to the book "A Kaleidoscope of my Memory" by Ruta Shatz- Mariash
About the Author
Ruta Shatz-Mariash was born in 1927 in Riga, the capital of Latvia - at that time an independent Baltic state.
In 1951 she graduated from the legal Faculty of the Latvian University. Worked as a lawyer, as a defendant in court for 33 ears.
In 1984 she started her literary career. Her documentary book about her father Professor Max Shatz-Anin, a scientist, lector, lawyer and figure of culture, titled "The Past, Reality and Dream" was published in Riga in 1995.
In 1988 Ruta Shatz-Mariash became one of the founders of the Latvian Society of Jewish Culture and the Association of 18 national (ethnic) Cultural Societies of Latvia. She was elected in the Supreme Council of the Latvian Republic as a member of the Peoples Front of Latvia (1990-1993), worked there in the commission for Human Rights and ethnic Issues, was one of the authors of the Conception of the National Culture Autonomy in Latvia. She participated in preparing the Declaration about Restoration of State Independence of the Latvian Republic (1990). In 1993 - 1998 she was a Member of the Saeima - the Parliament of Latvia, was a deputy chairman of its Legal Commission.
Since 1995 she is a member of the Commission of the Council of Europe against xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance - ECRI.
About the book
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The first chapter of the book - "Childhood for the whole Life" relates about a cloudless childhood of the author in a well-to-do family of Jewish intellectuals. Details of private and social life at that time, mutual relation between children of various ethnic groups, first impressions of Russian and Latvian culture, of religion.
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In the second chapter titled "Great Illusion" the author tries to realise the reasons of a wide spreading from the beginning of the twentieth Century of ideas of a Socialist Revolution among intellectuals of different nationalities. Among the romantics and rebels of that time who later became victims of those ideas there was also her father. There is a detailed picture of events that led to the Soviet occupation of Latvia in June 1940, and of the tragic events which suddenly fatally changed the life of the people of this small country, their social, labour and cultural traditions.
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The third chapter "The War" depicts events of World War Two, which overturned the life of the author and her family; the escape from approaching Nazi forces. Russia and Kazakhstan - a new and unfamiliar mode of life, conditions which formed the young frame of mind of the author. The influence of Russian literature and poetry. The infatuation of Maiakovskys poetry.
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The fourth chapter "My Onegin - my Demon" is about the first romantic love of the author. It had not been realised but turned into a spiritual close tie which lasted for over forty years.
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The fifth chapter "Without the Right to Live" is devoted to anti-Semitism. Pre-war relation between Latvians and Jews, the participation of a number of Latvian followers of Nazism in mass executions of Jews during German occupation. The final part of the chapter relates about the rise of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union in post war time and about the arrest of the authors parents by KGB in February 1953.
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The sixth chapter "My profession is a Lawyer" relates about the authors work for defence in court for a period of 33 years. She speaks of the specific conditions of a lawyer in the Soviet court system, mentions a number of cases, characteristics of that period and portrays a number of persons whom she defended in court.
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The seventh chapter "Such was our Life" contains all the spiritual and personal, which, besides her professional occupation filled the most part of mature years of the author. The mode of life of that period, interest in art and literature, music and cinema, travelling, meeting with interesting people.
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The eighth chapter "A long Way towards an Old Dream" tells of the authors long striving towards the work in literature, towards expressing herself in literature. It contains her first attempts in this field. Some "tests of the pen", when she tries to express in words her observations, impressions, thoughts and feelings. She speaks of her first serious literary work - a book about her father.
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The ninth chapter "Another Sharp Turn of History" relates in detail about circumstances that led to restoration of independence in Latvia in 1990 and reasons of the victory of the People Front of Latvia at elections to Parliament. Stressing the great role of national (ethnic) motivations of people in the process of destruction of totalitarism - the aspiration of people towards the realisation and defence of their national identity. It relates of the restoration of cultural autonomy of national minorities living in Latvia.
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In the tenth chapter "I belong to the Authority" the author relates of the period when she was elected in the Parliament of Latvia. She describes and analyses the difficult and contradictory political process in which she participated for over 8 ears. The difficulty of creating a new legislative basis in place of the old one which became useless. Work on the Citizenship Law - one of the most complicated and vulnerable rights problem in new independent Latvia.
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In the eleventh chapter "Sincere Thoughts, Disputable Thoughts" the author tells us of her attempts to find an answer to a number of issues that appeared after the crash of the Soviet regime. Is it fair to accuse whole nation of the horrid crimes that had been performed by people of the same nationality and is it correct to accuse any nation as a whole? Have we the right to demand from all and everyone a uniform estimation of the past? What is the semblance and what is the difference between the two main totalitarian regimes of the XX-th century? Is it necessary to have an official legal recognition of the criminal Soviet regime alike the one that the Nazi regime has? What is a moral repentance of a society? Is it possible? Is there a need of any ideology as a leading program of construction of the future society and formation of history?
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The last, twelfth chapter "And in the End I"ll say ... " is an attempt of the author to glance in itself, to realise what her character is, and to try to describe it in words. It is a certain protest against vital losses she had during her life, a wish to keep alive the truth about those that have gone - her parents, her husband, her close friends. About those who still remain beside the author of the book.
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