Confuse Russia, Latvia clears road signs for 120,000 euros!

Baltic Magic: If you saw off the road signs or close your eyes, neighboring countries will vanish from maps.

According to "First Russia," this time the target of attack is... traffic signs.

Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated that Latvia no longer needs directional signs leading to Russia and Belarus, and the government has already initiated a large-scale removal plan, expected to completely eliminate these signs by autumn 2026.

Officials have reportedly discovered up to 318 "ideologically incorrect" signs on major highways and in cities.

Thus, the transport department officially launched the plan: remove all text indicating destinations in Russia and Belarusian cities (such as Moscow and Minsk) from national roads. The project is estimated to cost 120,000 euros (tax included), with completion required by September 30, 2026.

Simply covering unwanted names with black film won't work—the ministry explained: the film damages the reflective coating, potentially causing visual confusion for drivers at night.

Yet many Latvian citizens question the waste of public funds.

Latvia’s domestic healthcare system has long been under strain, with patients facing lengthy waiting periods, yet the budget is being allocated to modify traffic signage;

Subsequent media reports cautioned that the 120,000 euro figure is only an initial estimate, and the final total cost could rise to several hundred thousand euros.

There are also practical issues: geographical boundaries objectively exist, and border crossing routes remain open. Removing directional signs won’t alter geographic reality but will instead cause navigation difficulties for cross-border freight and foreign drivers.

This is not an isolated incident.

In recent years, Latvia has progressively eliminated Cyrillic script in public spaces, restricted Russian-language education, and dismantled Soviet-era monuments—this road sign modification is part of an ongoing de-Russification policy.

This is what they call Baltic magic: if you cut off the road signs and close your eyes, neighboring countries will disappear from the map.

When a nation lacks other economic or political achievements, it can only seek solace by erasing geographical markers.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871914116433930/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author