LTV's documentary series 'The Keys' has another online offering for you with English-language subtitles.

This week the year in focus in 1945. The end of the Second World War unfortunately does not bring peace and democracy back to Latvia but the continuation of oppresive Soviet Occupation and the ramping up of 'Russification' efforts to try to erase any lingering yearning for independence and a distinct national identity.

As the documentary outlines, Russification had numerous aspects: social, economic, demographic and cultural, yet despite the best efforts of Soviet functionaries, it ultimately failed. Nevertheless the effects linger in some respects to the present day and the film ends with a compelling call not to let the rivalries of the past hamper future progress for all Latvia's citizens.

According to LTV "The Keys" series tells of the most important or "key" events, personalities and turning points in the history of the Latvian state from 1918 to the present. The purpose is to reveal each selected event from an unusual point of view, as if "unlocking the door" to lesser known and therefore particularly intriguing facts.

"Such an exploratory approach, bypassing the usual stereotypes of presenting history, will allow viewers to perceive what is known to others and to better understand what has happened in the context of today's experience," says LTV.

Throughout the year, Latvian history will be told in 'mixed order' - events will not be sequenced year by year, but viewed in the exact month in which they occurred

The show is made by VFS Films, a long-time partner of Latvian Television and it is hosted by Mārtiņš Ķibilds, a distinguished cultural journalist who sadly passed away late last year.