Latvia is situated in Northern Europe. One of the three Baltic States, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a World Heritage Site.
Regions
There are four historical regions of Latvia:
There are some cultural and social differences between regions, for example, traditional dress is different from region to region. The Latgale region has its own unique dialect.
Cities
Other destinations
Theme parks
Weekend break
Understand
Latvia is a famous ancient trading point. The famous ‘route from the Vikings to the Greeks’ mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory along the river Daugava to the Ancient Russia and Byzantine Empire.
Across the European continent, Latvia’s coast was known as a place for obtaining amber. In the Middle Ages amber was more valuable than gold in many places. Latvian amber was known in places as far away as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
At the 12th century, German traders arrived, bringing with them missionaries who attempted to convert the pagan Baltic and Finno-Ugrian tribes to the Christian faith.
The Germans founded Rīga in 1201, establishing it as the largest and most powerful city on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.
After independence in 1918, Latvia achieved considerable results in social development, economy, industry and agriculture. It has always been a multicultural melting point, where foreigners and locals worked together and brought prosperity to the country.
On June 16, 1940, Vyacheslav Molotov presented the Latvian representative in Moscow with an ultimatum accusing Latvia of violations of that pact, and on June 17 great numbers of Soviet forces occupied the country. Fraudulent elections for a "People's Saeima" were held, and a puppet government headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins led Latvia into the USSR. The annexation was formalized on August 5, 1940.
During the time of the Iron Curtain, Latvia was just a province of Soviet Union, but the concentration of heavy industry was enormous. Contacts with the West virtually did not exist.
Since regaining independence in 1991, economic and social development has been fast even for Latvians and neighbouring Europeans. Latvia has joined the European Union in 2004.
Because of a tribal past and divisions between occupying nations, there are regional differences between parts of Latvia which are interesting to explore.
Climate
The best time to travel to Latvia is from June to mid September, when it is warm and plenty of local food is available. January and February are the coldest months. October and November have autumn rains and daylight is short. You will probably not experience a very high comfort level while traveling in Latvia, so this is really a trip for active and self-motivated people.
Geography
Half of Latvia is covered with forests which are rich with wildlife. There are many lakes, especially if you go to Latgale region. There are deep river valleys with some sections having sand cliffs on their banks. Heavy industry halted a long time ago, so most places are ecologically clean.
The highest point in Latvia is Gaizinkalns , at 312m (1,023ft) above sea level, just west of the town of Madona.
Get in
Visas
For those permited for visa free entry
If you need a visa, getting it is tricky. Visa costs are on the high side considering size of the country - 20LVL for single or 35LVL for multple entry. Applications will take 7 days to process, or can take as long as 30 days if additional information is needed. To apply, submit to the Latvian embassy or consulate:
By plane
To Riga International Airport, you can arrive from various European (London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Barcelona, etc) cities, Middle East (Tel Aviv, Dubai), CIS (Moscow, Kiev, Minsk) as well as North America New York City.
Inexpensive national airline: Air Baltic. There are also other low-cost carriers Ryanairand EasyJet.
There are bus (0.30 LVL) and taxi (<10 LVL) connections to city centre. Only one cab company operates from airport, so look for red taxis on the ground floor near the parking lot. Journey times depend on traffic. Airport operates 24h hours. On departure hall help yourself with booklets about Riga.
If departing in morning allow yourself plenty of time to proceed through passport control as it can get crowded.
By train
SJSC Latvian Railways, 7216664, 7233397.
By car
You can use your car up till 3 months, if you are not resident in Latvia. After 3 months you need to register it.
If you have drivers licence from other country of European Union, you can use it continously. Residents of other countries have to switch their licence to Latvian ones after 6 months. It involves only theoretical exam. Exam is possible to take in English, Russian, French and German.
By bus
By boat
Get around
By plane
Air Baltic flies from Riga to Liepaja International Airport in summer (May-September). It costs 18.60 lats from Riga to Liepaja and 10 lats from Liepaja to Riga.
Several small airports available across Latvia, two in Riga - Spilves airport and Rumbulas airport.
By car
International car rentals are represented in Latvia. Offices are in Riga and on the ground floor in Riga Airport. Cheaper car rental offices are available.
