This is a list of prominent

Latvians Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common Latvi ...

with Wikipedia articles. It includes: * persons who were born in the historical territory of what is now

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and * persons of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship.

A

* Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the

aerowagon The Aerowagon or Aeromotowagon (russian: Аэроваго́н, аэродрези́на) was an experimental high-speed railcar fitted with an aircraft engine and propeller traction invented by Valerian Abakovsky, a Soviet engineer from Latv ...

Rutanya Alda Rutanya Alda (born Rūta Skrastiņa; October 13, 1942) is a Latvian-American actress. She began her career in the late 1960s, and went on to have supporting parts in ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Rocky II'' (1979), and ''Mommie Dearest'' (1981). S ...

(Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (''

Mommie Dearest ''Mommie Dearest'' is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. Published in 1978, it attracted much controversy for its portrayal of Joan Crawford as a cruel, unbalanced, and alcoholic m ...

'', ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...

'') *

Viktor Alksnis Viktor Imantovich Alksnis (russian: italic=yes, Виктор Имантович Алкснис, lv, Viktors Alksnis; born 21 June 1950) is a Russian politician and former Soviet Air Force colonel of Latvian descent. He is the chairman of Russi ...

(born 1950) – Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel" *

Juris Alunāns Juris Alunāns (official name Gustavs Georgs Frīdrihs Alunāns; May 13, 1832 – April 18, 1864) was a Latvian writer and philologist in the Russian Empire. He was one of the first contributors of Latvian language. He was one of the members of ...

(1832–1864) – writer and philologist *

Ingrīda Andriņa Ingrīda Andriņa (23 June 1944 – 17 September 2015) was a Latvian stage and film actress. Biography Born in Riga, Andriņa graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow in 1967 and began working at the Latvian Nat ...

(1944–2015) – actress *

Iveta Apkalna Iveta Apkalna (born 30 November 1976, Rēzekne, Latvia) is a Latvian organist and pianist. Biography Iveta Apkalna studied piano and organ at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, graduating in both instruments with distinction in 1999 ...

(born 1976) – organist *

Fricis Apšenieks Fricis Apšenieks ( Old orthography: ''Fritzis Apscheneek''; 7 April 1894 in Tetele, Courland Governorate – 25 April 1941 in Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian chess master. Biography In 1924, Apšenieks finished 2nd, behind Hermanis Matison ...

(1894–1941) – chess player *

Vija Artmane Vija Artmane (born Alīda Artmane; 21 August 1929 in Kaive, Sēme Parish – 11 October 2008 in Strenči) was a Latvian theatre and cinema actress. Life and career Childhood Vija Artmane was born Alīda Artmane at the time when Latvia was a s ...

(1929–2008) – actress *

Aspazija Aspazija was the pen name of Elza Johanna Emilija Lizete Pliekšāne (née Elza Rozenberga; 16 March 1865 – 5 November 1943), a Latvian poet and playwright. Aspazija is the Latvian transliteration of Aspasia. Biography Aspazija was born ...

, pen-name of Elza Pliekšāne (1865–1943) – poet and playwright *

Gunārs Astra Gunārs Astra (22 October 1931 – 6 April 1988) was a Latvian human rights activist and anti-Soviet dissident arrested by the Soviet Union in 1961 and sentenced to prison for 15 years. He was released in 1976. In 1983, he was arrested again but ...

(1931–1988) – dissident, fighter for

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

Auseklis Auseklis is a Latvian god, a stellar deityLurker, Manfred (2004). ''The Routledge dictionary of gods and goddesses, devils and demons''. Routledge. p. 25. . that represents a celestial body, but possibly not the same as Venus (Rīta zvaigzne) - ...

, pseudonym of Miķelis Krogzemis (1850–1879) – poet, author and translator of German poets

B

Ainars Bagatskis Ainars Bagatskis (born 29 March 1967) is a Latvian former professional basketball player and coach, who currently works as the head coach of CSO Voluntari of the Liga Națională and the senior Ukraine national team. Playing career Club career ...

(born 1967) – basketball player *

Helmuts Balderis Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis (born 31 July 1952) is a Soviet former ice hockey player. He played right wing, participated in the Soviet team's losing effort in the Miracle on Ice, and played part of a single season in the NHL after being drafted in ...

(born 1952) – ice hockey player, forward *

Jānis Balodis Jānis Balodis (20 February 1881 – 8 August 1965) was an army general, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Latvia (1919–1921), Minister of War (1931–1940) and politician who was one of the principal figures during the Latvian War of ...

(1881–1965) – army officer and politician *

Kārlis Balodis Kārlis Balodis (; June 20, 1864 – January 13, 1931) was a notable Latvian economist, financist, statistician and demographist. Most notably, he is the author of civilian rationing, which was first used in Germany during the First World ...

(1864–1931) – economist, financist, statistician and demographist *

Krišjānis Barons Krišjānis Barons (October 31, 1835 – March 8, 1923) was a Latvian writer who is known as the "father of the dainas" ( lv, "Dainu Tēvs") thanks largely to his systematization of the Latvian folk songs and his labour in preparing their tex ...

(1835–1923) – "the father of Latvian folk songs"; compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts, ''Latvju Dainas'' (1894–1915) *

Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...

(born 1948) – ballet dancer *

Kārlis Baumanis Kārlis Baumanis (11 May 1835 – 10 January 1905), better known as Baumaņu Kārlis, was an ethnic Latvian people, Latvian composer in the Russian Empire. He is the author of the lyrics and music of '' Dievs, svētī Latviju! '' (“God bless La ...

(1835–1905) – composer, author of the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

of the Republic of

Dievs, svētī Latviju! "" (; "God Bless Latvia!") is the national anthem of Latvia. Created in 1873 as a patriotic song, it did not gain official status until 1920. History and composition The music and lyrics were written in 1873 by Kārlis Baumanis, a teacher who ...

" ("God Bless Latvia!") *

Vizma Belševica Vizma Belševica (May 30, 1931 – August 6, 2005) was a Latvian poet, writer and translator. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Biography Belševica was born in Riga. Her father Žanis Belševics was a worker, and her mothe ...

(1931–2005) – author, candidate for the

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

Eduards Berklavs Eduards Berklavs (June 15, 1914 – November 25, 2004) was a Soviet and Latvian politician. Eduards Berklavs was born in Kurmāle Parish, today part of the Kuldīga Municipality. During his youth, he was active in labour and communist organizat ...

(1914–2004) – politician, leader of Latvian national-communists *

Krišjānis Berķis Krišjānis Berķis (April 26, 1884 in Īslīce parish, Bauska municipality, Courland, modern Latvia – July 29, 1942 in Perm, Russia) was a Latvian general. Rising to prominence as an officer of the Latvian Riflemen in World War I, he was pr ...

(1884–1942) – general *

Dairis Bertāns Dairis Bertāns (born September 9, 1989) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Real Betis of the Spanish Liga ACB. Bertāns also plays for the Latvia national basketball team. He is the older brother of Dāvis Bertāns. Professional car ...

(born 1989) – basketball player *

Isaiah Berlin Sir Isaiah Berlin (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997) was a Russian-British social and political theorist, philosopher, and historian of ideas. Although he became increasingly averse to writing for publication, his improvised lectures and talks ...

