Starts october 8th on d, w ah, a along the Eastern Shores of the baltic sea lithuania, la fia and estonia, the Baltic States in awe. For half a century, they belong to the soviet union. A forced brotherhood. With, with the singing revolution of 1990. The bolts regained their independence. To day, they are russias neighbors. But russias war on ukraine has rekindled old beers. Many here wonder, are we next . Ah, [000 00 00;00] with our journey through the baltics begins in the north east in the estonian city of norfolk, a border city, where nato and the you meet russia. Ah, less than 300 meters separate, the 13th century estonian fortress hammons festa from the russian fortress. Yvonne garad no, i leaked a man thought idle bus. Marva is located where year begins and is the most russian speaking city. And while european union, our population is 9 go 6 percent ration speaking only 4 percent. Speak estonian here but said missed one of some 2000 estonians and nava. I got 3 right belongs to that 4 per cent. They did not even but she is also the citys mayor. Home to some 55000 people to day, nor ever has seen its share of upheaval originally and estonian city. By the end of world war 2, it was deserted and almost completely destroyed. The red army had driven out the german van mocked and with it most of nervous inhabitants. Soviet era buildings and apartment blocks make up most of the city to day. Many who live in nava moved here during soviet times as well would i think would and not about like a born actually never was born in new in 1945 i. It was the year one for nerve out of neu, mitchell. New people came at the beginning, more from the border region than from the ural region for neurology. Lighter. One of our i nicholas and dana studies, but fear narvie was a shiny Industrial City vintage. The women were beautiful dresses of sea. There was a lot of caviar and sausage cheese milk, milk. It was a nice life, its work. It wasnt important that it was a stony and it was just a town. It could have been anywhere. And then quite unexpectedly in august 1991, the state became independent. That was a shock. Its by choke. In the soviet era nava and yvonne garad were twin cities the bridge that connects them is still called the bridge of friendship. But to day, the cities exist in 2 very different political systems. With a stony as independence in 1991, a guarded border went up since 2004, when a stony had joined the european union, it has also served as an external border for the e. U. A 2nd Border Crossing is reserved for pedestrians every day, commuters between the 2 cities and systems around half of novice, ethnically. Russian residents are not estonian citizens. They have a rush and passports, or the so called gray passport, which identifies them as stateless, but allows them to walk easily without a visa, between russia and europe. Mainly people who make the crossing to it to go shopping with Miss Mitchell with the solvable world. Once a month we go there to buy alcohol and cigarettes, or just now we were asked if we were carrying salt issue. I asked if that was forbidden the border. God said no. Just that now every one brings salt, salt and soda, fruitful, nissan coolant by them. Rough im looking for a while. Do you by there . She vodka, cigarettes, salt, sugar cakes, chocolate confectionary. Good. The cup is already waiting. Feel to little salt is practically sold out in the supermarkets of norma. People are stocking up. Who knows if bell ruth will stop exporting salt to estonia. In addition to worrying about empty store shelves, russian residents say they fear discrimination. Mayor country reich has invited the public for a discussion with the minister of justice in the city hall. Oh yes i estonia welcomes and cares for ukrainians who have fled the war for some russians and nava. This is a sore spot. They say it makes them feel like 2nd class citizens. What is putins war doing to estonia isnt uniting or dividing people here. As the worst one with these days, we hear calls from various ministers, but also from the president warning against denigrating or suspecting the russian population in estonia. And they have me there. But this is exactly what were experiencing in the media. And at the same time, i see how the ukrainian side is reported and refugees are taken care of. And for me, a completely justified question arises, what has the estonian state done in all these years . With regard to the russians who were born here and live here, you said, yes i am. I dont know if there is anyone here among us who has experienced the 2nd world war, no, got them. I experienced it for me. The war began when i was 9 years old. I was with my grandmother curriculum. She said to me, girl, run him quickly. The war has begun for them. Children have to be with their parents now. And i ran 3 kilometers to my parents house. Why am i telling you this . Yes, it does. The war is a terrible thing. And for us now, there is only one thing to do to prevent a blood bath in ukraine, where you go crazy lou for the russian president vladimir putin. The dissolution of the ussr was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. And according to russian state television, todays neighbouring baltic countries represent a fascist threat v. As in mid lake