World beach volleyball champion Anastasia Samoilova, who plays alongside Tina Graudina, was forced to justify her Russian surname during an interview with "Jauns & Privāts". The girl was asked if she had experienced any unpleasant situations regarding her surname.
"Yes, my surname is not Latvian. Many perceive me as Russian or as someone from Russia. Under the publication about our victory at the World Championship, there were comments saying that I am Russian and I should go back to Russia. This is complete horror! I was born and raised in Latvia, I studied in a Latvian school. I receive such messages only because I have a Russian surname. I believe this is unacceptable in our society. Many people of different cultures and nationalities live in Latvia, but we are one nation living in the state of Latvia. I am a patriot and I love Latvia. It really bothers me when someone speaks badly about Latvia. I wholeheartedly support Latvia.
And yet, I am criticized because of my surname and the Russian language. Yes, I speak Russian because my family has roots. My mother was born in Kazakhstan and moved to Latvia when she was eight years old. My father was born in Latvia, but we speak Russian at home. So what? My mother enrolled me in a Latvian kindergarten and a Latvian school. I didn’t choose the language to speak. I believe our society should be a bit kinder and more open. Because I love Latvia and do everything for Latvia, while some people criticize me literally for nothing," said Samoilova.
On social media, the video was criticized by the Russian-speaking population:
"A girl with a Russian surname, in a family that speaks Russian, won a gold medal for Latvia at the World Championship. What do Latvian media ask her? 'What do you think about the claims regarding your surname?' And the bewildered girl starts to justify herself that actually, she was born in Latvia and attended a Latvian kindergarten," wrote Olga on her Facebook page.
"In a civilized world, a journalist would receive a fine, dismissal, and a lawsuit for such questions directed at the person to whom the question was addressed," they noted in the comments.