(Jesaja Berlins, 1909–1997) – philosopher * Eduards Bērziņš (1894–1938) – soldier in the Red Army, later head of

Dalstroy Dalstroy (russian: Дальстро́й, ), also known as Far North Construction Trust, was an organization set up in 1931 in order to manage road construction and the mining of gold in the Russian Far East, including the Magadan Region, Chukotka ...

, the

Kolyma Kolyma (russian: Колыма́, ) is a region located in the Russian Far East. It is bounded to the north by the East Siberian Sea and the Arctic Ocean, and by the Sea of Okhotsk to the south. The region gets its name from the Kolyma River an ...

forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia *

Yan Karlovich Berzin Yan (Ian) Karlovich Berzin (russian: Ян Карлович Берзин; lv, Jānis Bērziņš; real name Pēteris Ķuzis; , Kreis Riga (now in Zaube parish), the Russian Empire – 29 July 1938, Moscow, the USSR), was a Latvian Soviet communi ...

(1889–1938) Soviet military intelligence officer *

Kaspars Bērziņš Kaspars Bērziņš (born 25 August 1985) is a Latvian professional basketball player for New Taipei CTBC DEA of the T1 League. He has also represented the senior Latvian national team. Professional career Kaspars started playing basketball in hi ...

(born 1985) – basketball player *

Kārlis Bētiņš Kārlis Bētiņš (german: Carl Behting; 27 October 1867, Bērzmuiža – 28 March 1943, Riga) was a Latvian chess master and composer of studies. He tied for 3rd-5th at Riga 1899 (the 1st Baltic Congress, his brother Roberts Bētiņš won), too ...

(1867–1943) – chess player *

Andris Biedriņš Andris Biedriņš (; born April 2, 1986) is a Latvian former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Professional career Skonto (2002–2004) Biedriņš's ...

(born 1986) – basketball player * Gunārs Birkerts (1925–2017) – architect *

Miervaldis Birze Miervaldis Birze (born Augusts Miervaldis Bērziņš; 21 March 1921 – 6 July 2000) was a Latvian writer, publicist, physician. Biography Birze was born into the family of a municipal employee in Rūjiena. He completed primary school in 1 ...

(1921–2000) – writer *

Ernests Blanks Ernests Blanks ( in Braslava, Valmiera County, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 31 January 1972 in Palma, Majorca, Spain), publicist, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence in 1917. Ernests Blanks was editorial wri ...

(1894–1972) – publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence *

Rūdolfs Blaumanis Kārlis Rūdolfs Leonīds Blaumanis (1863–1908) was a Latvian writer, journalist and playwright. He is a renowned writer in Latvian history and a master of realism. The building of a flat in Riga that he once lived has been converted to a memo ...

(1863–1908) – writer and playwright * Himans Blūms (1913–2009) – painter *

Jānis Blūms Jānis Blūms (born 20 April 1982) is a former Latvian professional basketball player. Standing at , Blūms played both point guard and shooting guard positions. He also served as the captain of the Latvian national basketball team. Player career ...

(born 1982) – basketball player *

Ārons Bogoļubovs Ārons Bogoļubovs (Aron GershevichБОГОЛЮБОВ Арон Гершевич
Спортивн� ...

(born 1938) – Olympic medalist in

judoka is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

Mairis Briedis Mairis Briedis (born 13 January 1985) is a Latvian professional boxer. He is a three-time cruiserweight world champion, having held the IBF and ''Ring'' titles from 2020 to 2022; the WBC title from 2017 to 2018; and the WBO title in 2019. Up ...

(born 1985) – world boxing champion * Baiba Broka (born 1973) – actress * Baiba Broka (born 1975) – lawyer and politician * Ingūna Butāne (born 1986) – fashion model

C

* Frīdrihs Canders (1887–1933) – pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight * Valters Caps (1905–2003) – designed first

Minox Minox (pronounced ) is a manufacturer of cameras, known especially for its subminiature camera. The first product to carry the Minox name was a subminiature camera, conceived in 1922, and finally invented and produced in 1936, by Baltic German ...

8 x 11 photo cameras *

Aleksandrs Cauņa Aleksandrs Cauņa (; born 19 January 1988) is a Latvian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Club Born in Daugavpils, at youth level Cauņa played for Dinaburg, being brought to Skonto Riga system at the age of 14 ...

(born 1988) – footballer *

Gustavs Celmiņš Gustavs Celmiņš (April 1, 1899 – April 10, 1968) was a Latvian based politician, who was the founder of the Pērkonkrusts (Latvian pronunciation: , "Thunder Cross"). Biography He was educated at the commerce school of the Riga Stock Exc ...

(1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader of

Pērkonkrusts Pērkonkrusts (, "Thunder Cross") was a Latvian ultranationalist, anti-German, anti-Slavic, and antisemitic political party founded in 1933 by Gustavs Celmiņš, borrowing elements of German nationalism—but being unsympathetic to Nazism at ...

movement *

Vija Celmins Vija Celmins (pronounced VEE-ya SELL-muns;Hilarie M. Sheets and Randy Kennedy (September 24, 2015)''New York Times''. lv, Vija Celmiņa, pronounced TSEL-meen-ya) is a Latvian American visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and dr ...

(born 1938) – American painter born in Latvia *

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz Tanhum Cohen-Mintz (תנחום (תני) כהן-מינץ; also "Tanchum or Tani" and "Cohen-Minz"; October 18, 1939 – October 11, 2014) was an Israeli professional basketball player. He was 6'8 " (2.04 m ) tall, and he played at the center (bask ...

(1939–2014) – Latvian-born Israeli basketball player

Č

Māris Čaklais Māris Čaklais (16 June 1940 – 13 December 2003) was a Latvian poet, writer, and journalist. Biography Čaklais studied journalism at the University of Latvia until 1964; his first publications appeared in 1960. He translated to Latvian B ...

(1940–2003) – poet *

Aleksandrs Čaks Aleksandrs Čaks (born Aleksandrs Čadarainis; 27 October 1901 – 8 February 1950), was a Latvian poet and writer. Čaks is arguably the first Latvian writer whose works are distinctly urban, compared to the usual depictions of country life or ...

(1901–1950) – poet *

Jānis Čakste Jānis Kristaps Čakste (14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the People's Council (1918–1920), the Speaker of the Constitutio ...

(1859–1927) – first

President of Latvia The president of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Valsts prezidents ) is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Latvian National Armed Forces, National Armed Forces of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. The term of office is four years. Before 1999, it w ...

D

Roberts Dambītis General Roberts Dambītis (May 2, 1881 - March 27, 1957 in Trikāta parish near Strenči, Latvia) was a Latvian soldier and politician. A founder of the National Soldiers' Union as a Latvian Rifleman in World War I, Dambītis formally became th ...

(1881–1957) – general and politician * Jānis Dāliņš (1904–1978) – athlete, race walker * Emīls Dārziņš (1875–1910) – composer * Volfgangs Dārziņš (1906–1962) – composer, pianist and music critic * Kaspars Daugaviņš (born 1988) – ice hockey player * Jacob Davis (1834–1908) – inventor of denim * Johans Aleksandrs Heinrihs Klapje de Kolongs (1839–1901) – naval engineer * Eliass Eliezers Desslers (1892–1953) –

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Talmudic The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

scholar, and Jewish

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

Leor Dimant Leor Dimant ( lv, Leors Dimants, russian: Леор Григорьевич Димант, ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pai ...

