Depopulation named main problem of Latvia's eastern border region

Latvia's border with Russia runs for almost 300 kilometers — a distance longer than the trip from Riga to the border itself. Living so close to an aggressive neighbor inevitably leaves its mark on the daily lives of people in the border region.

Latvian Television's investigative program "Aizliegtais panēmiens" has dedicated its latest episode to this topic, but with an unusual angle. Rather than focusing on drones, military presence or border security — the subjects that typically dominate coverage of the area — the program's makers chose to center their story on the everyday lives of local residents.

Focus on Latgale

The episode examines what daily life looks like for people living in Latgale, close to the border with a country now widely regarded as an aggressor on the international stage. According to the program's title, the main problem facing this region is not security-related risk but depopulation — the outflow of residents and the resulting emptying-out of border-area communities.

This approach offers a broader look at life in the border region than typical news coverage focused on military security. The program aims to show that the challenges facing the border area stem not only from the geopolitical situation, but also from long-running demographic and social processes affecting Latgale's municipalities.