Baltic Ways

In this episode of Baltic Ways, recorded on the sidelines of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, host Indra Ekmanis speaks with Inta Mieriņa, a political sociologist and director of the Center for Diaspora and Migration Research at the University of Latvia. Dr. Mieriņa discusses her path to being awarded a prestigious European Research Council grant and unpacks her new project comparing how European societies received Ukrainian refugees. The conversation also traces her groundbreaking work surveying the Latvian diaspora, from a landmark 14,000-person study to plans for a permanent diaspora consultation panel that could give emigrant communities a stronger voice in policymaking.
Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.

Image: A mural in Riga, Latvia, titled "Kopā Mēs Esam Spēks," meaning “Together We Are Strong.” Artwork by Dainis Rudens, Ēriks Caune, and Beatrise Bīriņa. (liveriga.com)


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The Baltic states are stalwart NATO members today, but their membership was not assured from the moment they restored their independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. They fought to overcome the reticence of other allies, then proved themselves as devoted partners on battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, this alliance is once again in question. What does it mean to the Baltic states, and what does the future hold? Ben Gardner-Gill chats with Dr. Andris Banka about his research and cautiously optimistic view about what comes next.
Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

In this episode of Baltic Ways, Dr. Indra Ekmanis speaks with Professors Violeta Davoliūtė and Ene Kõresaar about their contributions to a special issue of Slovak Ethnology. Co-edited by Davoliūtė, the issue focuses on slow memory. Kõresaar, together with colleague Kristi Jõesalu (who contributed to this episode outside of the recording), brought comparative research on slow conflict in Baltic history museums and the representation of Russophone minorities to the issue. The discussion also explores the academic value of slowing down in research and how this contrasts with the broader pressures to publish quick results.
Image: Wikipedia | Nacionalinismuziejus
Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

On June 14, 1941, the Soviet Union deported more than 10,000 people from Estonia to Siberia. Eight years later, Soviet authorities deported 20,000 more. These deportations have left a lasting legacy on Estonian society, though the majority of the population today was not alive to experience them. Decades later, behind the Iron Curtain, those in northern Estonia got a peek of freedom, and the West, through Finnish TV. In this episode of Baltic Ways, Ben Gardner-Gill is joined by Isabelle DeSisto and Robert Lipiński to examine how historical experiences impact political views and participation.
Image: Estonian World
Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

This episode of the Baltic Ways podcast welcomes Dr. Liina-Ly Roos, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the German, Nordic, Slavic+ department. The discussion centers on Liina-Ly’s recent book: The Not-Quite Child: Colonial Histories, Racialization, and Swedish Exceptionalism (University of Washington Press, 2025), in which she analyzes films and literature that portray Indigenous Sámi, Tornedalian, and Finnish-speaking children and how these figures disrupt the normative understanding of growing up in Sweden. These cultural texts are filled with tensions of assimilation, invisibility, and the struggle to grow in a society that demands conformity to a specific “Swedishness.” The discussion also considers parallels to the Baltic context. Dr. Roos is a graduate of the University of Washington and a grant recipient from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies.
Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.
Image: Adobe Stock


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com