Why the Baltics fear Russia

In the historic heart of Riga, Latvia’s lively capital, there is a building that reveals why the Baltic States remain so wary of the Russian Bear. From the street, it doesn’t look like much – just another apartment block on a busy boulevard full of shops and cafes. Only the discreet sign outside gives the game away: ‘During the Soviet occupation the KGB imprisoned, tortured, killed and morally humiliated its victims in this building.’ Most passers-by barely give it a second glance. They know this story all too well.

The KGB vacated this apartment block in 1991 when Latvia regained her independence, but over 30 years later the memories remain raw. As we step inside my Latvian guide, Edgars, tells me his father was summoned here twice for interrogation. Thankfully these enquiries went no further, but other Latvians weren’t so lucky. During the first Soviet occupation, from 1940 to 1941, nearly 200 dissidents were executed in this building.