To hear that Riga is a capital of Lithuania was a wrong assumption and very common in the Soviet times. But why now do westerners very often not see or not like to see the strong differences between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in culture, architecture, religion, languages, history, etc?
Is it a matter of education or psychological phenomena? Maybe the Baltic states themselves are bad in advertising or simply too small to be noticed?
I think it would be better ask, "why do some foreigners see the Baltic States as one entity?" since not all foreigners do. Interestingly enough, sometimes even leading citizens from the Baltic States use statements such as, "we in the Baltics" like Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia’s foreign minister (The Economist, 29 March 2014). So, we can add to your question, "why do citizens of Baltic States sometimes see themselves as one entity?" Answer to both questions is: ignorance or laziness, and/or it fits their purposes.
Arvydas, I should also ask you, why do you use the term 'westerners' as if the nations or the people living in the west are some monolithic block of people. I am sure you don't believe there is one universal answer why all foreigners think of the Baltics as a single state. There may be as many answers as there are people. Sounds like a research project for you...but rephrase your question. :-)
Dear Randal,
Thank You, I rephrased my question after Your remark as You suggested. Now it is more objective, but looses its impact. Of course, You can put in the question all possible options and You can do the same with the answers. But in the short topics I like tendencies, not the details. As consider the Baltic nations, at least it is good now that we are not considered any more by many as Russians. Dear Randal, how many, do You think, westerners knew us and considered us as the Baltic nations before 1990-s? Of course, there were few who knew us, but if to talk about the general tendency, so I am right with such straightforward questions. At least in this item.
Dear Randal,
In addition I want to give You two examples about our rusification before 1990-ies. Arvydas Sabonis, the famous Lithuanian basket-ball player and his team-mates Lithuanians were explaining long in press-conferences and elsewhere during 1988 Olympics, where they won the gold medals, that they were Lithuanians, not the Russians. But at this time almost nobody wanted to listen and hear about that.
Yes, Russians and may be, Poles knew that we were not the Russians, but for almost all the others we were forgotten lands and forgotten nations. Even our neighbours Scandinavians during the 50 years of our Soviet occupation, almost forgot us. Now I remember my affair with the Danish book "Ukendte naboer" ("Unknown neighbours") about three Baltic republics, which I accidentally found in Moscow Lenin library during gloomy cold war years in 1985. Interesting for You to know such book was put in library's special division which was carefully supervised by KGB. I got the entrance to that division only because of my dependence on Philosophy department at Moscow State Lomonosov university and because my dissertation theme was on Scandinavian socialdemocracy. Which I did not begin in Moscow.
So, I was allowed to read Western literature and to my happiness found this rare book on the Baltics. You know, it was like Solzhenitsyn or similar literature at this time.
Why I talk so much on these things now? Because the question of national identities and national question was and is still very important in Central and Eastern Europe, I .think. This has to be taken seriously in all political, economical and cultural considerations about this region.
Dear Arvydas Guogis,
Although I do not belong to the category of westerners who cannot differentiate many scholars, esp. political science, apply the comparative method of 'Most Similar System' analysis to uncover differences and explanations to political and economic issues and development.
In similar way the Scandinavian countries(Norway, Sweden and Denmark) are treated as similar systems.
With respect to the Baltic states I have certainly done this. If you are interested see some of the latest references below.
Best, Lars Johannsen
Johannsen, L., & Pedersen, K. H. (2019). Tell-tale tit: retaliation on whistleblowers in public administration. Crime, Law and Social Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-019-09872-3
Pedersen, K. H., & Johannsen, L. (2018). Administrative processes as an anti-corruption tool? A view from public employees in the Baltic states. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, 11(1), 131-157. https://doi.org/10.2478/bjlp-2018-0006
Pedersen, K. H., & Johannsen, L. (2018). New Public Governance in the Baltic States: Flexible Administration and Rule Bending. Public Performance and Management Review, 41(3), 648-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2018.1465828
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