VALKAVALGA
Foreword What is a border and what does it enclose? In the physical world it is a measurable unit, often visible on maps and arranged by the parties (on both sides?). Sometimes it is not clear what will be found on the other side, if it is safe there, or if it is the same as inside; if there are any adventures and new opportunities waiting out there. One may wonder what it looks like across the border. It is possible to see the borders of a physical body, while some would talk of the reality beyond the limits of patience or ones imagination. Borders exist not only in the physically measurable reality. There are many borders within the social world and people’s everyday life. Many of them are diffuse and flexible; some are strictly drawn in one person’s mind, but not in other’s, they exist between friends, colleagues, among traffic participants and in other everyday situations. The same can be said on the limits of the roles we all play, such as on what it means to be a child, for instance. Most of them are mental constructions of the human mind and established through social practices. Sometimes borders divide society members, social groups and even cultures. Any object possessed and any activity practiced can be used as bordering sign. Often these are the characteristic elements, which are indicative of a specific group or an individual society member. These characteristic features can be seen also as fruitful soil for labelling and recognizing the other as a part of a certain discourse. In the meantime, the unique features allow one recognizing an original personality, a member of a specific culture or another smaller or larger unity, not always in a negative discourse. Similarly, national identity and belonging to a country is “full” with characteristic features and signs one can read or deliver. Everyone knows at least one joke or story about some nationality, and we often do have certain expectations, when entering a foreign country. Delimiting qualities are constructed, recognized and reproduced, often with the help of the language and other communication means. There are questions behind the idea of borders: how genuine are they, what they actually mean to us and to others, what kind of action practices are supporting them?
Borders between countries are strictly defined, they can even be objects of discussion and conflicts. There are also territories, which have changed their owners through the time. Almost every history museum tells us stories of great wars, intruders and liberators. However some places are located as if between the borders. It all affects local identity and people’s identification with the place. It is not always clear where we should draw the borders between us and them, whether we should communicate, and what kind of interaction it could be? What do we know about those who are often living next to us? There are many questions to answer, Diana Tamane’s photography project aims to present the city divided by the border, the place where several nationalities cohabit, and gives an opportunity to think on what the borders between the countries and cities are, what they mean to their people, and how they are recognized and practiced. It is a subjective interpretation by the photographer on the topicality of the border and human imagination of the others, which is presented through the means of photography in VALKAVALGA project. Karlīna Vaivade Sociologist and Semiotician
A place called Walk was mentioned for the first time in 1286 in the credit register of Riga. In 1918 Estonia and nine months later Latvia, proclaimed their independence and in 1920 a border was established between Valka (Latvia) and Valga (Estonia). The area of Valga is 16.5 km² and that of Valka is 14.2 km². Their populations are respectively about 14.000 and 6.000. There are living Estonians, Latvians and Russians in the area. In 2009 all border-crossing points were removed and roads and fences opened between the two countries with both countries joining the Schengen Agreement.
Project by Diana Tamane For the last six years Valga/Valka was for me the place just to cross, to pass by. * Every fourth page is the picture of the border.
When I was younger I used to go to Valka for the Ligo festivities. We have Jaanipäev in Estonia, but it is nothing compared to Ligo. Ligo! It was really something! Kad biju jaunāka es gāju uz Valku uz Līgo svētkiem. Mums ir Jaanipäev, bet to nevar salīdzināt ar Līgo. Līgo! Tas bija kaut kas īpašs! Noorena käisin ma Valkas, Ligo pidustustel. Eestis on meil Jaanipäev, aga see pole võrreldav Ligoga. Ligo! See tõesti oli midagi! Сейчас уже нет, но раньше я ходила в Валку на праздник Лиго. У нас в Эстонии есть Jaanipäev, но это не сравнить с Лиго. Лиго! Это было чтото особенное!
[Ene, 56]
I don’t have a feeling that we are one city, not at all. We are close, but at the same time we could be 100 km one from another. Nav tādas sajūtas, ka mēs būtu viena pilsēta, tā galīgi nav. Esam blakus, bet mēs varētu tikpat labi būt 100 km viena no otras. Ma ei tunne, et oleme üks linn, sugugi mitte. Oleme lähedal, aga võiksime olla üksteisest ka 100 km kaugusel. Нет такого чувства, что мы один город, совершенно нет. Мы рядом, но с таким же успехом мы могли бы находиться 100 км один от другого.
