Nolaupīt Vosu

Overview

The end of the 1970s. The Soviet Union is in a state of stagnation and apathy during the Brezhnev era. Ethnic and social tensions are simmering. An armed group of young people appears in Latvia, wanting to fight Soviet rule using guerrilla tactics. They blow up railways, carry out armed attacks, and intimidate KGB informants. The most daring plan of the young people is to track down and kidnap Augusts Voss, the leader of the Communist Party of the Latvian SSR at the time. The USSR State Security Committee called them the Zilberts gang. How should we evaluate the activities of a group whose actions, both then and now, can be considered criminal offenses? Bandits or partisans? This case goes beyond the bounds of conformity and nonviolent resistance, which is precisely why we decided to tell its story.