Drive with the headlights on all year round. Winter tires are required for winter period. Most of petrol stations are self-service and operating 24 hours. Two types of octan rating gasoline and diesel fuel available.
You can browse rental car companies list on Riga International Airport page.
By bus
There is vast network of bus connections around Latvia. Buy bus ticket in bus station or in bus when boarding. If you have luggage ask bus driver to put into trunk. It depends from company if they will charge extra for that. There is express bus connections to major towns, which saves time.
On Fridays and Saturdays buses could be crowded in the outbound direction from Riga. Bus time tables are available at the Rigas Autoosta site.
By train
Useful to go by train if you need to connect to such towns as Jurmala, Saulkrasti, Jelgava, Ogre, Daugavpils.
Gulbene and Aluksne is connected by narrow gauge railway. There are several tourist spots along the route.
By bike
Use early morning hours, when is less traffic. Most heavy traffic is from 5 PM - 8 PM. No left turn allowed from middle line.
By thumb
Hitchhiking in Latvia is generally good. The roads around Riga present the largest obstacle, unless the city is your destination - there is no clean "by-pass" road, and a considerable amount of local traffic makes hitching very difficult. The easiest way to get around Riga is to find a "cross-country" lift at the border with Lithuania or Estonia. License plate numbers/countries of origin are your friends.
Talk
Latvian is an Indo-European language that shares its own Baltic branch of that linguistic family with Lithuanian. The language is spoken natively by most of the 2.4 million residents of Latvia. There is also a lot of Russian language spoken by the Russian ethnic community and older generations and a small Polish-speaking minority. In addition, English is also understood in urban centers.
See also: Latvian phrasebook
Do
Winter
There is a lot of possibilities to practice winter sports - snowboarding, cross country skiing, downhill skiing etc.Ramkalni, Baili, Zviedru Cepure. Some of slopes are open till late night. Usually need car to access.
Spring
As rivers get more water from melting snow, canoeing down the rivers is favorite past time for young people. It usually gets warmer after Easter.
Summer
Latvia has one of longest sand beaches in Europe. In July and August the water is warm enough to swim. The sea has a very slow slope.
Autumn
There are many interesting and old castles around Latvia. Association of Latvian Castles, Palaces and Manors has links and photos on their website. Note that sometimes castles are reserved for private occasions.
It is popular to go for autumn leaves viewing, when the trees turn red and yellow. Popular spots are Sigulda and Vidzemes Augstiene.
Buy
Speciality shops are open from 8 AM till 6 PM of weekdays, 4 PM on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. Groceries are open all days till 8 PM and later. Supermarkets are open till 11 PM or 12 PM all days. Basically you can get everything you need in supermarkets - from sushi till grass cutting tractors.
There are ATMs all over Latvia and in Riga International Airport, even in some small towns.Tax free shops have their signs clearly displayed. Best rates offered for foreign currency are around central railway station in Riga on Merkela street. Banks will charge additional commission.
Banks will accept travelers checks with some fee as a percentage of sum. They will cash you in LVL in anycase taken their foreign currency exchange rate.
Before leaving Latvia, it is advisable to exchange Latvian lats back to foreign currency, unless you want to keep them as souvenir.
Eat
This is best thing that could happen to a traveler in Latvia - food.
Latvian cuisine comes from the peasant culture, and is based on crops that grow in Latvia's temperate climate. Rye, peas, beets, and potatoes are the staples; smoked bacon, sausage, and other pork products are favorites. Since Latvia is surrounded by the sea, smoked and raw fish is also available. Lots of things are flavored with caraway seeds, especially cheese and bread. A cheese similar to smoked gouda, but more soft, is the cheapest and, arguably, tastiest variety. Latvian rye bread is heavy and flavorful, and goes well with hearty Latvian meals like pea soup, potatoes, and schnitzels (karbonades). Restaurants in larger cities often offer stews in clay pots.
Latvian cuisine is typical for temperate and northern countries, high on butter, fat, and grains, low on spice. If you are from the Mediterranean, you will find it bland, but if you come from England or Russia or the Midwestern US, you won't have trouble getting used to it.
