Order banning Russian language in public spaces does not apply to theatre content, says adviser

Latvian Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis (National Alliance) has issued an order requiring all institutions and capital companies under the Ministry of Culture to exclude the use of Russian language from public spaces. However, according to the minister's adviser Agnese Vārpiņa, the order will not affect theatre content – if a performance's dramatic material is originally in Russian, it is considered an original creative work and is exempt from the restrictions.

The order applies to situations related to the implementation of functions, such as international events, strategies, advertisements, and websites, where state language requirements must be followed. Puntulis justifies the order by citing the Constitutional Court's ruling of 30 March 2026, which emphasises the importance of Latvian as the sole state language. Professional artistic activities where the original work is in Russian are explicitly excluded from the restrictions.

Institutions must implement the order by 30 July. The order follows dissatisfaction expressed by National Alliance politicians over a billboard in Russian at the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre, citing Article 21 of the State Language Law, which stipulates that information intended for the public from state institutions must be provided only in the state language.