EDVINS BRUVELIS

CONVERSATION WITH HISTORIAN EDVINS BRUVELIS, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK " THE HISTORY OF LATVIAN AVIATION".


-DDD: You are the first persons who has had courage to write the truth about Herberts Cukurs in your book “History of Latvian Aviation”, which is dedicated to aviation in the Republic of Latvia before Latvia was occupied by Russians in 1940.
-Edvins Bruvels: “ Yes. I met Herberts Cukurs in 1936 after he returned from his flight to Gambia. I was about 13 or 14 years old, I helped him clean his airplane and carried gasoline. He was an extraordinary man. Very interesting folks gathered around Herberts Cukurs – many youths, because he was the only one who knew how to work with them. He had the great ability to make contact with any one person.
After that we awaited his return from Tokio and this turned into a grandiose festivity. In the 1935’ he became the hero of the Latvian people. Boys wanted to follow his example. There is no older generation person (Latvian) who does not know who Cukurs is.
-DDD: Meaning that Cukurs was an exceptional person in pre war Latvia?
-E.B. “In those days he was an aviation pioneer- he who accomplished something in this field. I would even say that he is the most famous aviation pioneer in all of Latvia’ s aviation history. He built airplanes and made long distance flights deserving of Guiness records, he was an exceptional pilot, he proved his skills during such flights.
-DDD: What happened to him during the German occupation?
-E.B. “Aizsargi (National guard) suspected him of being a traitor. They went to get him and apprehended him .He was brought to the German security office in full (Latvian) officer’s uniform. That is where he met Arajs, who asked the arresting person :”Do you know whom you are arresting? You should be ashamed for arresting a Latvian officer and accusing him of such offenses?” and he (Arajs) offered Cukurs to serve in his unit. He became the master of arms and was in charge of transportation. From this time on began his working relationship with Arajs.”
-DDD: How did this relationship with Arajs manifest itself?
-E.B.:” It is very hard to say. One must approach this matter objectively. Some accuse him harshly. He was mainly accused by people of Jewish ancestry. Why ? Because before Russian first occupation ,he had succeeded in evading the claws of the “cheka” (Russian secret police).They (cheka) did not catch Cukurs.During this period of occupation Cukurs had participated as national partisan movement. And ,as you know, the Russian secret police employed many persons of Jewish nationality ,who were very angry about not being able to apprehend Cukurs. During that time many former Latvian pilots and air force pilots were apprehended. They were taken to Russia, were given death sentences and executed. The rumour about killing Jews, which were spread about Cukurs, deal with the period from 1941 to 1943, when destruction of Jews happened in Latvia. American historian Ezergailis has studied this question in great detail. He is defending more and more the view that Cukurs has not directly participated in killings, but was responsible for transportation and arms . Cukurs has been accused of burning a Jewish temple on Gogol street. I spoke with a professor, who during those days was a boy and roamed around; as a witness he steadfastly denies any destruction of people at that site. Other sources maintain, that 2000 Jews were killed there - in truth there was not enough room for 2000 people to congregate there .
-DDD: One hears that Herberts Cukurs has been declared innocent.
-E.B.: That is the thing, no trial has been held and no court has issued accusations against him. When Cukurs emigrated to Brazil, his persecution begun and he himself asked for a trial. When Jews destroyed his work place, he turned to the Brazilian government asking for an official judicial process. It did not happen, instead he was offered protection of his home, which he declined.
-DDD: Who persecuted him? Was it the Israel special service ,the “Mossad”?
-E.B. “No, it was the Jews who had emigrated to Brazil. A conflict ensued with local Jews. This I ( Bruvelis) was told by his daughter. After Cukurs return from his flight to Gambia ,small candy packets were produced (in Latvia) in the shape of tiny globed, which reflected Cukurs flight to Gambia and back. This commercial venture ,which was making money, was started by Jewish people without knowledge or permission from Cukurs. That is when his misunderstandings with them started. It happened that he met his “economic foes” again in Brazil and their “battles” began.
In those days there was “Wiesentahl Center”, which was looking for folks who had done harm to Jews, in order to punish them. Campaign against Eichmann followed. He was a high German SS officer, whom Hitler had entrusted to take care of “the Jewish question “. He was found in Brazil , forcibly taken to Israel, there he was tried and death sentence was carried out. This organization was assigned to catch all of the others. In general measures ,this plan had to be carried out because it was financed. After that they went after Cukurs.
-DDD: Was it the Wiesenthal Center?
-E.B.: Yes, the Wiesenthal Center, government of Israel and so forth. Why? Cukurs already had evacuated with his family buy cars to Brazil. They (W.C.) thought it suspicious that he (Cukurs) had evacuated by traveling through France, Spain , not as it was the custom – through Germany. There is an explanation. When Cukurs flew to Gambia , he developed very good relationships with the French and Spanish aviation .That is where he had his first flight disaster, his plane was repaired, a new motor was installed/The French International aviation organization awarded him with a recognition prize as best Latvian pilot .
-DDD: I understand that Jews took it upon themselves to persecute people, who had not been found guilty, imposed “death sentence” and carried it out.
-E.B.: I can show you a document. Here is a large book about the Nuernberg trials, in which all participants are listed, those who were accused of being war criminals. See , in the book under letter “ C”- Cukurs name does not appear. Therefore in the Nuernberg he was not accused as an international war criminal.