A more exotic Latvian dish is a sweet soup made from rye bread (maizeszupe).
Some specific food only available in this area:
Other mentionable food and dishes:
Drink
Many local beers are excellent. Aldaris, Līvu, and Senču can be bought almost anywhere. A special 'live beer' called Užavas can be found in selected pubs and restaurants.
Don't forget to try the Balsam (Rīgas Melnais Balzams). It's a strong (45%) infusion of various herbs, roots, and spices. It will cure your flu in no time. Add a few drops to flavor your tea, or a few spoons to lace your coffee, or drink it neat.
Wine is also grown in Latvia in small quantities. It is the most Northern point in the world where wine is grown. Vineyards can be seen in Sabile (in Latvian).
Some remarkable places to have a sip:
Places serving Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Ukrainian cusine are also available in Latvia.
It is common to top 10% of the bill depending on the service you encountered. Make sure you check the receipt, as some establishments automatically include a 10% tip in the bill.
Sleep
There are many hotels to choose from. Prices start from 20 LVL outside Riga and from 40 LVL in Riga.
Network of youth hostels is also developing. Dormitory rooms around 10 lats, single, double rooms starts from 20 lats and above.
You can also rent a cottage or farm in the countryside. There are plenty to choose from. Lauku celotajs This is good idea for the summer.
Accomodation across Latvia has clickable guide to hotels in the country.
Camping in parks usually not allowed to spare grass. Most of rural land is private, but camping possible. If asked by owner to move, you have to. Paying small money (1-2 lats) helps in most cases.
If camping site is indicated (especially in Gauja National Park), camp there.
Learn
Museums in Latvia has list of museums in Latvia on their website.
Work
Not impossible (especially if you are an EU citizen), but you have to find company, which is willing to pay 35 LVL fee per month, work permit up to 170 LVL (once), fee for checking your documents of education 47.20 LVL (once). Salary should not be less than 246 LVL per month.
Job advertisments in Latvian daily newspapers like Diena Tuesday or Saturday edition, some of those ads are in English, German, Russian or French.
Stay safe
It is generally safe to travel around on your own, although petty crime exists. Things to watch out for are bicycles and things left in your car.
When visiting bars and restaurants in Riga - make sure you know the price before you order, follow your spending, so no cheating is possible.
Police of Latvia have page with advice for travelers.
Emergency phone number: Fire/Police/Ambulance 112.
If bitten by dog, cat or snake, seek medical help immediately. Most snakes are not venomous. Dog or cat bite has risk of rabies. Mosquitos carries no disease. Forest tick bite carries risk of encephalitis.
Stay healthy
There is no problem turning to any doctor or hospital to seek medical help, just pay an outside patient fee. Very few drugs are available without prescription, bring your own if you expect to need them.
As everywhere in the world, don't drink tap water, but instead buy bottled one or boil. It will cost you just a two, three dimes.
Respect
Should be careful when mentioning Latvia in the context of the former USSR. Latvia was occupied by USSR and any praising of Soviet (or Russian) practices is unlikely to be understood or appreciated by the Latvians.
It is very common to give up your seat for an elderly passenger on the public transport in Latvia. Always let the women board a train or bus first.
There are lot of dust bins on the streets and near shops. Throwing garbage on the street is unacceptable and is punishable. Also, pedestrians crossing against a red light are liable to be fined.
Contact
Latvijas Pasts is also reliable and a fast way to send letters and parcels (up to 10kg).
Most of GSM mobile phones will work in Latvia. Pre-paid SIM cards are also available and could be easy bought and topped-up at kiosks and outlets. Some SIM cards are capable of GPRS data transfer, although the setup of phone and computer will not be that easy. Zelta Zivtina of TELE2 costs as less as 1 lat and has English guide book in it.
Internet spots are available in cafes, libraries and airport. Most hotels will provide free wireless access spots for laptops.
If you could not find free wireless spot, try Lattelecom WLAN. A wifi card is need to connect to Lattelecom WLAN. A WLAN area could be around any Statoil petrol stations. Internet at no charge is also available in most public libraries, some have free wireless access points as well.
To call from a public phone you need Telekarte. It costs 2,3 and 5 LVL. International calls are possible from every public phone.
