Christian denominations other than the largest four comprises of 1,5%-2,5% of Latvia’s inhabitants (if put together).
Most of these communities are a result of missionary activity in the recent century. They have been greatly damaged during the Soviet occupation when that anti-religious regime found the smallest communities to be the easiest target to destroy.
However after Latvia achieved independence (1990) these “minor” faiths blossomed more than most others as their active and devout priests promoted various “new” (for Latvia) forms of Christ following that had no reputation damage made by Soviet propaganda nor were marred by bureucracy common to larger congregations. The fact that Latvia was always a multi-denominational country may have also easened the advance of new religious minorities.
Most minor faiths are international, although one large faith known as New Generation was established locally and later gained followers abroad. Most of these faiths are protestant in nature. They usually meet at modest new religious buildings or at rented premises.
However, in both cities and countryside, there are significant locations for each of Latvia’s most popular faiths, as well as pretty houses of worship constructed over the centuries.
Latvian vernacular (folk) architecture is wooden and limited to villages.
For centuries, Latvian villagers would build their own homes by their own hands out of timber they would collect in nearby forests (and cover the roof with thatch). The homes and other farmstead buildings were relatively simple and families often lived in cramped conditions. However, they still had some unique architectural details, especially the iconic forms of the gabled roofs.
Because Latvia was conquered by German knights as early as 13th century, architectural styles imported from Germany displaced the Latvian vernacular architecture from towns and cities. Therefore you would see few churches or other larger buildings built in the vernacular style, although some exist in villages.
Even Latvian vernacular wooden homes are relatively rare, as they were prone to fires as well as demolition when they would become dated. For the past century, they also been associated with a poor life as they typically lacked amenities. Many of the vernacular homes that survived were moved relocated into folk museums (the largest one is near Riga, but there are also ones in Jūrmala, Ventspils). Also, the later vernacular homes (beginning in 19th century) also often included details of the “urban” styles, such as neo-classical or historicist.
That said, Latvian vernacular architecture with its gabled roofs did influence the Art Nouveau architecture of Latvian national awakening era (19th century).
In addition to Latvian vernacular architecture, there are some Russian vernacular architecture buildings constructed in Latgale (Eastern Latvia) by Old Believer migrants of 18th century. While also wooden, they have a somewhat different style.
By 1700, a rapidly modernizing Russia sought to become the prime Eastern European great power, and Latvia was to become its window into the Baltic Sea and oceans beyond. Having defeated Sweden in the long Great Northern War (1700-1721), Russians captured Vidzeme with its all-important Riga city.
Riga suburbs in 1812. After the decline of Courland-Semigallia, wars and plagues, Riga remained the only true city in Latvia.
Russian presence became increasingly felt in the rest of Latvia as well. Courland-Semigallian dukes were bribed by Russia with opulent Baroque palaces, slowly eroding their loyalty to Poland-Lithuania. Latgale‘s Polish-speaking nobility may have been funding ever-more-lavish Catholic churches, but their countryside was swelling with Russian Old Believer refugees, who fled from prevailing discrimination in Russia.
Idyllic painting of 1840 Jelgava, with Russian-funded palace on the foreground.
Influence turned into conquest as Russia captured Latgale in 1775 and Courland-Semigallia in 1795. That year, most of Lithuania was annexed as well, leaving Balts without any independent nations for over a century. Latvia was now deep inside the Russian Empire.
Once again, for Latvian peasants, little has changed. The German elite still dominated the economy, even if it was stripped of its final political powers and Russian became the „political language“. Vidzeme, Courland, and Semigallia retained their German-inspired law and did not face discrimination and serfdom suffered by Lithuanians.
Riga suburbs set alight in 1812 by Russians, as part of their scorched earth policy against Napoleon invasion. This was one of just a few major 19th century challenges against Russian rule in East Baltic area.
