“The only official language of the Republic of Latvia is Latvian,” Martins Vilemsons from the Department of External Communication of Riga municipality told AFP in an email.
He also pointed out that the theatre could continue to advertise in public outdoor spaces — only in Latvian.
Asked about the ban, Latvia’s ministry of culture said it appreciated “the very strict position” of the Riga Russian Theatre on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Baiba Murniece, a senior official at the culture ministry, told AFP the theatre’s activities were “an important tool for social integration and the creation of a unified social narrative”.
But the ministry said it could not overturn a ban imposed by the city council.
For Bjork, the fight continues.
“We will fight tirelessly against these populist attacks on the Russian language, Russian culture and everything that is associated with the word ‘Russian’,” she said.
“A person can speak any language, but if this person is in favour of murder, in favour of hatred, in favour of aggression — then this is a bad person, not a bad language he speaks,” she added.
© 2025 AFP
