Blata, vides un varas mijiedarbības romānu sērijā "Mēs. Latvija, XX gadsimts"

Throughout human history, social connections have affected the everyday lives of individuals in a multitude of ways. The need for “convenient” connections was even more exacerbated during the Soviet period, when useful friendships and acquaintances were crucial for obtaining even seemingly basic goods and services due to the inefficiencies of the Soviet production and distribution systems. This informal procurement system has created a collective trauma in Latvian society, which is also reflected through the prism of literature. This article aims to address how social connections are used for material benefit by various characters in the novels in this series, describing the Soviet chapter in the history of Latvia. The phenomenon of blat (the use of social connections to gain access to goods or services) is yet to be individually addressed in the context of Latvian literature or life stories in general. The article gives an insight into this Soviet-era concept of actual value and considers the challenges it poses for the modern readership. In the first section of the article, different theoretical definitions and aspects of blat are examined and compared. In addition, the possibly far-reaching consequences that blat poses for the modern Latvian mentality have been considered. In subsequent sections the theory is applied to the novels being analyzed, particularly concentrating on the effect that blat has on shaping the surrounding environment and the power roles between various characters. In the conclusions the author underlines the importance of an extensive, multidimensional depiction of blat and the manifold effects it had on everyday lives of Soviet citizens, in order to promote deeper understanding of this phenomenon and provide a more immersive reading experience for young readers.