Latgale, on the other hand, was annexed to Russia-proper (Vitebsk governorate) and saw a worse fate: oppressive Russian laws and further dilution of Latvian majority. It became one of the few Russia‘s lands where Jews were allowed to settle, which lead to them becoming the majority in some Latgalian towns. Moreover, Latgale stagnated educationally with merely 50% of people there becoming literate during the 19th century (that number stood at 90% in the more autonomous regions of Latvia).
Latgale was also the part of Latvia where 1862-1863 Polish-Lithuanian uprising was felt the most. As the uprising failed, the final hopes to restore the situation before Russian conquest were dashed. However, the tremendous changes in Europe were about to reach Russia and the new urban industrial era would eventually offer Latvians far more possibilities than the old times of “noble foreigners” ever did.
Recreation of rich mainly German people of Riga in 1863
Many of them reside in the borderland where some villages are Lithuanian-majority. As the Lithuanian-Latvian border hardly existed before 1918 when both nations were occupied by the Russian Empire, the task to delimit it in 1922 was especially difficult. While the countries peacefully agreed on the border, it still left many Latvians and even more Lithuanians “on the wrong side” as many localities were ethnically mixed.
Another part of Latvia’s Lithuanians came for opportunities in Riga. As the largest city of Baltic States it has some institutions catering to the whole Baltic region, such as the SSE Riga university and multinational companies representative offices.
The role of Latvian cities as “the metropolises for Lithuanians” was even more visible before World War 1, when Russian Empire purposefully left Lithuania as an agricultural hinterland whereas Latvia was urbanized (and suffered less discrimination). At the time Riga housed more Lithuanians than any city within Lithuania (most of them were factory workers). The gymnasiums of Jelgava and Liepaja were frequented by Lithuanian intellectuals (25% of Liepaja’s population were Lithuanians). After both nations became independent most Lithuanians repatriated. Many of the interwar Lithuania‘s key personalities and politicians had spent many years in Latvia before independence.
During the Soviet occupation some Lithuanian political prisoners/deportees were released on condition that they would not live in Lithuania. Many of them chose to settle in Latvia.
The share of Lithuanians in Latvia has been declining fast (just as the share of Latvians in Lithuania). As the two Baltic nations are culturally similar, the assimilation is seen as less of a “change” for Latvia’s Lithuanians than for many other ethnic minorities of Latvia. In fact, even among the Latvia’s Lithuanians some half said that Latvian is their native language. Lithuanians and Latvians are also known as “brother nations”.
Obscure for long, the Latvian cinema made a comeback in the 2000s. Most of the top-rated movies sought to bring out the real history of Latvia, that was hidden from Latvians throughout the Soviet occupation and is virtually unknown in the West. The best known modern Latvian films are:
The Soviet Story (2008), a documentary about the tragic Soviet occupation and genocide in Latvia, quintessential for understanding the modern Latvia.
Guardians of Riga (Rigas Sargi) (2007), a film about the liberators of interwar Latvia in 1919. The most expensive Latvian movie at the time, it was the reason behind the construction of Cinevilla studio backlot where many later films have been produced.
Dram Team, 1935 (2012), a film that recreates the path of Latvian national basketball team of 1935 towards the gold medals in the first European Basketball Championship. At the same time, it shows the birth of basketball as a serious sport in Europe and the birth of sports as a means to promote state image in Latvia.
Before the 1990s Latvian independence, the Latvian cinema studios were government-held and used by the Soviets themselves to produce propaganda flicks, however, these movies were not marketed to the West and are unknown there.
Kipsala is an island in Daugava river that is now a prestigious neighborhood. Built-up by low rise wooden homes ~1900 and still having an atmospheric cobbled street Kipsala is just beyond the bridge from Old Town. Thus it is a great choice for those who seek both relative privacy and a downtown location for their homes. ~1100 people live in Kipasala and there is little activity beyond an out-of-the-beaten-path walk. The views are pretty, however, Old Town is partly obscured by a major bridge and less interesting (though still historic) port districts are visible instead.
Latvian national awakening was a period of 1860-1918 was the period when long-oppressed Latvians reasserted and began to respect their own language and culture.
