Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

Interviewer.

Did you have any premonition before the Putsch?

I. Emsis.

For me it came out of the blue. Maybe because at that time I did not avidly keep up with, so to speak, analyses of foreign mass media; I lived in a narrow information space that was strictly national. Somehow I did not feel the need to follow international news by listening to some foreign media... I really did not. And therefore for me it all came out of the blue. I do not know; maybe on the outside they had some kind of a premonition. But for me it was totally unexpected and beyond my understanding, for I could not grasp the idea that in the very heart, so to speak, of the Soviet Union there could be a boil that all of the sudden was about to burst. It was something that I could not... For experience had taught me that whatever happens, it is under the close supervision of the Communist Party, and if someone is killed, it is clear that it has been, so to speak, sanctioned beforehand.

But what happened... it was something... I could not even imagine that such an internal explosion of that magnitude could happen... within the system.

Interviewer.

What were you doing when the Putsch began?

I. Emsis.

Well, I was about to go to Germany in order to deal with some environmental issues; it was about wastewater treatment facilities for Riga city. We had developed a project that we wanted to present to others, and we wanted to request some technical assistance during the construction. Uldis Bambe, then Manager of Rīgas Ūdens [Riga municipal water supply company], and I agreed to go abroad. And then the Putsch begun, and that was it. I had to change my travel plans. And once again we returned to the sitting of the Supreme Council, where we totally renewed this... well, we discarded all the temporary solutions that we had... and proclaimed a totally independent state – we adopted another document on independence... it was 21 July... no, wait, it was 21 August... when we adopted the document. And then we started to follow the events on television; we were waiting to see how the problem was going to be solved in Moscow, where they had the army involved, and they were shooting at that building, and everything was... It all seemed to be unimaginable, you know, that something like that could really happen.

And when a day or two had passed from the turning point, when it started to seem as if everything was going in the right direction... I received a phone call from Uldis, and he said: “Listen, let’s go! It seems that everything is over... Let’s go.” But I said: “Are you sure the ferries are back in operation?” Actually, we had to go by car to Helsinki, where we crossed over to Sweden and then travelled through north to Germany. And he replied: “Yes, I called them. It’s all right; the ferries are back in operation, and we are all set to go...” So he came and picked me up here in the yard, and I left the Putsch before it was over and went abroad. I went to Germany and continued to follow the events from there.

Another story is about how we were received there... I had never... It was just like on 4 May, when our people welcomed us; this is how we were received in Western Europe after the Putsch. Wherever we went, we were offered free accommodations and dinner. We were displayed like some kind of exhibits – people from that crazy country. They were still confused about whether we were independent or not. They said we were from that crazy country where there was a coup and that we were, in a way, ambassadors of freedom in Western Europe. Well, frankly speaking, their warm attitude was something rare for me. In Denmark, Germany, wherever we went, they took us to families and displayed us as exhibits. Therefore, I have the warmest memories from that trip and our warm-hearted reception. And during our trip – we were driving a private car from point A to point B and so on... Well, they told us about the recent developments and eventual solution. And then we understood. But I must say that I missed the gala ball celebrating the failure of the Putsch in Latvia.

Interviewer.

Could you please describe the atmosphere in the Supreme Council in comparison to the days of the Barricades, when the situation was similarly dangerous? 

I. Emsis.

At the time of the Barricades, we had a feeling of internal security. We had this feeling because of all the people and the unity... I did not have the same feeling during the Putsch. During the Putsch, I felt as if this process was happening somewhere outside our reach, that we could not influence it, and we had no idea how to express ourselves.

I had the feeling that my actions did not really matter; this is how I felt at that time. In contrast, at the time of the Barricades, it seemed to me that we were actually making history. During the Putsch, it seemed to me that somebody else was making history, and we were simply dragged into this mess. I had no idea what to do or how to make things better, for it all happened... it was like a volcano, like an unstoppable force that leaves you helpless. It simply happened, and you had to deal with it.

Interviewer.

When you were working in the Supreme Council and also afterwards, when you were on the Riga City Council, did you see any changes on the part of your former opponents? Did they acquire a better understanding of what had been achieved at that time? 

I. Emsis.

Well, I could name several examples. For instance, I deeply respect Vidavskis [member of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia] and his work in the Daugavpils City Council. I would say he worked responsibly, he was farsighted, and he did a lot for the city’s inhabitants. Also politically he had changed his perception; he had changed his attitude towards the Latvian language and many other things. So, yes, I did see changes on the part of many colleagues who had... Well, let’s just say that they understood the following: “It seems that now we live in a different... In our thoughts we live a bit in the past. Times have changed; Latvia has become an independent state. It has chosen a path that enjoys the support of the majority, which means that it all happened in a democratic way. So why should we oppose it? Let’s join the crowd!”

Besides, some of them... some of them even proved to be very responsible municipal officials who diligently developed towns or districts of the renewed state. This is what I think of them... And, to my amusement, there were also some individuals who regained large properties and became important businessmen. Communists turned large property owners.

Interviewer.

Or bourgeois.

I. Emsis.

Exactly, bourgeois is the right word. These stories... they are most amusing. I think it was Aleksejevs [member of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia, leader of the International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR] or someone else, who regained considerable real estate, you know, and then he opened several cafes and what not. It seemed that he had turned into a bourgeois. Communist indeed!

Interviewer.

If the Putsch had been successful, would you have accepted an offer to emigrate from Latvia?

I. Emsis.

It’s a difficult question. If it had been a matter of life or death, probably – yes, I would. However, if it would be possible to survive in Latvia, I would have stayed. You always have to assess the situation... how harsh… But when it comes to family, I would have definitely done everything to protect it. For sure.