(born 1972) – DJ for the

rap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and early ...

group

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

Anatols Dinbergs Anatols Dinbergs (, 1911 – November 9, 1993) was one of the preeminent career diplomats of Latvia. He entered service in Latvia's Foreign Ministry in 1932. Dinbergs remained abroad when the Soviet Union occupied Latvia, serving in the Latvia ...

(1911–1993) – diplomat *

Aleksis Dreimanis Aleksis Dreimanis (August 13, 1914 – July 8, 2011) was a Latvian Canadian Quaternary geologist. He was born in Valmiera, Latvia. Biography He first studied geology at the Institute of Palaeontology at the University of Latvia in Riga. In 1939, ...

(1914–2011) – geologist * Inga Drozdova (born 1975) – model and actress * Domenique Dumont – music producer *

Oļģerts Dunkers Oļģerts Dunkers (Riga, 11 February 1932 – 10 September 1997) was a Latvian actor and film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew ...

(1932–1997) – actor and film director * Christine Dzidrums (born 1971) – author

E

* Mihails Eizenšteins (1867–1921) – architect * Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) – film director *

Modris Eksteins Modris Eksteins ( lv, Modris Ekšteins; born December 13, 1943) is a Latvian Canadian historian with a special interest in German history and modern culture. Born in Riga, Latvia, his works include ''Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of ...

(born 1943) – Canadian historian and writer *

Ēriks Ešenvalds Ēriks Ešenvalds (born January 26, 1977) is a Latvian composer. From 2011 to 2013 he was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. Biography Ēriks Ešenvalds was born in Priekule, Latvia in 1977. He studie ...

(born 1977) – composer *

Andrievs Ezergailis Andrew Ezergailis ( lv, Andrievs Ezergailis; born 10 December 1930 in Rite Parish, died 22 January 2022 in Ithaca, New York) was a Professor of History at Ithaca College, known for his research into the 20th-century history of Latvia, particularl ...

(born 1930) – historian of the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

F

* Movša Feigins (1908–1950) – chess player * Gregors Fitelbergs (1879–1953) – conductor, composer and violinist * Vesels fon Freitāgs-Loringhofens (1899–1944) – colonel and member of the

German resistance German resistance can refer to: * Freikorps, German nationalist paramilitary groups resisting German communist uprisings and the Weimar Republic government * German resistance to Nazism * Landsturm, German resistance groups fighting against France d ...

against German dictator

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

Laila Freivalds Laila Ligita Freivalds (born 22 June 1942) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1988 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 2000, as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2006 and as Deputy Prime Minist ...

(born 1942) – former

Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs The Minister for Foreign Affairs ( sv, utrikesminister) is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Tobias Billström of the Moderate Party. History The office ...

G

Inese Galante Inese Galante (born 12 March 1954) is a Latvian soprano opera singer. Galante is known for a great beauty of tone, nuanced pianissimos and sensitive command of dynamics and colour. Her performance of Vavilov's ''Ave Maria'' (often attributed to ...

(born 1954) – opera singer; soprano * Gints Gabrāns (born 1970) – artist *

Elīna Garanča Elīna Garanča (born 16 September 1976) is a Latvian mezzo-soprano. She began to study singing in her hometown of Riga in 1996 and continued her studies in Vienna and in the United States. By 1999 she had won first place in a significant compe ...

(born 1976) – opera singer; mezzo-soprano *

Zemgus Girgensons Zemgus Girgensons (born 5 January 1994) is a Latvian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Latvian Locomotive", he was selected 14th overall in the 2012 NHL ...

(born 1994) – ice hockey centre * Kārlis Goppers (1876–1941) – general; founder of Latvian Boy Scouts *

Andrejs Grants Andrejs Grants (born March 7, 1955) is a Latvian photographer and teacher. He studied at the Latvian State University (1973–78), worked in the “Ogre” photo studio (1978–1988). From 1979 he is a teacher at the House of Technical Innovation ...

(born 1955) – photographer *

Kristers Gudļevskis Kristers Gudļevskis (born 31 July 1992) is a Latvian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Fischtown Pinguins of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Gudļevskis was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round (124th overall) of t ...

(born 1992) – ice hockey goaltender *

Ernests Gulbis Ernests Gulbis (, born 30 August 1988, nicknamed "Lord", "The Gull" or "Ernie") is a Latvian professional tennis player. In 2008, Gulbis won his first ATP Tour doubles title at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, teaming with Rainer Schütt ...

(born 1988) – tennis player * Natālija Gulbis (born 1983) – Latvian-descent

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

golfer

Ģ

Uldis Ģērmanis Uldis Ģērmanis () was a Latvian historian, writer and publicist born in Novaya Ladoga, Russian Empire. His father was Jānis Ģermanis, and his family returned to the newly independent Latvia in 1919. He taught history at the University of ...

(1915–1997) – historian; under the alias of Ulafs Jāņsons, a social commentator * Aivars Ģipslis (1937–2000) – chess player

H

* Moriss Halle (1923–2018) – linguist * Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) – Latvian-American photographer *

Juris Hartmanis Juris Hartmanis (July 5, 1928 – July 29, 2022) was a Latvian-born American computer scientist and computational theorist who, with Richard E. Stearns, received the 1993 ACM Turing Award "in recognition of their seminal paper which establis ...

(1928-2022) – computer scientist;

Turing Award The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...

winner *

Uvis Helmanis Uvis Helmanis (born June 10, 1972) is a former Latvian professional basketball player who played at power forward position. After retiring he became a basketball coach, and currently works as a head coach for Löwen Erfurt. Player profile Helm ...

(born 1972) – basketball player

I

Artūrs Irbe Artūrs Irbe (born 2 February 1967) is a Latvian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. Born during the Soviet era, Irbe played for various Soviet league teams and the Soviet Union national team before moving to North America in 199 ...

(born 1967) – ice hockey player, goalkeeper * Kārlis Irbītis (1904–1997) – aviation inventor, engineer, designer

J

Gatis Jahovičs Gatis Jahovičs (born August 11, 1984) is a Latvian former professional basketball player. He last played for BK Liepājas Lauvas in LBL. He is 2.00 m (6 ft 6.75 in) and a small forward. Latvian national team Jahovičs is also a member of ...

(born 1984) – basketball player *

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian conductor best known for his interpretations of Mahler, Strauss and Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. During his lifetime he was ...

(1943–2019) – conductor * Inese Jaunzeme (1932–2011) – athlete

K

Aivars Kalējs Aivars Kalējs (April 22, 1951, Riga, Latvian SSR) is a Latvian composer, organist and pianist. Career Aivars Kalējs has written more than 100 opuses of symphonic, organ, piano, chamber and choir music. His works have won several compositi ...

(born 1951) – organist, composer *

Konrāds Kalējs Konrāds Kalējs (26 June 1913 – 8 November 2001) was a Latvian soldier who was a Nazi collaborator and an alleged war criminal during World War II. He gained notoriety for evading calls for his prosecution across four countries, more than o ...

(1913–2001) – alleged war criminal *

Sandra Kalniete Sandra Kalniete (born 22 December 1952) is a politics of Latvia, Latvian politician, author, diplomat and independence movement leader. She served as Foreign Minister of Latvia 2002–2004 and as European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Devel ...