Latvian national awakening wouldn’t have come into fruition if not its enigmatic leaders, each of whom helped define a particular part of the Latvian nation.
Three most famous Latvian National Awakening heroes:
Left to right: Andrejs Pumpurs, Krišjānis Barons and Krišjānis Valdemārs.
Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1902) was the author of Latvia’s national heroic epic Lāčplēsis (Bear Slayer, 1888) to whom he attributed various mythological stories. Lāčplēsis is described as an ethnic Latvian who fought against Vikings a Millennium ago, but he effectively became a kind of personification of Latvia, a reminder of the last era (before 20th century) when Latvians still enjoyed and defended their freedom. Many patriotic and pro-independence organizations were later named after Lāčplēsis; “Lāčplēsis Day” is an annual patriotic holiday.
Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923) was a collector of Latvian folk songs. His lifetime Project was huge, involved research all around Latvia. The resulting “cabinet of songs” of over 200 000 folksongs was inscribed into UNESCO “Memory of the world”. Latvian songs would later greatly influence Latvian independence movements, forming the basis of regular Song festivals. If not for Barons’s work, many of these folksongs would likely have been forgotten, as Latvia was undergoing swift urbanization; that way Latvians would not have a key pillar of their identity.
Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825-1891) was the force behind Latvian naval movement, inspiring creation of many naval schools along the Latvian coast. The mariners they prepared effectively Latvianised the crews of Latvia-stationed merchant fleets that were previously non-Latvian. Shipbuilding was also initiated. Valdemārs’s main symbollic addition to the rising Young Latvian movement was however his Luther-like thesis of public declaration at his home that claimed that Valdemārs is a Latvian. Before that all educated Latvians would have considered themselves Germans or Russians and the “outdated Latvian peasant language” was on a decline.
Gothic is one of the most iconic styles of Latvian old towns, especially visible in Riga. Characterized by tall roof gables, small and often tall arched windows, red brick facades it was the style of Medieval traders and crusaders.
Gothic was brought to Latvia by Christian Germans in the 12th century who have conquered the country. Many of the best surviving Gothic buildings are churches (although their interiors are often more modern). Not all gothic-looking churches are Medieval however as it became popular to imitate the gothic style in the 19th century.
While in Medieval era nearly every townhouse must have been Gothic, few of them remained as they were replaced by new buildings as the centuries passed. What exists now are often some Gothic details together with those of later styles, or Gothic facades restored in the 20th century. Gothic forms may still however be visible in numerous townhouses of Riga Old Town. Such buildings are usually narrow and long, with just a small facade facing the nearby street.
Additionally, many of the ruins of the crusader castles are Gothic. Unlike other buildings, the castles were typically abandoned, offering a glimpse into authentic (though ruined) buildings of a gothic Medieval Latvia.
Some of the oldest gothic buildings of Latvia also have Romanesque influences. That was an older style of Christian Europe that was already a passing trend by the time Christian knights have conquered Latvia. Romanesque buildings look less graceful and more massive as they do not use Medieval building technologies that allowed Gothic buildings to have more slender walls.
Three languages may be useful in Latvia: Latvian, Russian and English.
While Latvian is the only official language and the only one you will notice on most signs, Latvia is effectively a bilingual country, with a third of its population speaking Russian.
Map of majority languages in each Latvian region.
Latvian language
Latvian is the sole official language of Latvia and the mother tongue of 62% of population (90%+ in villages and towns outside Latgale). All the public signs in Latvia are Latvian.
Historically, Latvian was threatened by its low status (19th century) and Russian migration (20th century). Sweeping National Awakenings saved the Latvian language both times, but Latvians are still protective of their tongue. After all, “Latvian language” is a key definition of Latvian nation.
Spoken by merely some 1,5 million people worldwide, Latvian is not a language many foreigners learn. However, knowing this, Latvians are especially happy when non-locals try to speak it. After all, even many Russophone locals refuse to learn Latvian.
As a Baltic tongue, Latvian has the most similarities to Lithuanian.
