Day of proclamation of the Republic of Latvia (18/11)

Every year on November 18, Latvia celebrates an important public holiday — Day of Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia (Latvian). Latvijas Republikas Proklamēšanas diena, or Independence Day.

After the end of the First World War, when Latvia still remained virtually occupied by German troops, on November 18, 1918, the «Act of Independence» was proclaimed in Riga, according to which Latvia became an independent state, and the bourgeois government of Karlis Ulmanis, supported by the Entente, came to govern the country.

However, for another two years, hostilities continued in Latvia — there was a civil war, the main participants of which were the — national bourgeois government of K. Ulmanis, supported by the Entente, and the Social Democratic Forces (Bolsheviks), supported by Soviet Russia. As a result, on August 11, 1920, a peace treaty was signed in Riga between Russia and Latvia, in which the RSFSR recognized the Republic of Latvia as an independent state.

On January 26, 1921, the independence of Latvia was recognized by other Entente — countries as victorious countries in the First World War. At first Latvia was a parliamentary republic, but as a result of the coup d'etat of 1934, Karlis Ulmanis concentrated all absolute power in the country in his hands.

With the outbreak of World War II, in 1939, Germany and the USSR signed the «Non-Aggression Treaty» (also known as the «Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact»), and Latvia became the sphere of interests of the Soviet Union, soon losing its independence. After the war, when the country was occupied by Nazi troops and then liberated by Red Army troops, Latvia became one of the Soviet republics. Only on August 21, 1991, the parliament decides on the complete restoration of the statehood of Latvia.

But it was the date November 18 that remained in the history of the country as an important day and is of great importance for the Latvian people. Then, for the first time in history, Latvia became an independent parliamentary republic.

The symbol of Latvian independence was the Freedom Monument in the capital of the state — Riga. It was erected at the city canal on the border of the Old and New Town from 1931 to 1935 with donations from the people. Previously, the equestrian monument of Peter I stood on this site. The monument was sculpted by Latvian sculptor Karlis Zale. The sculptural groups at the base of the monument illustrate certain important events in the history of Latvia, and the monument is crowned with the image of Freedom — by a female figure, symbolizing the idea of the sovereignty of Latvia.

On Independence Day, flags with red, white and red symbols are hung in the country and many festive events take place. The holiday ends with a grandiose fireworks display on the Embankment on November 11 of the Daugava River.

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