Latvia (historically Lattonia, Lettonia, or Lettland), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvija or Latvijas Republika, Livonian: Lemō), is a country in Northern Europe. Latvia shares land borders with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south – and both Russia and Belarus to the east. It is separated from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. The capital of Latvia is Riga (Latvian: Rīga). Latvia has been a member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004.
History
The territory of Latvia has been populated since 9000 BC with the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settling on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea around the third millennium BC (3000 BC).
Across Europe, Latvia's coast was known for its amber. The ancient Balts traded Latvian amber with Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
By 900 AD, four Baltic tribal cultures had developed: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kurši, latgaļi, sēļi and zemgaļi).
At the end of the 1100s, Latvia was often visited by traders from western Europe who set out on trading journeys along Latvia's longest river, the Daugava, to Russia.
In 1180, Christian missionaries arrived. As the Balts did not readily convert and opposed the ritual of christening, German Crusaders were sent into Latvia to convert the pagan population. By 1211, Christianity had effective control with the foundation stone for the Dome Cathedral in Riga laid.
In the 1200s, a confederation of feudal nations called Livonia developed under German rule. Livonia included today's Latvia and Southern Estonia. In 1282, Rīga and later the cities of Cēsis, Limbaži, Koknese and Valmiera were included in the Hanseatic League. From this time, Riga became an important point in west-east trading. Rīga, being the centre of the eastern Baltic region, formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe.
The 1500s were a time of great changes for the inhabitants of Latvia, notable for the reformation and the collapse of the Livonian nation. After the Livonian War (1558-1583) today's Latvian territory came under Polish-Lithuanian rule. The Lutheran faith was accepted in Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme, but the Roman Catholic faith maintained its dominance in Latgale and continues to do so today.
The seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries saw a struggle between Poland, Sweden and Russia for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. Most of Polish Livonia, including Vidzeme, came under Swedish rule with the Truce of Altmark in 1629. Under the Swedish rule serfdom was eased and a network of schools was established for the peasantry.
The Treaty of Nystad ending the Great Northern War in 1721 gave Vidzeme to Russia (it became part of the Riga Governorate). The Latgale region remained part of Poland as Inflanty until 1772, when it was joined to Russia. The Duchy of Courland became a Russian province (the Courland Governorate) in 1795, bringing all of what is now Latvia into Imperial Russia.
The promises Peter the Great made to the Baltic German nobility at the fall of Riga in 1710, confirmed by the Treaty of Nystad and known as "the Capitulations," largely reversed the Swedish reforms. The emancipation of the serfs took place in Courland in 1817 and in Vidzeme in 1819. In practice, the emancipation was actually advantageous to the nobility because it dispossessed the peasants of their land without compensation. The social structure changed dramatically, with a class of independent farmers establishing itself after reforms allowed the peasants to repurchase their land, landless peasants numbering 591 000 in 1897, a growing urban proletariat and an increasingly influential Latvian bourgeoisie. The Young Latvians (Latvian: Jaunlatvieši) movement laid the groundwork for nationalism from the middle of the century, many of its leaders looking to the Slavophiles for support against the prevailing German-dominated social order. Russification began in Latgale after the January Uprising in 1863 and spread to the rest of what is now Latvia by the 1880s. The Young Latvians were largely eclipsed by the New Current, a broad leftist social and political movement, in the 1890s. Popular discontent exploded in the 1905 Revolution, which took on a nationalist character in the Baltic provinces.
World War I devastated the country. Demands for self-determination were at first confined to autonomy, but full independence was proclaimed in Riga on November 18, 1918, by the People's Council of Latvia, Kārlis Ulmanis becoming the head of the provisional government. The War of Independence that followed was a very chaotic period in Latvia's history. By the spring of 1919 there were actually three governments- Ulmanis' government; the Iskolat led by Pēteris Stučka, which proclaimed an independent Soviet Latvia and whose forces, supported by the Red Army, occupied almost all of the country; and the Baltic German government of "Baltic Duchy" headed by Andrievs Niedra. Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Germans at the Battle of Cēsis in June 1919, and a massive attack by a German and Russian force under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov was repelled in November. Eastern Latvia was cleared of Red Army forces by Polish, Latvian, and German troops in early 1920.
