THE RED SCARE: THE BALTIC-RUSSIAN ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DECOUPLING FROM 1991 TO TODAY

Abstract

This paper aims to closely examine the economic and political-cultural developments of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from their independence in the 1990’s to the modern era, specifically in relation to the three states’ relationship with Russia. Little existing literature exists that uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine the Baltics’ decades-long decoupling from their previous colonialist oppressor. This work aims to weave the experiences of real people in the Baltic countries, rather than strictly compiling secondhand sources’ retelling of historical events. The paper concludes, ultimately, that the Baltics have successfully navigated various internal and external political and economic obstacles to their decoupling from Russia. Nonetheless, the three states have successfully created distinctive identities and self-sufficiency apart from the Russian state, as a result of several decades of advertent efforts to do so. This work is a product of firsthand research conducted in January 2024, generously funded by the George and O’Bie Shultz Fund of Princeton University. My research was conducted on the basis of interviewing willing participants who acted in fields relevant to the project, while also asking them open-ended questions regarding their personal experiences of the fallout of the war in Ukraine. Although many interviews were pre-arranged, many of my conversations occurred as impromptu exchanges. Lastly, although this paper uses the term “Baltic states” to refer to Estonia and Latvia for the purposes of this project, it is important to note that further research is needed to examine the effects of the war in the third Baltic state of Lithuania, as well.