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Soviet apoligists day the same about Baltic regions: “we came to basically a forest and built schools for them”. What they forget is that in parallel to that t
by heavenlyblue 6y ago
Soviet apoligists day the same about Baltic regions: “we came to basically a forest and built schools for them”.
What they forget is that in parallel to that they were systematically eradicating their language and everyone who had any political stance (educated, etc) up to the point that a lot of political movements in these regions originated from overseas, as that is where most of these (lucky) people could move instead of being forcibly removed to Syberia.
- m0llusk 6y agoBut the contributions are radically different as the current remains reveal. Worldwide English is the language of commerce and throughout the remains of the former British Empire English for traders continues to be extremely common and global in scope and impact. In almost every city colonized by the British there remain enduring street grids with broad rights of way and predictable block sizes that are in many cases still the most lively and economically active areas. In contrast modern Baltic people speak English for international commerce and Russians when they need to talk to their neighbors. Also most of the construction the Russians were responsible for were military or industrial installations that have mostly been replaced or fallen out of use. It is these artifacts of colonial force that remain that bring into question the idea that the whole business had zero positive impact.