Russian language
The Russian language is spoken natively by some 37% of Latvia’s population, most of them in the cities and Latgale. This includes not only ethnic Russians (26,9%) but also many other minorities (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jews). The importance of Russian dates to Soviet occupation, when many settlers were moved in.
Back then, Russian was a required language to everybody, including ethnic Latvians. On the other hand, Russians were not required to learn Latvian. As such, Russian became the true lingua franca of increasingly multiethnic Latvian cities. Non-Russian Soviet immigrants, unable to get any cultural, educational or entertainment activities in their original mother tongues, relied on a massive network of Russian language institutions, adopting the Russian language as native over one or two generations.
Because of these past policies many Latvians born ~1980 and older speak Russian fluently and Russian is still the most common foreign language to know. Given the history of persecution of Latvians by Russians however, the Russian language is regarded suspiciously by ethnic Latvians. Some would refuse to speak it, others would feel insulted that a foreigner speaks Russian to them (as if he/she would regard Latvians to be Russians). The younger generations often genuinely do not speak Russian at all.
Nearly all the Soviet-era bilingual signs were removed, but tourist industry still has many materials in Russian for tourists. There is also a thriving Russian-language media, aimed at local minorities. The Soviet network of Russian schools and cultural institutions has been somewhat reduced but remains open.
English language
After independence (1990) English has replaced Russian as the most common foreign language to learn. The younger generations of ethnic Latvians usually speak English far better than Russian (and would switch to English when communicating with foreigners).
English is also very common in tourist materials. Fluency in English is a requirement for anybody wishing to work in the tourist industry.
As the “main language” of the “prestigious west” English also became popular for increasingly trademarks and songs by aspiring local bands.
Other minority languages
There are four additional minority languages spoken by some 0,5%-1% of population each: Belarusian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish. However, their use is mostly limited to family and a few churches. The youth of respective ethnicities often speaks Russian or Latvian even among themselves. Only in some villages of Semigallia and Latgale does Belarusian, Lithuanian and Polish still have a bigger impact.
Latgalian language / dialect
Some would classify Latgalian, spoken by some 15% of population (mostly in Latgale), to be the third most popular language of Latvia. However, others see it as a distant dialect of Latvian (which has acquired more Polish and Lithuanian (and less German) loanwords due to a separate history of Latgale). For a long time Latgalian was expected to die out in favor of either standard Latvian or Russian, but after independence restoration (1990) it became more protected. Nearly every speaker of Latgalian is fluent in Latvian, and the “fans” who create music or write literature in Latgalian mainly do so in order to preserve their culture rather than because of being unable to express themselves otherwise.
Formerly significant languages
Three other languages were once extremely important in Latvia but were since nearly eradicated by foreign occupations:
*German language was the lingua franca of Latvia’s cities well into 19th century. After all, most of them were established by Germans and long had German majorities. Old German inscriptions may still be seen on some buildings, but the German minority was destroyed during World War 2 after a long natural decline. Nevertheless, German remains popular as a second foreign language (after English) to learn due to high numbers of Germans in Europe.
*Liv / Livonian language (similar to Estonian) was once indigenous over much of Gulf of Riga coast. Wars have slowly reduced its area to some fishing villages by the 19th century, and over the 20th century it nearly died out. Independent Latvia (1990) sought to protect the language but it was too late and in 2013 the final native speaker died. Today Liv is learned by some just as a hobby.
*Yiddish language was historically the main language of Jews, who made a significant portion of the Latgale population in the 19th century when Latgale was the only place of Latvia they were allowed to freely settle. 20th-century tribulations however severely reduced the Jewish community (emigration and World War 2), while even the remaining Jews usually no longer speak Yiddish (most have switched to Russian). Yiddish thus may only be seen on some old inscriptions.
Dievturība is the a Latvian faith that claims to have reconstructed a pre-Christian pagan faith of Latvia. It is the largest non-Christian faith of Latvia with some ~700 followers who are known as Dievturis (~0,035% of total).
Like other pagans Dievturis rely on tradition rather than scriptures As Latvian paganism was replaced by Christianity in 12th-13th centuries there remained no direct continuation of tradition, meaning that much of what exists now has been reconstructed.