on ale, we are a member of the east end of nieto. Article 5 is our protection. Our future are guaranteed of it died, our freedom, it absorbed windows that i got on t ones that are fry height. The base of the Estonian Defense leak or kites sell it in norfolk members of a stony as volunteer army are returning from training once or twice a month. They give up their free time for their homeland. The Estonian Defense league was founded in 1918 when a stony 1st gained its independence. The kite so it was banned during the soviet period, then re emerged in 1990. In 2015, alexander moist, a young co joined the group. He is russian born in norfolk for there is that doable results were more local, were bureaus of all of our pros from europe will joining was my reaction to the annexation of crimea. The 1st thing my acquaintances asked me was whether this meant that i would be ready to shoot at russians, ordered the last many of my friends because i suggest, oh god, what do they consider me a traitor to the russian people you are looking for . But let me put it this way that the earth, someone comes here with weapons in his hands, no matter who he is and he is an enemy. It doesnt matter what language she speaks. Criminals have no nationality. Do you understand how much we live here . And these are our borders calling you for the estonia, does not invade anyone to this. I was born here. This is my homeland or the half the defendant from you . Closer, 43. The limits will almost convertible schuler sir obliged girl from the present when ukraine was invaded on february 24th. I called my mother and said, if the state of estonia wants me to go to ukraine to defend it, i will go. My mother is ukrainian. She is from odessa sooner she said to me, were you craniums are now getting what they deserve. I was stunned and i cant talk to my parents about this issue anymore and they will not understand me. They think that bruton is doing everything right. No more for them to. Im a traitor group ever since i joined the kite sell it to him. You rascal will go to douglasville for buford city. Alexanders parents were staunch communists. His father helped to build the Nuclear Power plant in sure noble. With the collapse of the soviet union they like Many Russians and nava lost the country they had identified with now they live in europe. But what does that mean . A the government to yet go to an issue with the government could what happened in crimea, or don boss also happened to norma. Could it be split by force from estonia . Since the annexation of crimea and 2014 relations between estonians and russians, living in estonia have deteriorated. A certain level of tolerance had been painstakingly achieved. Now its given way to old cliches, long ago, evil russians and nationalist estonians from the kite. So it base alexander most a yankee goes straight to the cities theater, where he works as a stage hand. Emma alexander is both russian and estonian at heart. But at 48. 00, hes too old for the young republic, too old for the estonian language, which he never learned. A stateless person with a gray passport. Because if you dont speak estonian, you cant be an estonians citizen or hold public office. The urban with burglary is her good. You to wish you was doing you, if the russian people who live here are really given the feeling that they are also at home here, than russia will have no argument to protect their citizens in estonia, than putin will not be able to mobilize people who are ready to provoke or support a russian invasion when your solution is where you grow william a double of 4 or more born. You said the hershey. I understand that estonia citizens suffered a lot from the soviet unions violence of it. But we all come from that time. We all want to be in europe premium. The new sure, very seminar values are brought. The only difference is, is that we talk about these values and different languages. But if i have to redeem myself in every conversation, for something i didnt do, it doesnt create a could Dialogue Community over if that goes on, then a line will always be there between new russians and we estonians rosky. This is not how it should be. Buckingham oh oh, im alive at diamond dagenham. Our next destination is taught to in south eastern estonia. No, no, no. Tar 2 is the oldest city in the baltics. First mentioned in the year 1030, and the 2nd largest in estonia. For centuries it was under foreign rule. The german nights of the order arrived in the 13th century, followed by ivan the terrible than the swedes. In 1941, the german mammoth occupied the city. In 1944, the red army took over and stayed for almost half a century. How do you rebuild the country after 50 years of imposed to tally tarion rule, estonia looked to its youth and digitization. Since 2000, the estonian constitution has guaranteed its citizens access to the internet. Free. Why fi is ubiquitous here. Has tonia is considered a digital pioneer in europe at the university of ta to the delta centers. Modern building is an epicenter of digital progress students, researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs work here under one roof. One person who was a student here, and tar 2 is now considered something of a National Hero in estonia, at least by the younger generation. The programmer ot heinlein, developed the telephony software, skype in 2003. A pioneering act that still inspires many young estonians since then, digitization has become an important economic driver. Now, estonia is home to over 400. 