Vārdu diena / Names’ day (9 / 6) —
Balva, Magnuss, Maigonis
Sveiks! Tere! Sveikas! Hello!
Writer, journalist and playwright Rudolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) captures our love of Latvia and pride in our heritage.
Mans zelts ir mana tauta, mans gods ir viņas gods.
My gold is my people, my honor is their honor.
Welcome to our chronicle of 4,000 years of history and culture along the eastern Baltic Sea.
i menu items lead to our reference collection.
Also visit other Latvia-related sites we author or curate!
Our Latest on Facebook
We've also added the rest of Peters' October 2004 travelogue featuring Brethren and Rainis Cemeteries, Viestura and George Washington parks, the export port and Pētersala neighborhood, a day in the country, plus the usual Old Rīga and left bank strolls—and RIP Soviet monument to the not-liberators.
latvians.com/?en/Trips/Peters_200410/ 
2024 Aug 21 Lost to (according to search engines) time except a declassified CIA document, the 1960 "Manifesto of Free Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians." In English and Latvian, still searching for copies in Estonian and Lithuanian. And a ceremony and solemn promise to return a Latvian Legion regiment's flag to Latvia once it is free again.
latvians.com/?en/CFBH/1960Manifesto/ 2024 Aug 21 We've added an excerpt from "Travels Into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark" (1790) by William Coxe, historian-clergyman cum tutor-traveling companion to the nobility, featuring Coxe's account of his travels through Livonia, Volume III, Chapter IV—"Journey from Petersburgh to Riga—history of Livonia—Narva— Dorpt—Riga—Anecdotes of General Brown." Look for his statistics on Rīga's shipping and international trade from the 1780's. (Hint, you'll need to read to the end.) latvians.com/?en/CFBH/Travels1790/ 2024 Aug 17 We've added another view of Latvia from 17th century: "An Account OF LIVONIA; WITH A RELATION OF THE Rise, Progress, and Decay OF THE Marian Teutonick Order. The several Revolutions that have happen’d there to these present Times, with the Wars of Poland, Sweden and Muscovy, contending for that Province. A particular Account of the Dukedoms of Courland, Semigallia, and the Province of Pilten. ..."
This collection of 17 letters offers a rare contemporaneous view of Latvia, covering Livonian history from ruminations on northern European settlement following Noah's Biblical flood up to and through the upheavals of the tumultuous 17th century. The entire book is available in facsimile. We have transcribed the first two letters so far, preserving look and feel.
latvians.com/?en/CFBH/AccountLivonia/ 2024 Aug 15 Seventeenth century Latvians and Estonians (Livonia) were subjects of the Swedes, and Rīga was the largest city of the empire. It was a golden age: serfdom was eased, the power of the Germanic robber-barons diminished; and schools were established for the peasantry. Our hunt for contemporaneous sources yielded an 1701 revised English edition ("up to date as of 1688") of Louis Moréri's (1643–1680) "Le Grand Dictionaire historique, ou le mélange curieux de l'histoire sacrée et profane" ("The Great Historical Dictionary, or Curious Anthology of Sacred and Secular History"). We transcribed all the Baltics-related entries to create a window into the 1600's.
latvians.com/?en/CFBH/GreatHistorical/ 2024 Aug 14 We're excited to announce we've completed our year-plus website refresh, featuring a new look and feel, simplified navigation, and yes—even more content. Look for our new timeline of Latvian history. Most reference links still work, but we did reorganize our travelogues. We'll be announcing content additions separately.
latvians.com/index.php?en/CultureHistory/level-000-history.ssi 2024 Aug 13 We've added an excerpt from "Travels Into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark" (1790) by William Coxe, historian-clergyman cum tutor-traveling companion to the nobility, featuring Coxe's account of his travels through Livonia, Volume III, Chapter IV—"Journey from Petersburgh to Riga—history of Livonia—Narva— Dorpt—Riga—Anecdotes of General Brown." Look for his statistics on Rīga's shipping and international trade from the 1780's. (Hint, you'll need to read to the end.) latvians.com/?en/CFBH/Travels1790/ 2024 Aug 17 Seventeenth century Latvians and Estonians (Livonia) were subjects of the Swedes, and Rīga was the largest city of the empire. It was a golden age: serfdom was eased, the power of the Germanic robber-barons diminished; and schools were established for the peasantry. Our hunt for contemporaneous sources yielded an 1701 revised English edition ("up to date as of 1688") of Louis Moréri's (1643–1680) "Le Grand Dictionaire historique, ou le mélange curieux de l'histoire sacrée et profane" ("The Great Historical Dictionary, or Curious Anthology of Sacred and Secular History"). We transcribed all the Baltics-related entries to create a window into the 1600's.
latvians.com/?en/CFBH/GreatHistorical/ 2024 Aug 14 Celebrating our 27th year on the web and 34 years since Latvia redeclared independence.
