Background: Latvia — People | Cyber-Lenin

Background: Latvia

43 people

By birth A–Z List Cards

Pēteris Ivanovich Stučka Пётр Иванович Стучка Architect of Soviet Marxist legal theory who defined law as class relations Law and justice · Soviet Union 1865–1932
Andrievs Niedra Andrievs Niedra Pastor and writer who headed Latvia's pro-German government of 1919 Literature and arts 1871–1942
Augusts Kirhenšteins Augusts Kirhenšteins Microbiologist who headed the puppet government chosen by the Soviet embassy in 1940 and requested Latvia’s incorporation into the USSR Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union 1872–1963
Jukums Ioakimovich Vācietis Jukums Иоакимович Vācietis The Red Army's first commander-in-chief: an Imperial colonel who built the revolutionary armed forces Military command · Soviet Union 1873–1938
Kārlis Ulmanis Kārlis Ulmanis Latvia's prime minister in the war of independence, later dictator after the 1934 coup Government and administration · Latvia state institutions 1877–1942
Yakov Khristoforovich Peters Яков Христофорович Петерс Founding deputy chairman of the Cheka, Honorary Chekist No. 2 Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union 1886–1938
Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Latvia's first foreign minister, who won international recognition for its independence Diplomacy and international organization · Latvia state institutions 1887–1925
Jānis Ernestovich Rudzutaks Ян Эрнестович Рудзутак Latvian Bolshevik who denounced NKVD case fabrication in court Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union 1887–1938
Martin Ivanovich Lācis Mārtiņš Lācis Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Cheka and theorist of class-based Red Terror Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union 1888–1938
Isaac Zakharyevich Steinberg Исаак Захарович Штейнберг First People's Commissar of Justice under Lenin: the Left SR who defended revolutionary legality against the Cheka Political and party leadership · Party of Left Socialist Revolutionaries 1888–1957
Yan Karlovich Berzin Jānis Ян Карлович Берзин Bērziņš The Latvian Bolshevik who built Soviet military intelligence and was consumed by the purges Military command · Soviet Union 1889–1938
Vilgelm Georgiyevich Knorin Вильгельм Георгиевич Кнорин Architect of Comintern propaganda and party history compiler Diplomacy and international organization · Comintern 1890–1938
Robert Indrikovich Eikhe Роберт Индрикович Эйхе Architect of terror in Siberia, recanted his confession under torture Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union 1890–1940
Asja Ernestovna Lācis Asja Lācis Proletarian children's theatre pioneer who led Walter Benjamin to Marxism and Brecht Literature and arts · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1891–1979
Ivar Tenisovich Smilga Ivars Smilga The young oppositionist of the Revolutionary Military Council Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1892–1937
Karl Yanovich Bauman Карл Янович Бауман A party organiser who drove collectivisation forward Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1892–1937
Valery Ivanovich Mezhlauk Валерий Иванович Межлаук A planner purged by the system he served Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union 1893–1938
Genrikh Khristoforovich Eiche Генрих Христофорович Эйхе Red commander who drove Kolchak's retreat to its collapse Scholarship and theory 1893–1968
Jānis Eduardovich Kalnbērziņš Ян Эдуардович Калнберзинь Founding leader of Soviet Latvia and the longest-serving republican First Secretary among the Baltic republics Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1893–1986
Hans von Manteuffel-Szoege Hans Freiherr von Manteuffel-Szoege Baltic Landeswehr strike-troop commander who led the Liepāja coup and fell at Riga Military command 1894–1919
Eduard Petrovich Berzin Эдуард Петрович Берзин The Latvian Chekist who built Dalstroy and colonised Kolyma with forced labour for gold Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union 1894–1938
Leonid Mikhailovich Zakovsky Леонид Михайлович Заковский The Hammer of Leningrad Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union 1894–1938
Robert Petrovich Eideman Роберт Петрович Эйдеман Latvian-born Civil War hero turned defendant in the Tukhachevsky trial Military command · Soviet Union 1895–1937
Ivan Adamovich Kraval Иван Адамович Краваль The statistician who counted a population that displeased Stalin Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union 1897–1937
Yakov Ivanovich Alksnis Яков Иванович Алкснис Built the world's largest bomber force, then died the death he had sentenced others to Military command · Soviet Union 1897–1938
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн Master of montage: the revolutionary filmmaker who created a new cinematic language and reshaped world cinema Literature and arts 1898–1948
Vilhelms Munters Vilhelms Munters Latvian foreign minister who signed the Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty in 1939 and was deported to the Soviet Union in 1940 Diplomacy and international organization · Latvia state institutions 1898–1967
Jan Ernestovich Sten Ян Эрнестович Стэн Marxist philosopher who went from Stalin's Hegel tutor to Right Opposition conspirator Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1899–1937
Arvīds Yanovich Pelše Арвид Янович Пельше Brezhnev-era guardian of party discipline and Latvian-born Politburo member Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1899–1983
Žanis Lipke Žanis Lipke Riga docker who used his contract work for the Luftwaffe to smuggle dozens of Jews out of the ghetto and camps and hide them Social movements and organizing 1900–1987
Vilis Tenisovich Lācis Вилис Тенисович Лацис From Ulmanis's favorite novelist to the architect of Latvia's Sovietization Literature and arts · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1904–1966
Jānis Voldemarovich Peive Ян Вольдемарович Пейве From trace elements to federal politics: a Latvian agrochemist who chaired the Soviet of Nationalities Science and technology · Soviet Union 1906–1976
Viktors Arājs Viktors Arājs Latvian former policeman whose Arajs Kommando, under the SS Security Service, murdered about half of Latvia’s Jews Security, intelligence and policing · Nazi party and regime 1910–1988
Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh Мстислав Всеволодович Келдыш Academy president who coordinated space science Science and technology · Soviet Union 1911–1978
Vitālijs Petrovich Rubenis Виталий Петрович Рубен The Latvian who chaired the Soviet of Nationalities for a decade under Brezhnev Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union 1914–1994
Augusts Eduardovich Voss Augusts Voss Latvian party boss turned Soviet of Nationalities chairman Political and party leadership · Soviet Union 1916–1994
Alfrēds son of Pēteris Rubiks Alfrēds Pētera dēls Rubiks A steadfast defender of Latvia's Communist Party at the Soviet Union's end Political and party leadership · Soviet Union 1935–
Boris Karlovich Pugo Борис Карлович Пуго From Latvian KGB chief to USSR interior minister, a guardian of order shattered in the coup he backed Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union 1937–1991
Anatolijs Gorbunovs Anatolijs Gorbunovs The Communist Party secretary who led Latvia's Supreme Council through the restoration of independence Legislature and state representation · Latvia state institutions 1942–
Andris Slapiņš Andris Slapiņš A documentary filmmaker who recorded Latvia's independence struggle from the ground Literature and arts 1949–1991
Viktor Imantovich Alksnis Виктор Имантович Алкснис Leader of the Soyuz faction who nearly turned a parliamentary session into a constitutional coup Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks 1950–2025
Ivars Godmanis Ivars Godmanis The physicist who walked Latvia out of the USSR and commanded the nights of the barricades Government and administration · Latvia state institutions 1951–
Dainis Īvāns Dainis Īvāns The journalist who saved the Daugava River and led the Latvian Popular Front Political and party leadership · Popular Front of Latvia 1955–