It remains to collect 1000 voices for carrying out of referendum about the recognition of the Russian language as the state one in Latvia

The chairman of public organization "Native language" Vladimir Linderman has informed that it is collected already about 9 thousand signatures for a referendum about the recognition of the Russian language as the second state language.

"It will be necessary 10 thousand signatures in one week or one and a half week, the leader of the action on collection of signatures is convinced. It is for comparison: the nationalists collected their "ten" more than year and we will keep within one and a half month", the active worker has told in interview to IMHOclub.lv.

"The certification of signatures is made on money of the donors. We asked people to help us through mass-media. And people have responded. The sums which come into the account of "Native language" are very different: someone transfers 5 lats, someone – 500 lats. The part of sponsors simply incurs the obligation to pay two hundred or three hundred of signatures. Some firms invite the notary and pay him by themselves. Approximately 10-15 % of those who comes to the notary and pay 2 lats from his pocket", Vladimir Linderman tells.

The head of a society "Native language" has answered a question on activity of the Latvian regions, "The leaders are Riga, Liepaja, Jelgava and, of course, all Latgalija. I think, it will be pleasant for the ruling top to know that it wasn't found out any difference between the Russian “old” and "new” citizens". For example, approximately 400 persons have signed in a small Ludza and won't come up to twenty "persons of naturalization" among them ".

Linderman underlines that the representatives of the most different social strata put the signatures under the requirement to make the Russian language as the second state in Latvia, "I haven't deduced any general social denominator. Here you can see the granny hardly extending on modest pension and the young man irritating the turn by loud conversations by a mobile phone about any improbable transactions and the old-fashioned-intelligent lady talking to the notary exclusively in Latvian. Whoever only present".

Linderman has answered affirmatively on a question, whether the Latvians sign, "Yes, they sign. Not much if to speak about people, for whom the Latvian language is native, instead of the Russians with the Latvian surnames. The part of the Latvians can support us. But only in the case when will be convinced that we are capable to support ourselves. The force and unity attract as a magnet and the moaning and scepsis - push away. Now our problem is to show that we want and ready to stand for the native language", Vladimir Linderman notices.

The public organization "Native language" has been founded on February 22. Its official purpose is the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. In the beginning of March the organization has begun the collection of signatures for the announcement of the Russian language as the second state language. Actually it is a question of response to initiative VL-TB/DNNL which achieves the full transfer of not Latvian schools into a state language of education.