Could Livonia have survived to the present day?

Earlier this year, the Livonians, a people native to what are now the Baltic States, were dealt a death blow when their last native speaker died.

With this in mind, is it possible to have the Livonian people-and by extension, their language and culture-survive to the modern day in at least as large numbers as Lithuania or Latvia?
 
Surviving Livonian you need 19th POD. Without Russification on end of 19th century and during Soviet occupation Livonian could survive altough it is probably still dying language. If you want Livonian being so large language as Latvian or Lithuanian, you need medieval POD. Without Teuton Knights it might be possible.
 
If the history went a little bit different in the Middle Ages, you could get a surviving Livonian culture. Say, some Swede goes Rurik on the Prussia-Estonia region, and adopts native culture and religion after conquering them. Even if went, say, Latgalian, I think that still gives a much greater chance of survival for Livonians.
 
It is true to point out that Livonian was always a small language group with a very small number of people. Even at maximum extent during the middle ages:

kaarts-en.jpg
 
As I understand it the major threat to Livonian is Latvian is you look at current language maps. Don't know enough about the area to comment but maybe have the Livonians do Latvian what has happened to them (i.e. language shift.)
 
Top