Dievturība was established in 1925 as the newly independent Latvian nation sought to (re)discover its Latvian cultural roots to replace the ones imposed by the centuries of foreign rule. As Christianity was imposed by German conquerors this meant that it had to go as well. However, only a small minority of patriotic Latvians interested in history actually converted to Dievturība and the process never had a state support. Still, the faith continues to grow after independence.
Dievturis believe in a multitude of gods and goddesses, each of them associated with various natural forces and aspects of life. The top trinity are Dievs (primary god after whom the faith itself is named), Māra (“Mother Earth”, female counterpart of Dievs) and Laima (goddess of fertility).
The historic part of left bank Riga, Āgenskalns is just beyond the Daugava river from the Old Town.
As such, the once-empty river banks have been used for key buildings of modern Riga after independence, such as Saules Akmens office tower (tallest in the city) and pyramid-shaped National Library.
Renovated Kalnicems district is among the most advertised as it is used for art sales and projects. Upmarket Saturday markets are its most famous event. However, the wooden buildings there are far from the largest. For architecture and atmosphere buffs it may be more rewarding to walk some of the smaller streets of Āgenskalns to see unrenovated wooden architecture.
Āgenskalns also hosted the most controversial part of Riga – the “Victory park” with its massive Soviet monument. This propaganda place was built under the Soviet occupation to celebrate Soviet World War 2 victory – which sealed the fate of Latvians as an occupied and oppressed nation. As such Latvians tended to hate the monument and what it symbolizes. However, it was seen as their ethnic symbol by Riga‘s Russians (a privileged community during the Soviet occupation) who host Victory day celebrations there. However, in 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, status quo ended and the monument was demolished.
Soviet Victory monument in Riga used to be a focal point for Russian celebrations. Demolished in 2022.
Transforming Latvian National Awakening into independence in 1918 proved difficult, as wars of independence had to be fought against Russia. However, thanks to some famous Latvians of the era, the independence was won.
Key fighters for Latvian freedom ~1918 and their leaders:
Left to right: Jānis Čakste, Frīdrihs Briedis, Oskars Kalpaks.
Jānis Čakste (1859-1927) was a Latvian independence activist who firstly raised the idea of independent Latvia in 1900s. After independence was achieved he became the president in 1922 and died in office in 1927.
Colonel Frīdrihs Briedis (1888-1918) was a World War I leader of Latvian Riflemen – an ethnically Latvian regiment of Russian army. After the Russian revolution he decided to oppose communism in Moscow, but was captured and executed by the regime.
Oskars Kalpaks (1882-1919) was the leader of first independent Latvian forces (1st Latvian batallion) soon after independence of Latvia was achieved. He worked in repulsing Russian reconquest attempt. While this attempt was squashed by united Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and remnant German forces, Oskars Kalpaks was killed in one of the battles.
Modern technologies reached Russia several decades late, but Latvia became one of Russia‘s industrial heartlands. Riga was connected to rail network by 1860s, starting its exponential growth. ~1870s rail reached Liepāja, expanding its port and allowing the construction of a city-sized Russian naval base in 1890.
Port of Riga in 1900, adorned by large new buildings, instrumental at exporting the products of Rigan industry
More and more Latvians left their farms for cities. Many worked in the industries, others sought for education. Lifestyles changed: birth rates declined, long work hours outside family became common. But the real game-changer was the conclusion reached by the newly-urban Latvians that their own culture was in no ways inferior to German or Russian ones (and, in fact, it has many unexplored bright sides). The great Latvian National Awakening followed, epitomized in regular Song Festivals where the songs recently considered appropriate only for uneducated peasantry now resounded over Latvia’s cities.