00 start up companies. Among them who to class founded by kristen tom at 30 years old. Hes always lived in an independent estonia. Good luck, im. You know, when im a, you know, when i, when im with for little, i can finish with the city. It when ive only ever known estonia as a free country, and thats a piece of luck. My parents and grandparents didnt have obama and with her, they told me how everything was nationalized back. Then. There was no Free Enterprise roberts, i mean, ive seen things like that in some of the countries ive traveled to countries that are not democratic. All that are under the influence of russia youre, im about, you can see it in their Gross National product, but also just on the streets. You can see how people are doing the difference between these countries in estonia today, its light years that i with an elaborate on that weve done our business take, wasnt than i do business with amazon. In estonia, Internet Access is standard in schools. First graders learn to Program Chris and tom and his team have developed a computer game for learning using Virtual Reality headsets to they want to make lessons into an adventure political tonight and the who to class is an educational game that we developed for chemistry and physics classes for 8th and 9th graders. So than that again, realty students learn about complicated topics. Using Virtual Reality laboratories and Laboratory Facilities at schools are expensive in this virtual lab. On the other hand, you can repeat an experiment a 100 times, try it again and again and learn from your mistakes in the war in ukraine is not virtual while its all to real and that my mind with figures theoretical me. So is the question of what to do about it. No renewal on to move to here fail. Immigration, the war has affected my life so much that yesterday i attended my 1st volunteer army informational session. Im going to join the defense laker. Weve got a needed no lab which with her as the business good may be our International Partners no longer trust us because we live close to the russian border. Good luck on, but we belong to nato. Everything is good here. Im not worried about how company man would have to go. Ne us any sick. Our car will to let it. There was had to an odella the see who had mimi . Kristen. Tom doesnt have to worry about finding new recruits for his company either. The Software Developers of the future are right next door. They study just across the courtyard in the delta center may know not only even after their 1st semesters, students are hired by start up companies. And by the time theyre 20 or 25, theyre earning twice as much as their parents. He. They sca lee had been away from tar to we travel further south along the russian and bellow russian borders dug up is, is the 2nd largest city in lafayette. After riga, ringed in soviet times by machine building factories and a chemical plant. In the 1990s, many of these factories had to close. One of the most important employers to day is the locomotive repair works. Founded in 1866. 00 as a repair facility for the st. Petersburg, warsaw, railroad line. The factory boomed under the soviets. They expanded, adding a house of culture, a pioneer camp, vacation homes, and a Training Center for the 4000 people who worked here with the collapse of the soviet union. The plant shrank. Today. It only has 640. 00 employees. Valerie, but on off worked for the railroad for deck. Its then 2 years ago his job was eliminated at the repair plant, he found new employment as a master craftsman, mother. We think of he is russian and a citizen of lafayette yevgeny. Bog donna was born and raised in dog appeals. He trained as an engineer in riga. Hes been working in the locomotive factory for 2 and a half years. On a resume, eva has been with the company for 29 years. She is bell russian and has a russian passport. She is happy with that which is some severe let the we live in latvia so we also feel like latvians have gotten them. We speak lat vienne, and ration. But ive no, id love to have them are more detailed. What is the with the city belonged sometimes to one state, sometimes to another as a result, different nationalities live here. I think that it is people from the outside who tried to make a conflict out of it, to drive a wedge between us like now for cbs, which we, ordinary people dont care whether we are real latvians or real russians. We dont want any problems. We have to hold on to a jobs and with that so we can live here half decently the service of worship microphone. Historically doug of pills has always been a rather russian city. Now more and more people, especially the young speak latvian. Im a latvian citizen at here in the company. We speak russian. Its still our everyday language. I have no problem with it. So i mean, of course, the can problem the russian language is common here. So to was Russian Television, but not any more Russian Television channels are now blocked in all baltic countries. Abdulla caesar thank you, policy submarines that it was that