(born 1952) – politician, diplomat, former

's EU commissioner *

Bruno Kalniņš Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

(1899–1990) – Saeima member, Red Army General *

Imants Kalniņš Imants Kalniņš (born 26 May 1941 in Riga, Latvian SSR) is a Latvian composer, musician and politician. Having studied classical and choral music, he has written seven symphonies, several operas (including the first rock opera in the USSR, , ora ...

(born 1941) – composer, politician *

Oskars Kalpaks Oskars Kalpaks (6 January 1882–6 March 1919) was the commander of 1st Latvian Independent Battalion, also known as "Kalpaks Battalion". Kalpaks was born in a farming family. Having decided to become a soldier he completed Irkutsk military s ...

(1882–1919) – colonel, first Commander of

Latvian National Armed Forces The Latvian National Armed Forces ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālie bruņotie spēki), or NBS, are the armed forces of Latvia. Latvia's defense concept is based on a mobile professional rapid response force and reserve segment that can be called upon re ...

Kaspars Kambala Kaspars Kambala (born December 13, 1978) is a Latvian semi-professional basketball player, currently for BK Jūrmala, and a former professional boxer. Standing at , he plays at the position of forward-center. High school A 1997 graduate of Hom ...

(born 1978) – basketball player * Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (born 1964) – politician, current

Prime Minister of Latvia The prime minister of Latvia ( lv, ministru prezidents) is the most powerful member of the Government of Latvia, who presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers. The officeholder is nominated by the president of Latvia, but must be able to obta ...

Mārtiņš Karsums Mārtiņš Karsums (born 26 February 1986) is a Latvian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš of the Slovak Extraliga. Karsums was selected in the second round, 64th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry ...

(born 1986) – ice hockey player *

Reinis Kaudzīte Reinis Kaudzīte (Latvian orthography#Old orthography, Old orthography: ''Reinis Kaudsit''; May 12, 1839 – August 21, 1920), was a Latvian schoolteacher and writer. His novel ''Mērnieku laiki'' ("Time of the Surveyors") was the first novel wr ...

(1839–1920) – writer and journalist *

Renārs Kaupers Renārs Kaupers (sometimes anglicised as Reynard Cowper; born 1 September 1974, in Jelgava) is a Latvian pop/rock singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter who is the vocalist of the band Prāta Vētra (known internationally as Brainstorm). Bio ...

(born 1974) – musician * Jēkabs Ketlers (1610–1682) –

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

of the

Duchy of Courland and Semigallia The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia ( la, Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; german: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; lv, Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; lt, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; pl, Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was ...

* Gustavs Klucis (1895–1938) – painter and graphic designer * Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916–1993) – chess player * Ābrams Izāks Kūks (1864–1935) –

chief rabbi Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...

, Jewish thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator and scholar * Aleksandrs Kovaļevskis (1840–1901) – zoologist *

Ilsa Konrads Ilsa Konrads ( lv, Ilze Konrade; born 29 March 1944) is an Australian former freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a silver medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. In her career, she set 13 individual ...

(born 1944) – Olympic swimmer *

John Konrads John Konrads ( lv, Jānis Konrads; 21 May 1942 – 25 April 2021) was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won the 1500 m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In his career, he set 26 individual world records, a ...

(1942–2021) – Olympic swimmer * Gidons Krēmers (born 1947) – violinist and conductor *

Miķelis Krogzemis Miķelis Krogzemis (18 September 1850, Ungurpils – 6 February 1879, Saint Petersburg, Russia), better known under his pen name Auseklis* was a Latvian poet and prominent member of the Young Latvians movement. Biography Miķelis Krogzemis was ...

(1850–1879) – poet, author and translator of German poets * Juris Kronbergs (born 1946) – poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator *

Atis Kronvalds Atis Kronvalds or Kronvaldu Atis (15 April 1837 – 17 February 1875) was a Latvian writer, linguist and pedagogue, as well as a prominent member of the Young Latvia movement. Early life Kronvalds was born to a tailor family, but was raised b ...

(1837–1875) – teacher and journalist; reformed the

Latvian language Latvian ( ), also known as Lettish, is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family, spoken in the Baltic region. It is the language of Latvians and the official language of Latvia as well as ...

; organized the first

Latvian Song and Dance Festival The Latvian Song and Dance Festival ( lv, Vispārējie latviešu Dziesmu un Deju svētki) is one of the largest amateur choral and dancing events in the world and an important event in Latvian culture and social life. As one of the Baltic song ...

Dainis Kūla Dainis Kūla (born 28 April 1959 in Tukums, Latvian SSR) is a Latvian former javelin thrower who represented the Soviet Union at the international level for most of his career. He is most famous for controversially winning the gold medal in men's ...

(born 1959) – athlete (Olympic gold medal in

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

) *

Alberts Kviesis Alberts Kviesis (22 December 1881, in Tērvete Parish – 9 August 1944, in Riga) was a Latvian politician and the third President of Latvia. Alberts Kviesis was born in Kalnamuiža (Tērvete) parish (now Dobele Municipality) in the Courland G ...

(1881–1944) –

L

Aleksandrs Laime Aleksandrs Laime ( es, Alejandro Laime, en, Alexander Laime) was a famous Latvian-born explorer. He is most noted for being the first recorded human to reach Angel Falls, located in Venezuela, by foot. He also established, together with Charl ...

(1911–1994) – explorer *

Vilis Lācis Vilis Lācis (May 12, 1904 – February 6, 1966) was a Latvian writer and communist politician. Lācis was born Jānis Vilhelms Lāce into a working-class family in Vecmīlgrāvis (now part of Riga). During World War I, his family fled to the ...

(1904–1966) – author and politician *

Ginta Lapiņa Ginta Lapiņa (born 30 June 1989) is a Latvian fashion model. Career Lapiņa was born in Riga, and raised in Aizkraukles and began her modeling career in 2005, after being scouted in Riga by Nils Raumanis, and after placed with MC2 Model Manag ...

(born 1989) – fashion model * Natālija Lašenova (born 1973) – gymnastics Olympic champion (team) * Edvards Liedskalniņš (1887–1951) – builder of

Coral Castle Coral Castle is an oolite limestone structure created by the Latvian-American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887–1951). It is located in Unincorporated area, unincorporated territory of Miami-Dade County, Florida, between the cities of Homeste ...

in Florida; claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids * Jēkabs Mihaels Reinholds Lencs (1751–1792) – author *

Marija Leiko Marija Leiko (14 August 1887 – 3 February 1938), also known as Marija Leyko, was a Latvian stage and silent film actress in Europe, especially popular in Latvia, Germany,Māris Liepa (1936–1989) – ballet dancer *

Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American actress, model, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes ...

(1946–2019) – Latvian-American actress * Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) – philosopher *

Jānis Lūsis Jānis Lūsis (19 May 1939 – 29 April 2020) was a Latvian track and field athlete who competed in javelin throw. Biography Lūsis trained at Daugava Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society. He competed in four Sum ...

(born 1939) – athlete; Olympic champion

Ļ

* Jevgēnija Ļisicina (born 1942) – organist

M

* Māris Martinsons (born 1960) – film director, producer, screenwriter and film editor *

Hermanis Matisons Hermanis Matisons (german: Herman Mattison; 1894, Riga – 1932) was a Latvian chess player and one of world's most highly regarded chess masters in the early 1930s. He was also a leading composer of endgame studies. He died of tuberculosis at ...