A second proof of his innocence .You may know about the trial of Arajs. He was tried in West Germany , for destruction of Jews. Nowhere in these trial transcripts does Cukurs name appear, he was not accused .The trail process took many years. Arajs was found guilty, sentenced to life imprisonment , that is where he died. Those were the days when all of war criminals were tried including Hittler’s associate Hesse. This book was found by the husband, of Cukur’s daughter ,he is Portuguese and lawyer by profession. He went to Nuernberg to search this matter. There are no official accusations! Therefore Cukurs is being accused without a trial! Cukurs family live in Brazil, they are very patriotic ,their home language to this day is Latvian. Their goal is to clear their father’s name and to bring his mortal remains to Latvia. Since our present highest government leadership in Latvia is very pro Jewish, it is too soon to expect Cukurs’ family’s dream fulfillment.
My book about Latvian aviation ,even if it described the period till the year 1940, is a first attempt to rehabilitate Herberts Cukurs.
In my manuscript I write: ”He was killed by Jewish terrorists.”, but while printing the book, it was changed to “Hebrew” terrorists. There is no concrete information against Cukurs in prosecutorial files. It has been said that he was there, but there are no witnesses to the fact tat he was shooting, that he was accused or punished. When in Latvia some participants of happenings in Rumbula forest were tried, in this process Cukurs’ name was also not mentioned.
His name was only mentioned in fabricated Jewish “testimony”.
I know an aviation historian in Israel , that is where I obtained Jewish “testimonies” against Cukurs. There is much nonsense written.
-DDD: No killings were done there (Israel) and, as stated in Jewish” testimony”, babies were smashed against a wall. What is their reason for putting blinders over (peoples’ ) eye ,from which truths do they want to divert attention ?
-E.B. “In connection with the Riga ghetto there is an interesting thing - not even among Jews was there unanimity because Jews were elected into camp administration.
In order to survive they themselves very hostile against the Jewish mass. That I was told by a witness,- he supplied food there and met with incarcerated Jews. They advised him not to deal with Jews who were fulfilling German occupants assignments. Fact of the matter is, those who helped Germans to maintain order were not taken to Rumbula, the rest were transported there. (German helpers) were transported to a special concentration camp in Viestura garden. There a part of the Jews were ransomed. Jews also segregated among themselves in the rich and the poor. Wealthy Jews supposedly gave definitive sums of money so that the Germans could purchase cars. Interaction between wealthy Jews and Germans were facilitated by count Bernadot. Later, when Russians occupied Camp Auschwitz, he mysteriously disappeared . He was imprisoned in a Russian concentration camp and disappeared possibly because he would have been able to tell abouthow wealthy Jews sold themselves to Germans in order that they would not have been annihilated.
-DDD: That once more proves, that Jews like Latvians are not exemt from the greatest harm- betraying their own people, by which outcome, nation’s own scoundrels helped enemies to destroy and repress honest and common folk. How do you assess present action of persecution against Latvian aviator Herberts Cukurs’ name remembrance, scandal which was initiated by an envelope on which he is seen with his wife and young son?
-E.B.: Only those who have been tried and found guilty can be called criminals .As long as guilt has not been established ,one can not be called a criminal. Here every thing is happening in reverse- one is called a criminal, he and his family is persecuted.
-DDD: Cukurs was killed, but after that, killers were not apprehended.
-E.B.: Yes. Many Latvian emmigrees published articles in his defense. There were positive relationships with him in Brazil , France and other places in the world.
-DDD: Then why do Latvia’s Latvians side with the false accusers and lynchers ?
-E.B.: Local Latvians are of two minds .The official ruling parties
avoid tackling this question, afraid of suffering for it. But there are deputies and historians ,who express themselves positively about him, one can see that during discussions on the internet. There are several persons who are tightly associated with Jewish social circles and find themselves under their influence. Why was Soros awarded the medal of the Three Stars? Today there is disdain against former legioneers.I believe that if there were no legioneers, I doubt if our president (VairaVike-Freiberga) would have had a chance to escape to the West. And I do not think she could have become what she is today. She should thank legioneers ,not accuse them being fashists .
-DDD: How do you assess today’s Latvian politics and failed evaluation of occupation results?
-E.B.: Very negatively, I personally do not go to vote.
-DDD: You do not believe in voting?
-E.B.: That is all a farce. These (politicians) are all coloborators , who cooperate with Americans.
-DDD: Therefore it is not in America’s interests that Latvia develops truthfulness , that consequences of occupation are erradicated?
-E.B.: Until this day they can not understand or do not wish to understand how they could become allied with totalitarian communists .What language did they speak before WW II ? No wonder Soviet Union was expelled from Union of Nations for the matters about Finland. Russians were one of the first to bombard civilians in Helsinki.
DDD: Therefore you recognize : that if all would go as it should, decolonisation of Latvia should take palace ,we must get Abrene back?
-E.B.: Absolutely! Fifth column should not be permitted to function in favor of Russians. It is horrible to listen to discussions in our Parliament pro Russian party deputies jump up and call (former) Latvian national underground - fashists. Through the fog of democratisation , they have been able to enter Saeima (Parliament) and continually do harm to Latvia.

This conversation was written up by Liga Krievina

Parentheses for clarification are inserted by translator Zinta Kulits.