Eng Countryside and agriculture historically have been seen as one of the strongest pillars of Latvian national identity. Since the first national awakening in the middle of 19th century in culture and ideology, Latvians have positioned themselves as farmers, particularly during the first Republic of Latvia (1918–1940). Viewpoint about Latvians as ploughman nation revived again after the dissolution of USSR and retrieval of landed property. Latvia experienced a rapid increase of the number of farms. Now Latvia is a part of Europe’s present-day political, economic and cultural system of values. Social, economic and political circumstances have determined changes in the prestige of the countryside and agriculture. Analysis of the newspaper "Latvijas Avīze" content shows that today the countryside and agriculture are at a crossroads when it comes to their meaning, future and value. It means, that the basic elements of Latvian identity, probably is starting to fall to pieces. |
