Jānis Brikmanis (25 February 1940 – 18 April 2019) was a Latvian
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
,
environmental conservationist, radio and television presenter, and writer.
Career
Jānis Brikmanis studied at the department of biology at the
Latvian State University
University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia established in 1919.
The ''QS World University Rankings'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, sevent ...
from 1960 to 1965. He was the captain of the university's rock climbing team. After graduation he worked at the chemical plant in
Olaine
Olaine (; german: Olai) is a city in Olaine Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Olaine gained town rights in 1967. The name comes from the Saint Olai Church, built by the Misa river under Swedish rule in the 17th century. An old cemete ...
before he got a teaching position at the
Daugavpils Pedagogical Institute in 1970. From 1975, he worked for the
Gauja National Park
__NOTOC__
Gauja National Park ( lv, Gaujas nacionālais parks) in Vidzeme is the largest national park in Latvia, with an area of 917.86 km2 running from north-east of Sigulda to south-west of Cēsis along the valley of the Gauja River, fr ...
as an engineer zoologist and senior researcher.
Over a period of 35 years, Brikmanis was a public figure in Latvia as the presenter of several radio and television programs about animal life, in particular about birds. He could imitate the sounds of different birds and gained the nickname ''Putnu Jānis'', meaning "Bird Jānis". He wrote four books about nature.
In 2015, he received the
Cross of Recognition
The Cross of Recognition ( lv, Atzinības krusts) is a state decoration of Latvia.
History
The decoration was established in 1710 in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia by Duke Frederick William as a symbol of the then-established Order of Rec ...
from the Latvian state, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to environmental protection and promotion.
Personal life
He was married to Vija Brikmane whom he met in Daugavpils when he was a lecturer and she was a student. The couple had four children. From 1995 to 1998 he was the leader of the
Congregation of Latvian Dievturi ( lv, Latvijas Dievturu Sadraudze), a
Baltic neopagan organisation. He died from cancer on 18 April 2019.
References
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brikmanis, Janis
1940 births
2019 deaths
20th-century zoologists
Ornithological writers
Nature writers
Latvian biologists
Radio presenters
Latvian television personalities
Latvian male writers
20th-century Latvian writers
Latvian non-fiction writers
Latvian modern pagans
Modern pagan religious leaders
Recipients of the Cross of Recognition
Deaths from cancer in Latvia
Male non-fiction writers
Soviet zoologists
Latvian zoologists
Latvian radio people