i think there can be no objectivity for us like this. Not from one side or from the other. We cant influence the situation anyway. Also we have our own thoughts about what we see that and good. We stand outside politics measure to somebody 0. If youre the village about moving your body. Yes. Yes, this is what you to live again, is the blue. I think its bad that the tv channels have been blocked. After all, there has to be another opinion if what western mass media report is true, that was what is the Russian Media have to be blocked. Something been hidden from a snatch of. For me it is quite clear propaganda comes from both sides regardless of my sit on a little whisper. Yes, 5050 lives emotional where you could choose for yourself. If you could hear and see both sides, you could probably there is no neutral mass media either. One is either for one side or for the other. That is why it is absolutely wrong to pound the channels on there. After all, not only the political channels were blocked, but also entertainment and sports channels. So yes, what the grannies watch, keith, us. But i also dont understand why russian and bella, russian athletes were barred from the paralympics. Why do they have to suffer from politics . Im also strictly against at sports have nothing to do with politics. The war is also impacting the plant repair orders come mainly from russia and ukraine. They have disappeared overnight and before the russian attack, ukraine placed a major order. Now the payment of 9000000 euros is outstanding. Will it come late or not at all . The plant has asked or government assistance for employees, the situation feels threatening. You can feel it, you feel it. We felt it immediately mature was the situation heated up quickly . I from one day to the next one, your computers lower several Diesel Locomotives that were supposed to come to us from ukraine and russia were stopped and turned round. Its much of our markets depends on these 2 countries in the book of yesterday and we live on the periphery of these countries. What happens there affects us here to not just our businesses, which will also affect other industries. You can see how some people are starting to panic. You only have to look in the stores or at the prices at gas stations to see how hysteria as mounting, that oval to put them a little bit of upward. Closing the plant would be a disaster or its 640. 00 employees the city to would lose an important source of tax revenue. And people would start to move away to places where there is more work. Estonia or elsewhere in europe. From dug up is we crossed the border into lithuania, home to the cities of vilnius and vista. It is the westernmost of the baltic countries. Lithuania is sandwiched between bell roost to the east and the russian enclave of colleen and brought to the west. Our next destination is vilnius. With the capital welcomes us with skyscrapers a little like new york or frankfort. The citys modern Business Center is attribute to lithuanian economic rise and prosperity bud vilnius is well known and loved for its historical architecture because of its many churches. Vilnius is called the rome of the north since 1994, the old town has been a unesco World Heritage site. Here, buildings and gothic renaissance and lithuanian baroque style offer a stark contrast to the glass towers just across the nearest vilnius has a new street. The street of ukrainian heroes. The sign went up a few days after the war began a small alley in the west of the city. It leads directly to the Russian Embassy in the park, across the way. Blue and yellow ribbons waved from the trees. At the end of february, thousands of people stood here with home made banners protesting against the war. Many lithuanians compare their country to west berlin during the cold war. And they fear its only a matter of time before putin decides to take back the former soviet republics and the baltics as well. If ukraine falls to day, hootin will be on our doorstep to morrow, declared president gaetano. Now seda, the ministry of National Defense is flying the flag of ukraine next to the lithuanian flag. Defiant letters at the entrance, remind passers by maced nato. We are nato shock over the war in ukraine. And a resurgent fear of the russians has turned the city into a blue and yellow sea of solidarity. Ah, ah. With every day for refugees from ukraine, arrive in vilnius in front of the official registration center. A private initiative has set up a stand here. Individual donations are distributed for those with strollers that barbie dolls, clothes, cosmetics object with. One of the helpers is judea. Padaya little at one, if the indians want to help people probably feel very connected calling crane, it has always been like that of almost everyone knows someone in ukraine, of course, and this is also our history. After all, we used to be one country. Im a fever, i love the there from conference if you have it is these document gun pushed him to 2nd to bring the lot idea of an initiative is to bring people certain things that they dont get from the state that they get basic packages from what they need to survive. So we wanted to give them some Little Things kind of climate cards like hand ties for goes for it to hand cream cream. To my women