(1894–1932) –

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

player *

Zenta Mauriņa Zenta Mauriņa (15 December 1897 – 25 April 1978) was a Latvian writer, essayist, translator, and researcher in philology. She was married to the Electronic Voice Phenomena researcher Konstantin Raudive.* Biography Born to doctor Roberts ...

(1897–1978) – writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher * Juris Māters (1845–1884) – author, lawyer and journalist; translated laws to Latvian and created the foundation for Latvian law *

Jānis Medenis Jānis Medenis (May 31, 1903 – May 10, 1961) was a Latvian poet and writer. In 1948, he was convicted of anti-Soviet activities, and imprisoned in the Norillag camp, later in Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast (russian: Ирку́тская � ...

(1903–1961) – poet *

Arnis Mednis Arnis Mednis (born 18 October 1961) is a Latvian singer. He represented Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, f ...

(born 1961) – singer *

Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (, Durbe – 22 August 1925, near Tukums) was a Latvian politician and diplomat who served as the first Foreign Minister of Latvia from its independence until 1924 and again from December of the same year until his death ...

(1887–1925) – first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs *

Mareks Mejeris Mareks Mejeris (born 2 September 1991) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, who plays the small forward and power forward position. Professional career He started his pro care ...

(born 1991) - basketball player for

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...

of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...

Alan Melikdjanian Alan Melikdjanian (; Russian: Алан Меликджанян; born April 13, 1980), known by the alias Captain Disillusion, is a Soviet-born American independent filmmaker and YouTuber. Melikdjanian has been active in the founding of video-s ...

(born 1980) – independent filmmaker, YouTuber * Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) – artist * Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) – artist * Jevgēņijs Millers (1867–1938) – czarist Russian general * Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853–1916) – linguist

N

* Arkādijs Naidičs (born 1985) – chess player; now resident in Germany *

Andris Nelsons Andris Nelsons (born 18 November 1978) is a Latvian conductor who is currently the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the ''Gewandhauskapellmeister'' of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He has previously served as music dire ...

(born 1978) – conductor,

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

Andrievs Niedra Andrievs Niedra ( old orthography: ''Andreews Needra''; 8 February 1871 – 25 September 1942) was a Latvian writer, Lutheran pastor and the Prime Minister of the German puppet government in Latvia between April and June 1919, during the Latvian ...

(1871–1941) – pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919) * Arons Nimcovičs (1886–1935) – chess player *

Reinis Nitišs Reinis Nitišs (born 16 December 1995) is a rallycross driver from Jēkabpils, Latvia. He is the winner of the Super1600 division in the European Rallycross Championship in 2013 and is the youngest event winner in FIA World Rallycross Championshi ...

(born 1995) – World Rallycross driver *

Fred Norris Eric Fred Norris (born Fred Leo Nukis; July 9, 1955) is an American radio personality and the longest-tenured staff member of ''The Howard Stern Show'', aside from Howard Stern, Stern himself. He first met Howard Stern while working at WCCC (FM ...

(born 1955) – radio personality, ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...

O

Staņislavs Olijars Staņislavs Olijars (russian: Станисла́в Олия́р, born 22 March 1979 in Chelyabinsk, RSFSR, Soviet Union) is a retired Latvian athlete mainly competing in the 110 metres hurdles. He is the 2000 European indoor champion, and in 2002 ...

(born 1979) – athlete (European champion in 110m hurdles) *

Jeļena Ostapenko Jeļena Ostapenko (born 8 June 1997), also known as Aļona Ostapenko, is a Latvian professional tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of world No. 5 in singles, achieved on 19 March 2018, and world No. 9 in doubles, reached on 22 Augus ...

(born 1997) – tennis player (Grand Slam champion) * Vilhelms Ostvalds (1853–1932) – received the

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

in 1909 for his work on

catalysis Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities * Elvīra Ozoliņa (born 1939) – athlete (Olympic gold medal in

) *

Sandis Ozoliņš Sandis Ozoliņš (born August 3, 1972), commonly spelled Sandis Ozolinsh in North America, is a Latvian former professional ice hockey player and coach. During his career in North America, Ozoliņš was a seven-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup ch ...

(born 1972) – ice hockey player, defense *

Valdemārs Ozoliņš Valdemārs Ozoliņš (5 November 1896 Vestiena parish – 15 February 1973, Pueblo, Colorado, USA) was a Latvian composer and conductor. Valdemārs Ozoliņš songs have been treasured by choirs ever since his triumphant debut during the VI ...

(1896–1973) – composer, conductor *

Auseklis Ozols Auseklis Ozols (born September 22, 1941) is a Latvian-born American artist and professor based in New Orleans. Ozols has been active in the fields of oil painting, watercolor painting, ink, and photography. Biography Auseklis Ozols was born in ...

(born 1941) – artist

P

Artis Pabriks Artis Pabriks (born 22 March 1966) is a Latvian politician. Since January 2019 he has been the Minister for Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia. From 2014 to 2018, he was a Member of the European Parliament. Early life and career After co ...

(born 1966) – Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007) * Ināra Petrusēviča (born 1969) – artist *

Kārlis Padegs Kārlis Padegs (8 October 1911 – 19 April 1940) was a Latvian artist. He studied under Latvian painter Vilhelms Purvītis at the Latvia Art Academy. His best-known work is '' Madonna with Machine Gun'', which belongs to the Latvian National ...

(1911–1940) – graphic artist, painter *

Marians Pahars Marians Pahars (born 5 August 1976) is a Latvian professional football manager and a former player. As a player, he spent the majority of his career operating as a striker for English club Southampton, where he played in the Premier League an ...

(born 1976) –

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player *

Raimonds Pauls Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936 in Iļģuciems, Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer and piano player who is well known in Latvia, Russia, post-Soviet countries and worldwide. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 199 ...

(born 1936) – composer; widely known in Russia * Lūcija Peka (1912–1991) – artist of the

Latvian diaspora The Latvian diaspora refers to Latvians and people of Latvian descent residing outside Latvia. According to estimates by the Latvian Foreign Ministry, as at 2012, about 370,000 Latvian citizens permanently resided outside of Latvia, most of ...

* Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928) -

Art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

architect *

Jēkabs Peterss Jēkabs Peterss (russian: Я́ков Христофо́рович Пе́терс, ''Yakov Khristoforovich Peters'', en, Jacob Peters; – 25 April 1938) was a Latvian people, Latvian Communist revolutionary who played a part in the es ...

(1886–1938) – revolutionary and

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə), abbreviated ...

leader *

Kaspars Petrovs Kaspars Petrovs (born 1978) is a Latvian serial killer. He was convicted of the murder of thirteen elderly women by the Riga Regional Court on May 12, 2005 and sentenced to life in prison. Petrovs, the son of a prominent medical doctor, had bee ...

(born 1978) – serial killer *

Vladimirs Petrovs Vladimirs Petrovs (russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Петро́в, translit=Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov; 27 September 1907 – 26 August 1943) was a Latvian Russian chess player. He was born in Riga, in the Governorate of L ...

(1907–1943) – chess player *

Oskars Perro Oskars Perro (September 26, 1918 – May 2, 2003) was Latvian soldier and writer. He was the first Latvian to be awarded the Iron Cross in the Second World War. Biography Oskars Perro was born in Mazsalaca, Latvia on 26 September 1918. He st ...

