Zelma writes to Vilis in summer 1940

1 Name: Auziņš

This is a letter from the archive of Vilis Auziņš. In the 1930s Vilis published advertisements in Riga magazines with proposals to young ladies to date him and to become friends. These advertisements caused pretty good correspondence with a bunch of girls. Vilis kept the letters for all his life and later they were sold to an old book shop. The shopkeeper took the letters out of the envelopes and made business with the envelopes. The letters had no market value and were transferred to me practically for nothing. I have not yet studied this rather good amount of the texts carefully, but I think that the publishing of them could be postponed because only the first names of the authors are normally known. Exceptions could be made for some of letters that reveals various aspects of the everyday life not covered by other sources.

The letter presented in this Page was written on June 30, 1940 two weeks after the Soviet troops entered Latvia (June 17), and life changed seriously and even more serious changes were expected. I think that Zelma, who wrote the letter, had acquired only elementary education, so she was a worker and might be a very good candidate to a supporter of the socialism. However the letter reveals her impressions that do not allow to conclude she was. I underline that the letter describes the understanding of events in June 1940 not in any time later when the real events and any propaganda could impact Zelma's way of thinking.

Unfortunately, I have no ideas what was the family name of Zelma, where she worked and what was the elections in her working place that caused her objections she described in the letter.

Her information that thousands were watching a cinema movie should not be understood literally. There were no place in Latvia where a thousand could watch a movie.

The text of the letter in Latvian (all her numerous spelling errors are kept untouched):

30 VI - 40 g.

Mīļš sveiciens!

Šodien ir tik jauks laiks, tikai tevis trukst. Micite un es bijam sauļoties no paša rīta un noželojam, kad tu nevari jo tad būtu cits prieks. Vakar mēs bijam aizgajušas tur pie 5.pulka, tur krievu kareivi rāda kino tur tustošiem cilveki skatās, mes tur nekā nevarejam redzēt tapēc mēs teicam ka mēs esam par dumam kā nekā nesaprotam. Man ir tik garlaicigi - kad tevi nevar satikt, tikai atliek atcereties jaukos brīžus ko mēs pavadijam ar tevi pa Jaņiem - Vai tu ari par mani drusku domā vai nemaz, es par tevi katru dienu domaju, man ir tik bezgaligi žēl, kad tev jaguļ slimnica, jo to es esmu sajutuse kad es pate guleju. Tas vēl labums kad tevi daudz apmeklē tad nav tik garlaicigi. Man sāksies atvaļinajūms 15 Julija būs līdz 24 Julija, visiem jaiet atvaļinajūmā būs slēkta. Mūms pie darba iet kā pa elli bija mums velešana un mūs pamatigi piešmaca vardu sakot apveda apsturi, kreisie tagad tik lieligi, mēs teicam kad nav pareizi vēlets, tad mūms cietumu. Ka tik kas nav pa prātam draudē, tapēc es būšu laimiga kad būs atvalinajums varešu atpūsties. Es tagad stadašu kā parasts nākoš nedeļu no 3-11 vakarā jo lidz 12 varot visi tikt majā, vienū dienū es tik sradaju no 5 ritā. Es tik daudz pļapaju tev Vilit tas galigi neintresē. Tapēc atraksti labi daudz, ka tev ar tavu slimibu iet tu zini kā es tev mīļais draugs jūtu līdzi, tikai nevaru tev palidzēt. Tagad beišu rakstit. Sveiciens no Micites un lai tu drizi izveseļoties.

Ar miļu sveicienū

Zelma

My translation (no attempts were made to model the spelling errors in the translation)

30 VI - 40

Dear friend!

Today the weather is so nice, but you are missing. Mīcīte and I, we baked in the sun early in the morning and were sorry you could not, we enjoyed very much if you were with us. Yesterday we had a walk there to the 5 Regiment, there the Russian soldiers demonstrated a movie and thousands of people were watching, we could not see anything and therefore we said to ourselves we are too stupid that we understand nothing. I am so bored - because I can not meet you, I may only recall the nice time we had together on the Midsummer Day. Do you remember me sometimes or never, I think about you every day, I am so sorry you should dwell in the hospital, because I understand quite well how it is, I felt it by myself when I was in a hospital. It is better when a lot of people visit you, then it is not so boring. My holidays will begin on July 15 and will continue till July 24, everybody should leave for holidays, the business will be closed (?). We have a hell in my job, we had elections and we were completely fooled in other words we were swindled, the leftists now think so much of themselves, we said the elections were not correct, then they said we should be jailed. If something is against their will, they intimidate, therefore I am happy with the holidays, I shall have a rest. Next week I shall work as usual 3-11 p.m. because they say till 12 p.m. everybody can return home, my work begins at 5 a.m. one day only. I am chatting so much, you, Vilis, are not interested at all. Therefore write me a lot how is your health, I am sympathizing with you, dear friend, in your illness, you know, but I can help nothing. Now I finish writing. Best regards from Mīcīte and recover yourself soon.

With lovely regards

Zelma