[Artis, 19]
Everyday you go to school and they say it straight to your face that “you are Latvian, go to your Latvian school, we don’t need you here” and so on. I left and went to a Latvian school. There it was the other way around – “you are from Estonia go to your Estonian school”. Katru dienu tu ej uz skolu un tev saka sejā: „Tu esi latviete, ej uz savu latviešu skolu, tu mums te neesi vajadzīga”, un tā. Tad es aizgāju prom uz Latvijas skolu, Valkas pamatskolu. Un tur bija otrādi: „Tu esi no Igaunijas ej uz savu Igauniju”. Sa lähed iga päev kooli ning nad ütlevad seda sulle otse näkku – “sa oled lätlane, mine oma läti kooli, sind ei ole siia vaja” ja nii edasi. Lahkusin ja läksin lätikeelsesse kooli, Valka algkooli. Seal oli vastupidi – “sa oled Eestist, mine oma eesti kooli”. Каждый день ты идешь в школу и тебе говорят прямо в лицо, – «Ты латышка. Иди в свою латышскую школу. Ты нам здесь не нужна» и т.д. Так что я ушла в латышскую школу - в начальную школу города Валка. И там было наоборот, – «Ты из Эстонии, – иди в свою Эстонию».
[Agnese, 19]
Valka and Valga – are two different cultures, two different societies. And emotionally you feel it. Valka un Valga – ir divas dažādas kultūras, divas dažādas sabiedrības. Un emocionāli tas ir jūtams. Valga ja Valka on kaks erinevat kultuuri, kaks erinevat ühiskonda. Emotsionaalselt on seda tunda. Валка и Валга – это две разныe культуры, два разных общества. И эмоционально это ощущается.
[Артём, 28]
No one likes Russians. That’s the way it is. Krievi nevienam nepatīk. Tā vienkārši ir. Mitte kellelegi ei meeldi venelased. See lihtsalt on nii. Никому не нравятся русские. Просто - это так.
[Reinis, 21]
I don’t feel the border, there is no difference for me. It is one city, for 20 years I have been going here and there. I have many friends among Russians and Latvians – we hang out together. Although most of my friends are Estonians. Es nejūtu robežu, man nav starpības. Viena pilsēta, 20 gadus staigāju šurpu-turpu. Man ir daudz draugu gan starp krieviem, gan latviešiem – kopā tusējam. Kaut gan igauņu draugu ir vairāk. Mina piiri ei tunne, minu jaoks pole sellel vahet. See on üks linn, 20 aastat olen käinud siia-sinna. Mul on palju sõpru nii venelaste kui lätlaste hulgas – käime väljas koos. Kuigi enamus mu sõpru on eestlased. Я границу не чувствую, для меня нет разницы. Один город, 20 лет хожу туда-сюда. У меня много друзей среди русских и латышей – вместе тусуемся. Хотя эстонцев больше.
[Lauri, 27]
There is no communication. Before we could talk in Russian, and I am even ashamed that I did not learn Latvian. Saldējums (ice-cream) I know, iela (street) I know.. and that is it. I do not have friends and even my friends do not have acquaintances from there. Te nav komunikācijas. Agrāk mēs varējām runāt krieviski, un man pat kauns, ka es neiemācījos latviešu valodu. „Saldējums” zinu, „iela” zinu, un viss. Man nav draugu no Valkas un pat maniem draugiem no turienes nav paziņu vai draugu. Suhtlust, kui sellist, siin ei ole. Vanasti sai rääkida vene keeles, ja mul on väga häbi, et ma ei õppinud läti keelt. Saldejums (jäätis) ma tean, iela (tänav) ma tean ja see on kõik. Mul pole Valkas sõpru ja isegi mu sõpradel pole seal tuttavaid. Здесь нет коммуникации. Раньше можно было говорить по-русски. И теперь мне прямо стыдно, что я не выучила латышский язык. «Saldējums» (мороженое) – знаю, «iela» (улица) – знаю и всё. У меня нет друзей из Валки и даже у моих друзей нет знакомых или друзей оттуда.
[Ene, 56]
If I see a car with Estoninan registration plates on my way to Riga or while driving around in Latvia I always think, “Oh, that’s one of ours” – it feels “That’s one of ours”. Kad brauc kaut kur tālāk vai uz Rīgu un ieraugi kaut kādu igauņu numuru: “O! Mūsējais “, – tā liekas: “O, tas ir mūsējais”. Kui ma Lätis teel olles Riia poole sõidan ning juhtun nägema mõnd eesti numbrimärgiga autot, mõtlen alati “Oh, meie oma!” – see tundub nii – “See on ju meie oma!” Когда едешь куда-то дальше или в Ригу, и видишь какой–то Эстонский номер: «О! Наш!»– так кажется, – «О, это же наш!»
[Ilze, 32]
Acknowledgements: Briedis family, Bas Vroege, Hans van der Meer, Karl카na Vaivade, Mari J채nes and Fotoluks. MIDDLE TOWN 2012