(1918–2003) – soldier and writer *

Andris Piebalgs Andris Piebalgs (born 17 September 1957) is a Latvian politician and diplomat who served as European Commissioner for Development at the European Commission from 2010 until 2014. Between 2004 and 2009 he served as Commissioner for Energy. Betwee ...

(born 1957) – politician and diplomat;

European Commissioner for Energy The European Commissioner for Energy is a member of the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Kadri Simson, in office since 1 December 2019. Responsibilities The Commissioner holds responsibility for the European Union's energy poli ...

* Jānis Pliekšāns (1865–1929) – writer; author of a number of poetry collections *

Juris Podnieks Juris Podnieks (December 5, 1950, Riga – June 23, 1992, Kuldīga District) was a Latvian film director and producer. He graduated from the Soviet VGIK film school in 1975 after which he started working at the Riga Film Studio. He became a ...

(1950–1992) – film director, producer * Nikolajs Poļakovs (1900–1974) – circus performer; creator of

Coco the Clown , birth_date = , birth_place = Dvinsk, Russian Empire , death_date = , death_place = Peterborough, England , nationality = , spouse = Valentina Novikova , children = , other_names = , citizenship = Russian Empire → ...

* Jānis Poruks (1871–1911) – writer *

Kristaps Porziņģis Kristaps Porziņģis (; born 2 August 1995) is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is one of the tallest active players in the NBA, standing at tall, and plays bo ...

(born 1995) – basketball player,

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, painter and one of the most famous gay rights activists in the German-speaking world. In ov ...

(born 1942) – film director, author, painter and gay rights activist *

Sandis Prūsis Sandis Prūsis (born 24 October 1965, in Ventspils) is a Latvian bobsleigh coach and former bobsledder. Starting his career in the 1980s, he competed professionally from 1990 to 2003. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he earned his ...

(born 1965) – athlete, bobsleigh *

Uldis Pūcītis Uldis Pūcītis (15 April 1937 – 14 December 2000) was a Latvian television, theater and film actor, scriptwriter and film director. Early life and stage career Uldis Pūcītis was born in Ranka parish, Gulbene District to Jānis Pūcītis a ...

(1937–2000) – actor, director * Jānis Pujāts (born 1930) –

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cardinal *

Andrejs Pumpurs Andrejs Pumpurs ( on the left bank of the Daugava, in Lieljumprava civil parish, now Birzgale Parish – in Riga) was a poet who penned the Latvian epic Lāčplēsis (''The Bear Slayer'', first published in 1888) and a prominent figure in the ...

(1841–1901) – poet; author of Latvian national epic ''

Lāčplēsis ''Lāčplēsis'' ("The Bear-Slayer") is an epic poem by Andrejs Pumpurs, a Latvian poet, who wrote it between 1872 and 1887 based on local legends. It's set during the Livonian Crusades telling the story of the mythical hero Lāčplēsis "th ...

R

Rainis Rainis was the pseudonym of Jānis Pliekšāns (September 11, 1865 – September 12, 1929), a Latvian poet, playwright, translator, and politician. Rainis' works include the classic plays ''Uguns un nakts'' (''Fire and Night'', 1905) and ''Ind ...

, pseudonym of Jānis Pliekšāns (1865–1929) – poet and playwright * Dan Rapoport (born 1970) – American financier and philanthropist *

Lauris Reiniks Lauris Reiniks (born July 11, 1979 in Dobele, Latvia) is a Latvian pop music singer, songwriter, television host, and actor. Lauris has graduated from Jelgava Music college, studied, although never graduated, communication studies at the Universit ...

(born 1979) – singer-songwriter, actor and television personality *

Einars Repše Einars Repše (born 9 December 1961) is a Latvian physicist, financier and politician, chairman of the Association for Latvian Development. Biography Einars Repše graduated from Latvia State University (now known as University of Latvia) in ...

(born 1961) – politician *

Lolita Ritmanis Lolita Ritmanis (born November 1, 1962) is a Latvian-American composer, known for her film score, film and television scores, including her work on the animated series ''Batman Beyond''. Early life Born on November 1, 1962, in Portland, Oregon, ...

(born 1962) – orchestrator, composer * Iļja Ripss (born 1948) – inventor of the

Bible code The Bible code ( he, הצופן התנ"כי, ), also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of encoded words within a Hebrew text of the Torah that, according to proponents, has predicted significant historical events. The statistical like ...

Fricis Rokpelnis Fricis Rokpelnis ( in Grobiņa, Courland, Russian Empire – 15 September 1969 in Jūrmala, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian poet and writer, who is best known for writing the lyrics to the Anthem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic State An ...

(1909–1969) – author * Markuss Rotkovičs (1903–1970) –

abstract expressionist Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

painter *

Elza Rozenberga Aspazija was the pen name of Elza Johanna Emilija Lizete Pliekšāne (née Elza Rozenberga; 16 March 1865 – 5 November 1943), a Latvian poet and playwright. Aspazija is the Latvian language, Latvian transliteration of Aspasia. Biography A ...

(1865–1943) – poet, playwright; married to Jānis Pliekšāns * Juris Rubenis (born 1961) – Lutheran pastor *

Mārtiņš Rubenis Mārtiņš Rubenis (born 26 September 1978) is a retired Latvian luger who competed between 1998 and 2014. He won the bronze medal at the men's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, becoming the first Latvian (i.e. representing R ...

(born 1978) – athlete; bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin * Brunis Rubess (1926–2009) – businessman * Inta Ruka (born 1958) – photographer *

Wolf Ruvinskis Wolf Ruvinskis (October 31, 1921 – November 9, 1999), born Wolf Ruvinskis Manevics, was a Latvian-Mexican actor and professional wrestler. He was married to dancer Armida Herrera. Born to a Latvian mother and a Ukrainian father, of Jewish backg ...

(1921–1999) – versatile actor, a memorable face of the

Cinema of Mexico Mexican cinema dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ideal ...

S

* Rudolfs Saulē (1903–1975) – ballet master; performer with the Latvian National Ballet * Uļjana Semjonova (born 1952) –

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player *

Haralds Silovs Haralds Silovs (born 7 April 1986) is a Latvian long track and former short track speed skater, who became the 2008 and 2011 European champion in short track. He has participated in three Winter Olympics. In 2018, he finished fourth at speed s ...

(born 1986) – short track and

long track speed skater 　 Long-track speed skating, usually simply referred to as speed skating, is the Olympic sport, Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skat ...

Kārlis Skalbe Kārlis Skalbe ( — 1945 April 14) was a Latvian writer, poet, and activist. He is best known for his 72 fairy tales which are really written for adults. He has been called the 'King of Fairytales', and his words, ''Tēvzemei un Brīvībai'' ('' ...

(1879–1945) – poet *

Kārlis Skrastiņš Kārlis Skrastiņš (July 9, 1974 – September 7, 2011) was a Latvian professional ice hockey player. Skrastiņš was drafted by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League in 1998 as a defenceman and spent twelve years in the leag ...

(1974–2011) – ice hockey player *

Baiba Skride Baiba Skride (born 19 February 1981) is a Latvian classical violinist. She was the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Contest in 2001. Background and studies Baiba Skride comes from a very musical Latvian family: her love of music comes from ...

