Uldis Bērziņš' poetry is included in the Latvian cultural canon as one of the 99 most important values of Latvian culture. He has translated poetry from Germanic, Turkish, Slavic, Semitic, Iranian, Scandinavian, Hebrew and other languages. Bērziņš participated in the new translation of the Bible, and translated the Quran into Latvian.
Bērziņš was awarded Latvia's highest state decoration, the Order of the Three Stars, in 1995.
"With every contribution of his poetry and translation, Uldis Bērziņš has opened up the sky of Latvian language opportunities. Quran, Bible, Edda songs – there seem to be no borders for his journey in the world and in language," Liega Piešiņa, cultural journalist, described Bērziņš in 2017 awarding the Latvian Literature prize for lifetime contribution.
Our condolences go to his family and friends.