tell us they havent used hand cream for weeks and their hands are really rough and henderson saw. So we had a table full of cosmetics fine and after 10 minutes it was all gone. But thats just nice month month. You feel like you, randy . Give people a little happiness, was me. Ok, look ye, adria padaya is 36, an anti trust lawyer. She studied and breyman and worked in a Major Law Firm in dusseldorf. Dyson le dyson by michigan avenue, a. Germany and the germans patch was a wonderful me on them guys. I didnt even really compare them. Gemini and eco ania. Lithuania was my life in germany was another world, another planet. I also didnt think that the life i saw in germany could ever become a reality. In lithuania, those were 2 different wells for me at that time, ive seen of elk. Ethan is done with. Does lithuania, truly belong to europe . Does europe really stand behind lithuania . How secure can lithuanians feel with russia and bell ruse for neighbors . These are the questions people in vilnius are now asking themselves when russia attacked ukraine in february, this year, the government here declared a state of emergency basements were converted into shelters. The adria by diana had sleepless nights. She wondered whether she should leave the country as soon as possible with her husband po, villas, and their 2 children on a maya and hare coos one bank, then the knob on the fun comes out. Long bones fun. People think its thumbs full that they can fool here. Tomorrow i was checking the airlines every morning looking for flight. Why should we go . Should we go now or not yet . Hi to for my my. My husbands father lives in 10 a reef the south and that might be a destination for us. But the flights rural gone immediately. It was also 10 aris tourists season and i have friends in germany, iceland, they all offered me apartments. It took a few days to calm down a bit among the close of business is poor. Its hard for her. The warren ukraine is as close as a phone call to her relatives and keith. Her uncle lives there with his wife and 2 children that do one and killed one doesnt among the as natasha, where they live in, ki, answered saba, and left on the 1st day for paula tarver. Were the grandparents live for our mom. But my uncle stayed in t f. He is waiting for the russian army settlement as a liberator. Unfortunately, he is lithuanian just yet, but he never lived in the independent state of lithuania. Now his lung give warned. He was in the russian army. He believes that the russian army is the best deal and that all this is good to amid the best it is. But when i understood that he was always on boot inside. Yeah, i was like, so this is also a conflict within our family. Unlike estonia and lafayette, with their relatively Large Russian populations in lithuania, only about 5 percent of the population is russian. Most russians left lithuania with the withdrawal of the red army. To day russia and lithuania, our neighbors. Are they also enemies . More than one demonte not available. Walk at the office, visit good chip leaked. This house us was cause cause vehicles in the 1st days of the war. I was very angry because i thought i took it all very personally that i really thought every russian was guilty. I think that the master plan to cut good would you have one s g m or give me more . Even our babysitter is russian, sir. Whose class we thought about whether to do without her, as the saying goes away, maybe its not good to have the enemy in your own house. Ill place to go here. I will say articulate. I was a caliber, they performed on both of us, even princess ga. Gov would notch at life, but then we realized that this is nonsense that people have lived here since birth. And even if they are russian yet, they have lithuanian passports to mask about, or theyre not the ones who approve of putin and his military actions are broken. So he must not crossed his line. That in every russian, you see only rushes war about him and rushes people after all, themselves, hostage to their own government. And when joseph took place, and in my opinion, they can hardly do anything about it. Milan norman a shadow, only uppercase that zen from dason. Dark, we grew up with this from the 1st day we were born with doug, along with the thought that russia is be aggressive, the occupier and, and that it can come back at any time you grow up with this thought that it can be bounced back again when appreciates, read all the more on that one enjoys this freedom all the more over me that you all same half as fear in the back of your mind man, had our image is asking him to come what ye, diarrhea, and povey last are too young to have experienced soviet era, lithuania, po, be last was only 8 days old when the country broke away from the soviet union and regained its independence to day. They live here with their children, no differently than in western europe. But does the past still shape them . Oh, thats okay. Oh man that the orphaned in franklin, people say when you talk to friends of yet that in our country as something i probably inherited from the soviet times the flight zone shed sunk is climb. We have lower self esteem than people in the west. The ship we value ourselves less and be dang the city at was vinegar of absent than via. For example, when