(born 1981) – violinist * Konstantīns Sokoļskis (1904–1991) –

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

and

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

singer *

Ksenia Solo Ksenia Solo (born 8 October 1987; pronounced ) is a Latvian-Canadian actress known for portraying Mackenzie "Kenzi" Malikov on ''Lost Girl''. She portrayed Peggy Shippen on '' Turn: Washington's Spies''. Solo also portrayed the character "Natash ...

(born 1987) – Latvian-Canadian actress *

Serge Sorokko Serge Sorokko (born 26 April 1954) is an American art dealer, publisher and owner of the Serge Sorokko Gallery in San Francisco. He played a major role in establishing the first cultural exchanges in the field of visual arts between the United St ...

(born 1954) – art dealer and publisher * Raimonds Staprans (born 1926) – Latvian-American painter * Jānis Šteinhauers (1705–1779) – industrialist, entrepreneur, and civil rights activist *

Gotthard Friedrich Stender Gotthard Friedrich Stender ( lv, Gothards Frīdrihs Stenders or ''Ģederts Fridriks Štenders''; 1714–1796), also called Old Stender (''Vecais Stenders''), was a Baltic German Lutheran parson who played an outstanding role in Latvia's history of ...

(1714–1796) – first Latvian grammarian * Līna Šterna (1878–1968) – biologist and social activist * Roze Stiebra (born 1942) – animator * Henrijs Stolovs (1901–1971) – stamp dealer *

Jānis Streičs Jānis Streičs (born 26 September 1936) is a Latvian film director. Streičs' 1991 comedy film ''The Child of Man'' was runner-up for the Chicago International Children's Film Festival Rights of the Child Award in 1994. It had previously been L ...

(born 1936) – film director, screenwriter, actor *

Jānis Strēlnieks Jānis Strēlnieks (born 1 September 1989) is a Latvian professional basketball player for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. He also represents the senior Latvia national team. Standing at tall, he mainl ...

(born 1989) – basketball player *

Pēteris Stučka Pēteris Stučka, sometimes spelt Pyotr Ivanovich Stuchka (russian: Пётр Ива́нович Сту́чка, german: Peter Stutschka (in contemporary writings); – 25 January 1932), was a Latvian jurist and communist politician who served a ...

(1865–1932) – author, translator, editor, jurist and educator *

Jānis Sudrabkalns Jānis Sudrabkalns (May 17, 1894 – September 4, 1975), born Arvīds Peine, was a Latvian poet and writer. 1894 births 1975 deaths People from Inčukalns Municipality People from Kreis Riga Members of the Central Committee of the Comm ...

(1894–1975) – poet and journalist * Jevgēņijs Svešņikovs (born 1950) – chess player * Staņislavs Svjanevičs (1899–1997) – economist and historian

Š

Viktors Ščerbatihs Viktors Ščerbatihs (born 6 October 1974 in Dobele) is a former Latvian weightlifter and politician and a three-time Olympian for his native country. He is 181 cm tall. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, he won the silver medal in the over 105&n ...

(born 1974) – athlete, weightlifter * Pauls Šīmanis (1876–1944) – Baltic German journalist, politician, activist defending and preserving European minority cultures * Vestards Šimkus (born 1984) – pianist * Aleksejs Širovs (born 1972) – chess player *

Andris Šķēle Andris Šķēle (born 16 January 1958) is a Latvian former politician and business oligarch. He served two terms as Prime Minister of Latvia from 21 December 1995 to 7 August 1997, and from 16 July 1999 to 5 May 2000. Early life Šķēle gra ...

(born 1958) – politician;

Armands Šķēle Armands Šķēle (born September 4, 1983) is a former Latvian professional basketball player. He was a member of Latvian National Team. He earned praise from fans for his artistic style of play that thrived on creativity and unorthodox moves. Du ...

(born 1983) – basketball player *

Ainārs Šlesers Ainārs Šlesers (born 22 January 1970, Riga) is a Latvian business oligarch and politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia, as well as Deputy Mayor of Riga. Currently he is a member of the Latvian Parliament with his political party, La ...

(born 1970) – politician, chairman of

Latvia First Latvia First ( lv, Latvija pirmajā vietā, LPV) is a right-wing populist political party in Latvia. It was founded in August 2021 by businessman and former member of parliament, former Minister of Transport, former vice-mayor of Riga, Ainārs ...

Ernests Štālbergs Ernests Štālbergs (1883–1958) was a Latvian architect whose works are in the Neoclassical and the functionalistic styles. Štālbergs trained at the Kazan Art School from 1902 through 1904. His notable works include the auditorium at the ...

(1883–1958) – architect, ensemble of the

Freedom Monument The Freedom Monument ( lv, Brīvības piemineklis, ) is located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty ...

* Īzaks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888–1957) – politician, lawyer and author *

Māris Štrombergs Māris Štrombergs (born 10 March 1987) is a Latvian former professional BMX racer. In the 2008 Summer Olympics he became the first Olympic champion in BMX cycling. Earlier that year he won the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships. In 2012 he pro ...

(born 1987) – BMX cyclist; gold medal winner at 2008 and 2012 Olympics

T

* Esther Takeuchi (born 1953) – materials scientist and chemical engineer * Mihails Tāls (1936–1992) – the 8th

World Chess Champion The World Chess Championship is played to determine the world champion in chess. The current world champion is Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who has held the title since 2013. The first event recognized as a world championship was the 1886 match ...

* Jānis Roberts Tilbergs (1880–1972) – painter, sculptor

U

Guntis Ulmanis Guntis Ulmanis (born September 13, 1939), also known as Guntis Rumpītis from 1949 to 1989, is a Latvian politician and the fifth President of Latvia from 1993 to 1999. Biography Early life Guntis Ulmanis was born in Riga on September 13, 1939. ...

(born 1939) –

Kārlis Ulmanis Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis (; 4 September 1877 – 20 September 1942) was a Latvian politician. He was one of the most prominent Latvian politicians of pre-World War II Latvia during the Interwar period of independence from November 1918 to ...

(1877–1942) –

;

Juris Upatnieks Juris Upatnieks (born 7 May 1936 in Riga) is a Latvian-American physicist and inventor, and pioneer in the field of holography. Upatnieks fled the Latvia with his parents at the close of World War II, seeking asylum in Germany. In 1951 the famil ...

(born 1936) – physicist and inventor; pioneer in the field of

holography Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...

Andrejs Upīts Andrejs Upīts (4 December 1877, Skrīveri parish, Russian Empire – 17 November 1970, Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian teacher, poet, short story writer. Career and literary activity Andrejs Upīts, while writing for the newspaper "Mājas vie ...

(1877–1970) – poet and writer

V

* Ojārs Vācietis (1933–1983) – writer *

Romāns Vainšteins Romāns Vainšteins (born 3 March 1973, in Talsi) is a former professional road bicycle racer from Latvia. He won the road race at the 2000 World Cycling Championship in Plouay, France. At the end of the race, he won the sprint for the line ahe ...

(born 1973) – cyclist, World Road Champion in 2000 *

Krišjānis Valdemārs Krišjānis Valdemārs (in Germanized spelling as Christian Waldemar or Woldemar) (2 December 1825 at Vecjunkuri in Ārlava parish (now Valdgale parish, Courland, Latvia) – 7 December 1891 in Moscow, Russia) was a writer, editor, educator, po ...

