life in Riga, learned Latvian and started first grade in a Latvian school. He even says that he dreams of becoming the president of Latvia.“
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has been going on for over 4 years. Because of this, the policy towards refugees in the EU, including in Latvia, is changing. If earlier the main task was to provide assistance to the immigrants, now the important thing is for them to become a full-fledged part of the local society.
Jānis Bekmanis points out that citizens of Ukraine get used to life in Latvia more easily because they usually know Russian, which is similar to Ukrainian in phonetic terms. “That is why we understand each other more easily than with those who have arrived from other regions of the world. Despite the relatively small cultural differences and common history, the Latvian language remains difficult for Ukrainians.“
The Ministry of Internal Affairs admits that most Ukrainians in Latvia work in professions with low pay and prestige - they work as cleaners, salespeople and workers in workshops. This is due not least to the fact that they cannot easily confirm their qualifications, and they still consider themselves to be abroad temporarily. However, Yulia and Artur realize that the pre-war past will never return - that is why they are linking their future with Latvia.
Future abroad
“I wish all this would end and everyone who wants to return home - families would be reunited and there would be no war, that is the most important”, says Yulia. Artur, for his part, points out that even if the war were to end soon, which he does not particularly believe, it would remain in people's hearts, and not for one generation. “In my opinion, it would be very difficult for everything to be forgiven and crimes to be forgotten.“
Author: Denis Kisnevski