applying for a job thinking, many lithuanians also work at google up to look, we have many foreign companies. Oh, you always assume you dont have the same chances. And as a frenchman relationship or in italian year and from sarasota that yes, i see no go. Well neg valence austin aged here in vilnius. He dont really feel a longing for the old soviet era anywhere. Foster certain Cultural Values have been preserved among the older generation. After all these people spent most of their lives in the social order of that time. But yes, we, however, belong to a generation that grew up in an independent lithuania. We dont mourn values that we dont know yet. We consider ourselves westerners because we have little in common with the east, with russia and re yes and lets alicia the claim number to the death ot us vela we want the so we are of course the Little Brothers and sisters of the easement is. Yeah, this is a gift or us the fear in there it wasnt than we want speed along with the other countries by mac, and we are still very young, so to speak or shy, but it means and not to of young thoughts as i hung up expedited me, stephan fissile glen nicholas, got nato most not noticed that because of all this integration into the e. U ins, nato, we can feel safe here, master them, im convinced that they will protect our freedom, guaranteed we must also take care of ourselves on the out. So that we can leave in peace without children. My how with, ah we have been traveling in the Baltic States for 10 days every day, a day of war. Lucel, historical versa, did our last leg of the journey takes us to western lithuania, to the status. A village of 500 people on the border with the russian, ex clave of colleen and grad. Ah. This is as far as we go. Ah. Ah. The village border is also the state border of lithuania. Lying beyond it is the colleen and gras region. Once prussian, with koenigsberg as its capital, after the 2nd world war, the area became soviet. After the fall of the soviet union, it became a russian ex clave surrounded by nato countries, poland and lithuania. On this homestead right next to the border fence lives 78 year old janina lava chowsky, near her husband and 2 sons have died. One grand daughter lives in israel, another in london. Yeah, nina, love a chance. Kenya has lived here since 1963 or did of our surety nephew a needles to a vehicle or did a bose sound didnt even get my stayed leduvo little room at that time. We were part of the soviet union. Ve i worked over there and a childrens holiday camp. I was responsible for distributing food oboski. I worked as a cook, as the cleaner. I did everything that was necessary is that a bow lead to ashes just an at doth . Okay. Even when the border came, i still worked on the clinic grad side of good. Then the fence went up. Got it is almost impossible to get a job here has invested us in the past. It was different. There was a Kindergarten Post Office at holly clinic, a cultural center. Now there is nothing and a newborn you bull, but does bubble bullock again . Nika, lou . Ah, they did my good. Go go. It of beauty. Yes. Even look, i am european look at miss guzman. But what kind of european ah, look at me, look at my house. There is no one to renovate it to you. Yeah my, there is no money for that either. Those for the heating season mistake gives me 300 euros, but it costs 1000 euros. So i run up debts in the winter or then over the summer i pay off the debt and in the fall, when i have to buy firewood again, i go back into debt because if i spend everything on the firewood, there is nothing left over from that come out, were good that why youd never guess or dont get glazed today get back in. Look, ive suppressed no good. Oh jewel. Got clear to what they got earlier yet i got what should i say . Do you know that we have an independent lithuanian . Is good, better, but now there is a sense no, never, it would be better if it didnt exist. That does what done last that little, what yet did the rule were . Yeah. I wish to not have cut out. Nubians no, i cant say anything bad about the russians. Good. No, i couldnt even say half a bad word about them at a bull get. I bet. Garcia lucas, you know, cut it. But this putin is false. Nonsense. That nobody wants warning. They didnt get a bull to associate noted where job is. So it gets le gus and im shows you took your local book. I never grew rose cro shoes. I oh, art more in depression. Ah, musicians from ukraine and deliveries continue to resist and theyre giving rouse and performances at the b tobin 1st. Bon, oh, arent 21 in 30 minutes. D w. Ah, they would say what makes the gem 15 just in the gym . Loved on banning thing stuff away from that, but im not even know how to work my own car and everyone with later holes and everything i just getting are you ready to meet the german can join me right. Just do it on d. W. Ah, is the end of the pandemic in sight . We show what it would look like will return to normal. And we visit those who are finding it difficult with success in our weekly coping 19 special every thursday on d w. Ah ah, this is d w. News ally from berlin ukraines president has a deal for new russian troops. As moscow calls up reserve is on mass surrender and they wont be forced to return home to face punishment. Meanwhile,