(1825–1891) – public figure, writer, publicist and economist * Pauls Valdens (1863–1957) – chemist *

Miķelis Valters Miķelis Valters (born May 7, 1874, April 24 O.S., died March 25, 1968) was the first Latvian Minister of the Interior (1918—1919), member of the New Current intellectual movement, lawyer, politician, diplomat, social activist, and one of the ...

(1874–1968) – state official, journalist, diplomat *

Valdis Valters Valdis Valters (born August 4, 1957) is a retired Latvian professional basketball player. He played at the point guard position for the senior USSR national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game in Europe in ...

(born 1957) – basketball player * Aleksandrs Vanags (1918–1986) – footballer * Jānis Vanags (born 1958) – Lutheran archbishop *

Jūlijs Vanags Jūlijs Vanags (, Ungurmuiža Parish (now Jēkabpils District), Russian Empire – 12 October 1986, Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Soviet and Latvian writer and a co-author of the text of the Anthem of the Latvian SSR. He also wrote plays, childrens ...

(1903–1984) – author and translator *

Pēteris Vasks Pēteris Vasks (born 16 April 1946) is a Latvian composer. Biography Vasks was born in Aizpute, Latvia, into the family of a Baptist pastor. He trained as a violinist at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, as a double-bass player wi ...

(born 1946) – contemporary composer *

Jukums Vācietis Jukums Vācietis (russian: Иоаким Иоакимович Вацетис, link=no, ''Ioakim Ioakimovich Vatsetis''; 11 November 1873 – 28 July 1938) was a Latvian Soviet military commander. He was a rare example of a notable Soviet leader w ...

(1873–1938) – first commander of the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

* Ojārs Vācietis (1933–1983) – poet *

Kaspars Vecvagars Kaspars Vecvagars (born 3 August 1993) is a former Latvian professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for Valmiera Glass ViA. Professional career On 25 January 2023, Vecvagars signed a 5-week contract with Heroes Den Bosch ...

(born 1993) – basketball club

BC Žalgiris Basketball Club Žalgiris ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Žalgiris) is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania, and competes domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL, Lithuanian Basketball League). Founded in 1944, i ...

player *

Eduards Veidenbaums Eduards Veidenbaums (Glāznieki, Priekuļi parish, 3 October 1867 — Kalāči, Mūrmuiža parish, 24 May 1892) was a Latvian poet and translator. Biography Eduards Veidenbaums was born at the Glāznieki farmstead in the Priekuļi parish ...

(1867–1892) – poet and translator * Makss Veinreihs (1893–1969) – linguist *

Ed Viesturs Edmund Viesturs (born June 22, 1959) is a high-altitude mountaineer, corporate speaker, and well known author in the mountain climbing community. He is the only American to have climbed all 14 of the world's eight-thousander mountain peaks, and ...

(Edmunds Viesturs, born 1959) – mountaineer *

Igors Vihrovs Igors Vihrovs (born 6 June 1978) is a Latvian gymnast, who won the gold medal in floor exercise at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gad ...

(born 1978) – gymnast, gold medalist at Sydney Olympics in 2000 * Edvarts Virza (1883–1940) – writer * Alvis Vītoliņš (1946–1997) – chess master *

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1 December 1937) is a Latvian politician who served as the sixth President of Latvia from 1999 to 2007. She is the first woman to hold the post. She was elected President of Latvia in 1999 and re-elected for the seco ...

(born 1937) – former

Jāzeps Vītols Jāzeps Vītols (german: Joseph Wihtol; 26 July 1863 – 24 April 1948) was a Latvian composer, pedagogue and music critic. He is considered one of the fathers of Latvian classical music. Biography Vītols, born in Valmiera the son of a sc ...

(1863–1948) – composer *

Māris Verpakovskis Māris Verpakovskis (born 15 October 1979), is a Latvian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He represented the Latvia national team at UEFA Euro 2004 and is the only Latvian player to score at the end stage of a major int ...

(born 1979) – footballer * Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963–2006) – chess player

Z

Kārlis Zāle Kārlis Zāle (28 October 1888 – 19 February 1942) was a Latvian sculptor. Zāle was born in Mažeikiai, but grew up in Liepāja. After training in Russia at the Kazan Art School under Alexander Matveyev and in Germany, he returned to Riga in ...

(1888–1942) – sculptor; author of the Freedom Monument in Riga * Juris Zariņš (born 1945) – archaeologist and professor at

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

* Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) (1879–1963) – diplomat *

Rihards Zariņš Rihards Zariņš (also Richards Zarriņš or Richard Sarrinsch in German; 27 June 1869 – 21 April 1939) was a prominent Latvian graphic artist. Life He was born in Kocēni and grew up in Līgatne and later in Grīva. He pursued his studies ...

(1869–1939) – graphic artist *

Valdis Zatlers Valdis Zatlers (born 22 March 1955) is a Latvian politician and former physician who served as the seventh president of Latvia from 2007 to 2011. He won the Latvian presidential election of 31 May 2007. He became President of Latvia on 8 July 2 ...

(born 1955) – former

Elmārs Zemgalis Elmārs Zemgalis (9 September 1923 – 8 December 2014) was a Latvian-American chess master and mathematics professor at Highline College. He was awarded an Honorary Grandmaster title in 2003. Biography Zemgalis started to play chess when he ...

(1923–2014) – chess player *

Gustavs Zemgals Gustavs Zemgals (12 August 1871, Džūkste parish, Courland Governorate – 6 January 1939) was a Latvian politician and the second President of Latvia. He also was twice the mayor of Riga. Zemgals was born in Džūkste, Latvia. He attended ele ...

(1871–1939) – former President of Latvia * Imants Zemzaris (born 1951) – contemporary composer *

Valdis Zeps Dr. Valdis Juris Zeps (May 29, 1932 in Daugavpils, Latvia – July 25, 1996 in Riga, Latvia) was a Latvian-American linguist and college professor. Early life and family His parents, Jazeps and Anna Zeps, were World War II refugees. In 1944, he fl ...

(1932–1996) – author and linguist; pseudonym Jānis Turbads *

Imants Ziedonis Imants Ziedonis (3 May 1933 – 27 February 2013) was a Latvian poet and writer who first rose to fame during the Soviet era in Latvia. Early life and education Ziedonis was born in the Sloka fisherman's district of Jūrmala, Latvia. He was edu ...

(1933–2013) – poet and folklorist *

Mārtiņš Zīverts Mārtiņš Zīverts (27 July 1903 in Mežmuiža, Vilce parish – 4 October 1990) was a Latvian playwright. Biography Zīverts was born in Mežmuiža, Courland Governorate (now Vilce parish, Jelgava municipality, Latvia). He studied philosophy ...

(1903–1990) – playwright *

Kaspars Znotiņš Kaspars Znotiņš (born 7 October 1975) is a Latvian people, Latvian stage and film actor. Born in Jelgava, Latvia, Znotiņš began his career working on the New Riga Theatre, and has performed in stage productions at the Latvian National Theatr ...

(born 1975) – stage and film actor

Ž

Sergejs Žoltoks Sergei Zholtok, who was also known as Sergejs Žoltoks (December 2, 1972 – November 3, 2004) was a Latvian professional ice hockey centre who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montre ...

(1972–2004) –

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

player, forward

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