The Soviets still owe Lithuania?
“Of course, the damage was done to individual people. Because hundreds of people were deported, hundreds ended up in camps,” explains historian Marius Ėmužis, who spoke to LNK journalists.
The strengthened development of the Lithuanian economy was destroyed for half a century. “It was a planned economy, not a market,” explained M. Ėmužis.
A lot of damage to nature, especially due to military training grounds and exercises. “The damage to nature that was done to the army during the preparation of manoeuvres,” the historian assures.
The entire LNK report is in the video:
And another damage that is difficult to measure. “Damage to culture in the broadest sense of the word,” said M. Ėmužis.
We calculate that Lithuania lost a million people due to deportations, massacres, and repression. Due to the assessment of the damage of the Soviet occupation, the Latvians were the most advanced. Six years ago, the Latvian Ministry of Justice and its commission announced that the Soviet occupation had cost Latvia 185 billion. Euro damage. It was emphasized that the losses due to the lost population should not be underestimated. Estonia did not officially announce the damage of the occupation, it was estimated that the damage could reach 49 billion. euros. At the level of the Lithuanian government, the damage of the occupation is assessed only once and a long time ago. in 1995 it is estimated that Lithuania has 80 billion litas damage. In euros – 23 million.
“This amount did not include the loss of lives and those who were exiled to Siberia and died as exiles,” reminded Arūnas Bubnys, director of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center.
in 2000 The Seimas adopted a law that Lithuania must demand compensation for the damage of the occupation from Russia, the successor to the rights of the Soviet Union. The law has not been implemented for two decades, and the damage has not even been assessed.
“In Lithuania, this work is not finished, because the criteria have not been decided”, – clarified former Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas.
In the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, there is still an opportunity to claim damages from the occupation.
“That possibility is always there. Together with the damage of the reconstruction of Ukraine, Lithuania will always remind us that the damage for our occupation is not compensated”, he assured.
Together with the damage of the reconstruction of Ukraine, Lithuania will always remind us that the damage for our occupation is not compensated.
Even when there were still talks with Russia, the Lithuanian diplomats themselves did not ask the Russians about the damage of the occupation. “I think it doesn’t make sense for us to annoy our neighbors right now,” said Vygaudas Ušackas, a former EU ambassador nearby.
“It seems to me that Russian politicians have never (been reminded), even when there was an opportunity to do that. Not in meetings with President Vladimir Putin (D. Grybauskaitė had met)”, reminded G. Kirkilas.
Back in 2006 a confidant of the Russian president came to the president Valdas Adamkas and said: “Russia is not going to compensate the damage and I think it is better for today to end that topic once and for all.”
“I think counting is the meaning. First of all, it is a moment of learning for both historians and the public. When something is calculated, methodology, sources, and their systematization appear. That is, a certain benefit for common knowledge”, M. Ėmužis is convinced.
Lithuania also suffered badly because of Nazi Germany. But the situation with German reparations is different. After World War II, Joseph Stalin, Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agreed that Germany would pay Moscow, which would distribute reparations to the countries devastated by the Nazis.
“Atseit had to share that money with the new socialist states that emerged after World War II. Of course, no action was taken for this,” the signatory Česlav Okinčić reminded the story.
The foreign minister says that the issue of reparations from Germany has been resolved. “In my opinion, for Lithuania (this issue – aut.post.) is closed”, G. had no doubts. Landsberg.
A popular claim of Russian propaganda is that Moscow owes nothing to Lithuania, but that it owes the country the roads of the building factory. this myth was refuted by a scientist who analyzed Soviet financial reports. Even up to a third of goods and money traveled from Lithuania. Lithuania was a donor to the Soviet Union. “He refuted both the Soviet and pro-Putinist propaganda that the Baltic countries were supporting the budget of the Soviet Union,” said A. Bubnys.
Russia also has written obligations to compensate for Soviet-era damage. When Vytautas Landsbergis and Boris Yeltsin signed an agreement on the withdrawal of Russian troops. “Russia already then, in 1991 in July, by signing bilateral agreements, it undertook to compensate Lithuania for the occupation damage caused by the Soviets”, says the director of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center.
After V. Putin came to power, Russia rejected the Soviet occupation. Russian children are taught in schools that Lithuania and other countries voluntarily joined the Soviet Union.