OK, in Latvia, do not speak Russian {Gadling}

Mar 10th 2009 6:29PM Seemingly, as is usual for Central and Eastern European issues, outsider's view is skewed. While there are people here everywhere (Baltic countries, former Czechoslovakia, former Yugoslavia) that promote the one-sided view (especially those feeling injustice from the other side in the past), many people are able to see multiple facets of the picture.

I am writing this as a Slovak with Hungarian name (Slovak-Hungarian issues are hot issue now) born in the town currently in Czechia (Czecho-Slovak divorce following the Velvet Revolution was fortunately quite peaceful) speaking also Russian (learnt compulsorily six years in the school, we had to as citizens of a prominent member country in the Soviet bloc) who recently visited Riga and Jurmala (and really enjoyed it).

My point is that I had virtually no problems speaking Russian in restaurants, shops or in the streets. While there were some frowns, there were in clear minority and I have found locals welcoming. I find the view of the article author quite extreme, it is unjust to judge the nation by one experience in the shop. Maybe the owner's father was sent to prison by communists, then it would be understandable. Yet the reality in everyday life of most CEE countries is not so full of ethnic and national conflicts as one could judge from news (media are obviously looking for blood).