Workers of Riga Union factory (all males, some of them in mid-teens) posing for a photo in 1906
High culture, for centuries a privilege of some ethnic minorities, now became accessible to everybody. The rise of majority Latvian culture was overwhelming, as educated Latvians researched their history and shared their findings. While the great art nouveau edifices of ~1910 Riga were still paid for by German elite, many architects were Latvians, incorporating Latvian mythology and traditions into the designs. Latvian cities influenced far beyond Latvia, attracting students and workers from agricultural Lithuania as well as Poland. Riga was among the 5 largest cities of the Russian Empire.
Latvian peasants celebrating Līgo ethnic holiday (1910). For long looked down as superstitious vilage tradition, ethnic festivals were transformed into nation-wide craze by the Awakening.
As Latvian spirits were rising, the Russian Empire was shackled by economic setbacks and lost wars. In the revolutionary turmoil of the early 20th century, Latvian intellectuals dared to voice the idea of freedom and majority rule. After both Russia and Germany were defeated in World War 1, Latvians declared independence for the first time in history.
German nobility Koknese palace (Kokenhusen), built in 1894, destroyed in World War 1.
Most of the most celebrated Latvian holidays are Christian (Christmas, Easter). Some however also have roots in ethnic culture (Līgo).
In independent Latvia numerous days were designated as national (patriotic) holidays, commemorating both happy and sad historical events. The popularity of celebrating such days varies but many of them are days off work.
A unique Baltic holiday is the UNESCO-inscribed Song Festival that takes place every 5 years and includes many Latvians coming to Riga to sing together.
Public holidays
These are public holidays in Latvia (when the offices close down):
New Year Day – January 1st Great Friday – Date set by Catholic tradition Easter Sunday – Date set by Catholic tradition Easter Monday – Date set by Catholic tradition Labour Day – May 1st Independence Day – May 4th Līgo – June 23rd Jāņi – June 24th Republic Day – November 18th New Year Eve – December 31th
Prolonged periods of rest
As many of the public holidays come one after another, this gives Latvians multiple longer periods of rest (“long weekends”): Easter period in Spring – 4 days (Friday to Monday) Independence day period in May – 3 days (when it falls on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday), at times may join with Labour day to provide 4 days of rest Līgo period in June – 2 days (up to 4 if it falls next to a weekend) Republic day period in November – 3 days (when it falls on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday) Christmas period in December – 3 days (up to 5 if it falls next to a weekend) New Year period in December – 2 days (up to 4 if it falls next to a weekend)
When two holiday periods come one after another with just a couple of days in between, the work during these days may also be limited as many workers would take their paid leave then in order to have prolonged holidays.
Lauded as one of the first „garden cities“, Mežaparks is a district of picturesque art nouveau villas standing amidst lakeside forest. Once they housed the German elite of the city.
After the Soviet 1940 many became derelict, but after 1990 they were repaired as the possibility to own a large home both in nature and not far from downtown appealed to modern-day Latvian businessmen.
The main Kokneses street looks like its in a city, but one has just to turn to side streets such as Hamburgas or Lībekas and Mežaparks begins to seem like a forest with houses built here and there. Entire Mežaparks district is built against a massive park where many gigs and events take place. It is the most famous for its Song festival ground where the UNESCO-inscribed events of tens of thousands singing Latvian songs are held every 5 years.
In addition to this “garden city”, Mežaparks surroundings has three additional very different „green areas“: the Riga zoo (opened 1912, the oldest in Northern Europe), Latvia‘s first 18-hole golf course, a massive cemetery, most famous for its stately and vast interwar memorial for Latvian troops who died in wars of independence.
Another “green area” is further to the east of Mežaparks itself. It is the Riga skansen (ethnographic open-air museum) where old wooden 18th-19th century buildings have been brought in from all over Latvia. A forested park now includes huts, churches of multiple denominations, mills, warehouses, barns and other authentic utility buildings. Some have internal exhibits and others have handicraft shops but generally outside festivals the museum is quite static, best suited for a leisurely walk through its large 87 ha territory. The museum was established in the interwar period when the lifestyle presented was still alive – and has been continuously expanded ever since.
Before 19th century the education in Latvia was a domain of minorities, who used German language. Therefore, the first Latvians became famous as writers merely ~150 years ago.