A freely elected Constituent Assembly was convened on May 1, 1920 and adopted a liberal constitution, the Satversme, in February 1922. This was partly suspended by Ulmanis after his coup in 1934, but reaffirmed in 1990. Since then it has been amended and is the constitution still in use in Latvia today. With most of Latvia's industrial base evacuated to the interior of Russia in 1915, radical land reform was the central political question for the young state. In 1897, 61.2% of the rural population had been landless; by 1930 that percentage had been reduced to 23.2%. The extent of cultivated land surpassed the pre-war level already in 1923. Innovation and rising productivity led to rapid growth of economy, but it soon suffered the effects of the Great Depression. Though Latvia showed signs of economic recovery and the electorate had steadily moved toward the center during the parliamentary period, Ulmanis staged a bloodless coup on May 15, 1934, establishing a nationalist dictatorship that lasted until 1940. Most of the Baltic Germans left Latvia by agreement between Ulmanis' government and Nazi Germany after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. On October 5, 1939, Latvia was forced to accept a "mutual assistance" pact with the Soviet Union, granting the Soviets the right to station 25,000 troops on Latvian territory. On June 16, 1940, Vyacheslav Molotov presented the Latvian representative in Moscow with an ultimatum accusing Latvia of violations of that pact, and on June 17 great numbers of Soviet forces occupied the country. Fraudulent elections for a "People's Saeima" were held, and a puppet government headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins led Latvia into the USSR. The annexation was formalized on August 5, 1940.
The Soviets dealt with their opponents - prior to the German invasion, in less than a year, at least 27,586 persons were arrested; most were deported, and ca. 945 persons were shot. While under German occupation, Latvia was administered as part of Reichskommissariat Ostland. Latvian paramilitary and Auxiliary Police units established by occupation authority actively participated in the Holocaust. More than 200,000 Latvian citizens died during World War II, including approximately 70,000 Latvian Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation. Latvian soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict, including in the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS, most of them conscripted by the occupying Nazi and Soviet authorities. Refusal to join the occupying army resulted in an imprisonment, threats to relatives or even death.
The Soviets reoccupied the country in 1944-1945, and further mass deportations followed as the country was forcibly collectivized and Sovietized; 42,975 persons were deported in 1949. Influx of laborers, administrators, military personnel and their dependents from Russia and other Soviet republics started and by 1959 ethnic Latvian population had fallen to 62%. During the Khrushchev Thaw, attempts by national communists led by Eduards Berklavs to gain a degree of autonomy for the republic and protect the rapidly deteriorating position of the Latvian language were suppressed. In 1989 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the "Occupation of the Baltic States," in which it declared that the occupation was "not in accordance with law," and not the "will of the Soviet people". A national movement coalescing in the Popular Front of Latvia took advantage of glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev, opposed by the Interfront, and on May 4, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, subject to a transition period that came to an end with Latvian independence on August 21, 1991, after the failure of the August Putsch. The Saeima, Latvia's parliament, was again elected in 1993, and Russia completed its military withdrawal in 1994.
The major goals of Latvia in the 1990s, to join NATO and European Union, were achieved in 2004. Language and citizenship laws have been opposed by many Russophones (citizenship was not automatically extended to some former Soviet citizens who settled during the Soviet occupation). The government denationalized private property confiscated by the Soviet rule, returning it or compensating the owners for it, and privatized most state-owned industries, reintroducing the prewar currency. After a difficult transition to a liberal economy and its re-orientation toward Western Europe, Latvia still has one of the lowest standards of living in the EU, though its economy has one of the highest growth rates.
Politics
The 100-seat unicameral Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is elected by direct, popular vote every four years. The president is elected by the Saeima in a separate election also every four years. The president appoints a prime minister who, together with his cabinet, forms the executive branch of the government, which has to receive a confidence vote by the Saeima. This system also existed before the Second World War.
In a nationwide referendum on September 20, 2003, 66.9% of those taking part voted in favour of joining the European Union. Latvia became a full-fledged member of the European Union on May 1, 2004. Latvia has been a NATO member since March 29, 2004.
