List Of Latvians
This is a list of prominent Latvians with Wikipedia articles. It includes: * persons who were born in the historical territory of what is now Latvia, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and * persons of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship. A * Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon * Rutanya Alda (Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (''Mommie Dearest'', ''The Deer Hunter'') * Viktor Alksnis (born 1950) – Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel" * Juris Alunāns (1832–1864) – writer and philologist * Ingrīda Andriņa (1944–2015) – actress * Iveta Apkalna (born 1976) – organist * Fricis Apšenieks (1894–1941) – chess player * Vija Artmane (1929–2008) – actress * Aspazija, pen-name of Elza Pliekšāne (1865–1943) – poet and playwright * Gunārs Astra (1931–1988) – dissident, fighter for human ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Latvians
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common Latvian language, culture and history. History A Balto-Finnic-speaking tribe known as the Livs settled among the Latvians and modulated the name to "Latvis", meaning "forest-clearers", which is how medieval German, Teutonic settlers also referred to these peoples. The Germanic settlers referred to the natives as "Letts" and the nation to "Lettland", naming their colony Livonia or Livland. The Latin form, '' Livonia'', gradually referred to the whole territory of modern-day Latvia as well as southern Estonia, which had fallen under a minimal Germanic influence. Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving members of the Baltic branch of the Indo-European family. Genetics Paternal haplogroups R1a and N1a1-Tat are the two most fre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ainars Bagatskis
Ainars Bagatskis (born 29 March 1967) is a Latvian former professional basketball player and coach, who currently works as the head coach of CSO Voluntari of the Liga Națională and the senior Ukraine national team. Playing career Club career During his club playing career, Bagatskis played at the small forward position. Latvia national team Bagatskis was a member of the senior Latvia national basketball team, from 1992 to 2006. With Latvia, he played in four EuroBasket tournaments. Coaching career Bagatskis began his coaching career in the 2005–06 season, while playing his last season of professional basketball with Barons Rīga, where he stayed for one season. In 2006, he had a short stint as a head coach in one of the greatest Lithuanian teams, Žalgiris Kaunas. Since 2007, he worked as a head coach in several teams, including Valmiera, until 2009, the Russian team Yenisey Krasnoyarsk, in the 2009–10 season, Sukhumi, and Kryvbasbasket, until 2012. In June 2012, he ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dairis Bertāns
Dairis Bertāns (born September 9, 1989) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Real Betis of the Spanish Liga ACB. Bertāns also plays for the Latvia national basketball team. He is the older brother of Dāvis Bertāns. Professional career Latvia (2004–2013) From 2004 to 2006, Bertāns played for Valmiera and its junior team. In 2006, he signed with ASK Rīga. In 2006–07, he played for ASK Rīga's junior team, and in 2007–08, made his debut for the senior squad. In March 2009, he left ASK Rīga following the club's financial difficulties and signed a two-year deal with Ventspils. In August 2010, he signed a two-year deal with VEF Rīga. VEF Rīga's coach at the time, Rimas Kurtinaitis, saw potential in Bertāns as a point guard despite primarily being a shooting guard. So, during the 2010–11 season, Bertāns developed point guard skills to a different level, and was one of the key factors in VEF Rīga's first championship. In July 2012, he re-signed with VE ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Krišjānis Berķis
Krišjānis Berķis (April 26, 1884 in Īslīce parish, Bauska municipality, Courland, modern Latvia – July 29, 1942 in Perm, Russia) was a Latvian general. Rising to prominence as an officer of the Latvian Riflemen in World War I, he was promoted to the rank of general during the Latvian War of Independence, and served on the Army General Staff after the war. After the Soviet occupation of Baltic states he was deported to Siberia and died in a Gulag labor camp. Biography Krišjānis Berķis was born on April 26, 1884 in the farmer's homestead Bērzkrogs, Īslīce parish, Courland. He graduated from local parish school and Bauska city school. After graduation he decided to become a soldier and entered Vilnius military school. He graduated in 1906 in the rank of podporuchik. He then served in 2nd. Finnish rifleman regiment in Helsinki. During his service in Grand Duchy of Finland he married Finnish girl Hilma Lehtonen (1887-1961). In 1909 he was promoted to poruchik and i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eduards Berklavs
Eduards Berklavs (June 15, 1914 – November 25, 2004) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Latvian politician. Eduards Berklavs was born in Kurmāle Parish, today part of the Kuldīga Municipality. During his youth, he was active in Labour movement, labour and communist organizations. In 1930s, he was arrested and served a prison sentence for his communist activities. After Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, Berklavs, with a background as a Komsomol and Communist Party of Latvia, Communist Party official, rose to become the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Latvian SSR in 1950s. In this position, he opposed the Soviet policies of Russification, supported a larger role for Latvian language and proposed to limit immigration from other parts of the Soviet Union to Latvia. This led to him being labelled as Latvian nationalist and deposed from his position in 1959. He later wrote the Letter of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nobel Prize In Literature
) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , reward = 10 million SEK (2022) , website = , year2 = 2022 , holder_label = Currently held by , previous = 2021 , main = 2022 , next = 2023 The Nobel Prize in Literature (here meaning ''for'' literature) is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in the field of literature, produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction" (original Swedish: ''den som inom litteraturen har producerat det utmärktaste i idealisk rigtning''). Though individual works are sometimes cited as being particularly noteworthy, the award is based on an author's body of work ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vizma Belševica
Vizma Belševica (May 30, 1931 – August 6, 2005) was a Latvian poet, writer and translator. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Biography Belševica was born in Riga. Her father Žanis Belševics was a worker, and her mother Vera Belševica (maiden name Cīrule) was a housewife. The family was relatively poor, as only one of the two spouses did paid work. Vizma's father had drinking problems, which aggravated when during the Great Depression he lost his job as a baker. Vizma Belševica was born on May 30, 1931, in prewar Riga, then the capital of democratic Latvia, where she spent most of her childhood. The city often is featured in her works, especially her most famous work—autobiographic trilogy "BILLE"—, but the time spent in Courland, on her relatives' small farm has also an important role in her poetry and writings. Her son Klāvs Elsbergs was a famous Latvian poet in the 1980s and her second son Jānis is a writer as well. Recognition Receivin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dievs, Svētī Latviju!