The best known Latvian writers generally fall into two categories. The first group of them lived in late 19th century, helping Latvians to assert their identity and self-respect (by describing ethnic Latvian life and inspiring history in their works).
Another group were made famous under the Soviet occupation. They were typically collaborators and would write praises for the regime, getting preferential treatment in return. They are still household names as they were made a mandatory reading material in schools of Soviet Latvia, and some streets are controversially still named after them.
A few Latvian writers and poets, like Rainis, managed to be popular with both independent Latvia and Soviet Union.
The most famous Latvian writers and poets:
Left to right: Rūdolfs Blaumanis, Rainis, Aspazija.
Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1862-1908) was a writer, scenarist and poet who concentrated on describing the Latvian village which was in his lifetime still the main living space of ethnic Latvians.
Rainis (1865-1929) is held in high esteem as a Latvian “national poet”. His patriotic and national romantic poems raised the Latvian spirits. They were not enough to give Rainis a political leadership he sought for (above the role of minister) but they were enough to grant him a role in national mythology (entire cemetery where he was buried has been named after him). Rainis’s leftist beliefs saved him from Soviet censorship, allowing him to be known even for Soviet-born generations.
Aspazija (1865-1943) was a Latvian poet and playwright, especially known as the wife of Rainis.
Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892) was a poet and translator, much of whose poetry has been published posthumously.
Andrejs Upītis (1877-1970) was a communist writer.
Leons Paegle (1890-1926) was a communist writer and politician.
Jewish population of Latvia has burgeoned in the 19th century when the ruling Russian Empire limited Jewish settlement to just a few regions. Latgale (Eastern Latvia) was among such regions. Some of the Latgalian towns thus even became Jewish-plurality, including the region‘s hub Daugavpils. Elsewhere in Latvia, the Jewish populations were limited by Russian laws and therefore remained small.
By ~1900 Latvia‘s Jews were rapidly emigrating for more opportunities abroad (mainly in the USA). The trend has continued throughout the 20th century.
During the Nazi German occupation of Latvia (1941-1945), most of the remaining Jews were either killed or fled the country, their share declining from 4,8% in 1935 to 1,8% in 1959.
During the Soviet occupation, the rest of Jews have largely moved to Riga, although their population continued to decline due to emigration to Israel. This emigration reached its zenith after the 1990 independence, when Soviet migration restrictions were removed. Jews made up 0,9% of Latvia‘s population in 1989 but just 0,3% today.
Traditionally, Latvia’s Jews spoke Yiddish and professed Judaism. However, many Jews became communists and assimilated into the “Soviet nation”. Today therefore the majority of Latvia’s Jews speaks Russian natively and are atheists.
Jewish faith has a long history in Latvia, but it is now followed by merely 0,025% of total population.
Although Latvia has approximately 6000 ethnic Jews, only 500 are followers of the Jewish faith as most became atheist while under anti-religious Soviet regime.
Historically the Jewish faith was the strongest in Latgale, as it was the only place where Jews were allowed to freely settle by the Russian Empire which controlled Latvia in 18th-19th centuries. Jews also had a presence in Riga and main towns of other regions, except for Vidzeme.
In addition to the adoption of atheism the Jewish religious communities also dwindled due to emigration and genocide. Very few synagogues remain open, served by a foreign rabbi. In comparison, 4,79% of Latvia’s total inhabitants followed the Jewish faith in 1935.
While elsewhere in Europe Renaissance was also a period of “rebirth of sciences after the religious centuries”, for Latvia this meant a period of destruction. The religious states that dominated Latvia collapsed, and centuries of alternating foreign regimes and warfare inbetween them came in.
As such, relatively few Renaissance buildings exist in Latvia.
The most famous Renaissance building in Latvia is likely the Blackheads house. It is actually a reconstruction however, as the original one was destroyed by Soviets.
There are also several Renaissance churches and a castle in Bauska, but, all in all, Gothic continued to dominate the Latvian cityscapes throughout the Renaissance period as there was both little need and possibility to construct something new.