Although membership in the EU and NATO were the major goals of Latvia through the 1990s, Latvian politicians today are often criticized for being unable to gain benefits out of Latvia's membership.
Latvia has had strained relations with Russian Federation due to Russian discontent with Latvian language and citizenship policies, as well as Latvia's requests for Russia to recognize it as continuous with the first Latvian Republic and acknowledge consequences of Soviet occupation. As of 2007, however Latvia's relationship with Russia seems to be improving.
Administrative divisions
Latvia is divided into 26 districts (rajoni). There are also seven cities (lielpilsētas) that have a separate status. Latvia is also historically, culturally and constitutionally divided in four or more distinct regions.
Nationalities
Latvia's population has been multiethnic for centuries, though the demographics shifted dramatically in the twentieth century due to the world wars, the emigration and removal of Baltic Germans, the Holocaust, and occupation by the Soviet Union.
Latvians and Livonians, the indigenous peoples of Latvia, now form c. 60% of the population; 28.5% of the inhabitants are Russian.. Approximately 54% of the ethnic Russians living in Latvia are citizens of Latvia. People who arrived whilst Latvia was occupied by the USSR, and their descendants born before 1991, must be naturalized to receive Latvian citizenship. Over 100,000 persons have been naturalized in recent years.
In some large cities (e.g. Daugavpils and Rēzekne), Russians and other minorities outnumber Latvians. Minorities from other countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, etc., also live in Latvia. The share of ethnic Latvians had fallen from 77% (1,467,035) in 1935 to 52% (1,387,757) in 1989.. In 2005 there were even fewer Latvians than in 1989, though their share of the population was larger - 1,357,099 (58.8% of the inhabitants).
Languages
The official language of Latvia is Latvian, which belongs to the Baltic language group of the Indo-European language family. Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct Livonian language of Baltic-Finnic subbranch of Uralic language family, which enjoys protection by law; Latgalian language - a dialect of Latvian - is also protected by Latvian law as historical variation of Latvian language. Russian is by far the most widespread minority language, also spoken, or at least understood, by large sections of the non-Russian population.
Religion
The population is mostly Christian, although few people attend religious services regularly. The largest groups in 2006 are:
There are also Jews (9,883 in 2005) in Latvia who are now mainly a remainder from the past, as during World War II the Jewish Community (according to the last official census in 1935 there were 93,479 Jews in the country, or approximately 5% of the total population) was mostly murdered. There are 182 known Muslims living in Latvia; total number of Muslims in Latvia, however, is estimated to be much larger - from 500 to 12,000.
There are about 600 Latvian neopagans Dievturi (The Godskeepers) whose religion is based on Latvian mythology. About 35 % of the total population is not affiliated with a specific religion and may be nontheist.
Culture
Between the thirteenth and nineteenth century, Baltic Germans, many of whom were originally of non-German ancestry but had been assimilated into German culture, formed the upper class. They developed a distinct cultural heritage, characterised by both Latvian and Russian influences. It has survived in German Baltic families to this day, in spite of their dispersal to Germany, the USA, Canada and other countries in the early 20th century. However, most indigenous Latvians did not participate in this particular cultural life. Thus the mostly peasant local pagan heritage was preserved, partly merging with Christian traditions, for example in one of the most popular celebrations today which is Jāņi, a paganic celebration of the summer solstice, celebrated on the feast day of St. John the Baptist.
In the nineteenth century Latvian nationalist movements emerged promoting Latvian culture and encouraging Latvians to take part in cultural activities. The nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century is often regarded as a classical era of Latvian culture. Posters show the influence of other European cultures. For example works of artists such as the Baltic-German artist Bernhard Borchert and the French Raoul Dufy.
After incorporation into the USSR, Latvian artists and writers had to follow the Socialist realism style of art. During the Soviet era, music became increasingly popular, with the most popular being songs from the 1980s. At this time, songs often made fun of the characteristics of Soviet life and were concerned about preserving Latvian identity. This aroused popular protests against the USSR and also gave rise to an increasing popularity of poetry. Since independence, theatre and scenography have become the most notable branches of Latvian culture.
References
External links
Government
Other