"" (; "God Bless Latvia!") is the national anthem of Latvia. Created in 1873 as a patriotic song, it did not gain official status until 1920. History and composition The music and lyrics were written in 1873 by Kārlis Baumanis, a teacher who was part of the Young Latvian nationalist movement. It has been speculated that Baumanis may have borrowed part of the lyrics from a popular song that was sung to tune of "God Save the Queen", modified them and set them to music of his own. Baumanis's lyrics were different from the modern ones: he used the term "Baltics" synonymously and interchangeably with "Latvia" and "Latvians", so "Latvia" was actually mentioned only at the beginning of the first verse. Later, the term "Latvia" was removed and replaced with "Baltics" to avoid a ban on the song. This has led to the misapprehension that the term "Latvia" was not part of the song until 1920, when it was chosen as national anthem, and the word "Baltics" was replaced with "Latvia". Durin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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National Anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European nations tend towards more ornate and operatic pieces, while those in the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean use a more simplistic fanfare. Some countries that are devolved into multiple constituent states have their own official musical compositions for them (such as with the United Kingdom, Russia, and the former Soviet Union); their constituencies' songs are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states. History In the early modern period, some European monarchies adopted royal anthems. Some of these anthems have survived into current use. " God Save the King/Queen", first performed in 1619, remains the royal anthem of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. , adopte ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kārlis Baumanis
Kārlis Baumanis (11 May 1835 – 10 January 1905), better known as Baumaņu Kārlis, was an ethnic Latvian composer in the Russian Empire. He is the author of the lyrics and music of '' Dievs, svētī Latviju! '' (“God bless Latvia!”), the national anthem of Latvia. Kārlis Baumanis was the first composer to use the word “Latvia” in the lyrics of a song, in the 19th century, when Latvia was still a part of the Russian Empire. Biography Kārlis Baumanis was born on 11 May 1835, in Viļķene (Wilkenhof), in the family of peasants Jekab and Anna Baumanis. He created the Latvian national anthem "God bless Latvia" in 1870. He lived and worked in Limbaži Limbaži (, et, Lemsalu, german: Lemsal, liv, Limbaž) is a town in the Vidzeme region of northern Latvia. Limbaži is located 90 km northeast of the capital Riga. The population is 6888 people. During the Middle Ages, as part of Livonia ... (Lemsal) as a teacher and a journalist. An important milestone in hi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet Latvian-born Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was the preeminent male classical dancer of the 1970s and 1980s. He subsequently became a noted dance director. Born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Baryshnikov had a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad before defecting to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in Western dance. After dancing with American Ballet Theatre, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer for one season to learn George Balanchine's neoclassical Russian style of movement. He then returned to the American Ballet Theatre, where he later became artistic director. Baryshnikov has spearheaded many of his own artistic projects and has been associated in particular with promoting modern dance, premiering dozens of new works, including m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Krišjānis Barons
Krišjānis Barons (October 31, 1835 – March 8, 1923) was a Latvian writer who is known as the "father of the Daina (Latvia), dainas" ( lv, "Dainu Tēvs") thanks largely to his systematization of the Latvian folk songs and his labour in preparing their texts for publication in ''Latvju dainas''. His portrait appeared on the 100-Latvian lats, lat banknote prior to the Lat being replaced by the Euro in 2014, his being the only human face of an actual person on modern Latvian currency. Barons was very prominent among the Young Latvians, and also an important writer and editor. Latvju dainas Background and importance Barons is well known as the creator of ''Latvju dainas'' (LD), published between 1894 and 1915 in six volumes, and including 217 996 folk songs. But Barons was not the author of the original idea, neither did he collect the texts, nor rewrite all of the received texts on the tiny paper slips of the famous Cabinet of Folksongs (''Dainu skapis''), though there is a si ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |