Friday, April 19

Name day: Vēsma, Fanija

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Kārlis Sils

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Quiz: How much do you know about the events of the Latvian Barricades?
Quiz: How much do you know about the events of the Latvian Barricades?
In January 1991 people flowed into the capitals of the Baltic states and erected makeshift barricades around strategic locations like the parliament and the national radio station to protect them against Soviet troops who wanted to crush the Baltic nations' independence. 
Test yourself on the Latvian anthem
Test yourself on the Latvian anthem
June 7 marks the 100th anniversary after Dievs, svētī Latviju! (God Bless Latvia) was proclaimed the official Latvian anthem. On this occasion, our history buffs have prepared a quiz so you could test your knowledge about this genteel song of yore and today.
Quiz: Plague, cholera and TB – test yourself on the epidemic history of Latvia
Quiz: Plague, cholera and TB – test yourself on the epidemic history of Latvia
Even though Covid-19 is the first major epidemic most of us are going through in our lives, it's definitely not the first to take place on Latvian soil. Numerous epidemics have passed through Latvia throughout the years, leaving traces in our history. Test your knowledge about epidemics and diseases from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
Why the Estonia-Latvia border was drawn with a British diplomat's pen
Why the Estonia-Latvia border was drawn with a British diplomat's pen
"Estonia must understand that Latvia is stronger than Estonia," reads a bellicose column in the June 1920 issue of the Latvijas Sargs newspaper. Similar utterances could be found in almost every single newspaper at the time, and the Estonian press followed suit. Latvian diplomat Oļģerds Grosvalds went so far as to warn Foreign Minister Zigfrīds Meierovics to abstain from military clashes with Estonia, as this could cause a catastrophe.
The Forest Brothers: From individual struggle to organized anti-Soviet resistance
The Forest Brothers: From individual struggle to organized anti-Soviet resistance
Altogether, more than 20,000 Latvian residents chose to partake in the national resistance against the Soviet occupation. They were supported by thousands of people who weren't up to taking to arms themselves. One of the chief reasons for a resistance of this scale was the brutal and ill-considered occupation policy on the part of the USSR. Anti-Soviet sentiment merged with belief in patriotic ideals, thereby creating the national resistance movement.
The roots of the Latvian anti-Soviet resistance in 1940
The roots of the Latvian anti-Soviet resistance in 1940
The Red Forest series appearing on LTV is chronicling battle-hardened men fighting to overthrow the Soviets after the Second World War, but it is not well-known that the Latvian resistance started as early as summer 1940. Tiny armed groups, chiefly of young men, wanted to achieve a free Latvia with armed resistance, but their lack of experience and idealism made them end up badly. 
Welles Declaration: Personal tragedy led to 50 years of protecting Baltic statehood
Welles Declaration: Personal tragedy led to 50 years of protecting Baltic statehood
The 1940 Welles Declaration started a five-decade non-recognition of the Soviets' Baltic invasion. Unwavering support by the United States did great things to ensure continued support for Baltic statehood, and it is widely held that, if not for the declaration, the Baltics would have had a harder time re-establishing themselves as internationally recognized countries in 1990-1.
Fighting for Latvia after WWII: The life and times of diplomat Kārlis Zariņš
Fighting for Latvia after WWII: The life and times of diplomat Kārlis Zariņš
After Latvia fell to the Soviets, diplomat Kārlis Reinholds Zariņš (1879–1963) was, for a time, all but the only embodiment of the idea that there was still a Latvian state, legally speaking. As head of the diplomatic and consular service of Latvia, Zariņš protected the interests of the Latvian exiles but was also criticized by the opponents of Kārlis Ulmanis' authoritarian regime. 
Who were the "dipīši"? The beginning of a long Latvian post-WWII exile
Who were the "dipīši"? The beginning of a long Latvian post-WWII exile
As the Second World War ended, more than 12 million Europeans found themselves forced outside their native country. Between these 12 million, 120,000 were Latvians fleeing Soviet occupation. They ended up in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden. Termed displaced persons (DPs, or, in Latvian, dipīši), these people faced an uncertain fate between starting a new life in the West or being forced to return to occupied Latvia.