Popular Front of Latvia Front of Latvia is located in its former offices, which are owned by the state, in Vecpilsētas iela 13/15 in Riga. Popular Front of Latvia The Popular Front of Latvia () was a political organisation in Latvia in the late 1980s and early 1990s which led Latvia to its independence from the Soviet Union. It was similar to the Popular Front of Estonia and the Sąjūdis movement in Lithuania. Its newspaper was "Atmoda" ("Awakening", cf. Latvian National Awakening), printed in the Latvian and Russian languages during 1989-1992. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Almost
Culture of Latvia Culture of Latvia The culture of Latvia combines traditional Latvian and Livonian heritage with influences of the country's varied historical heritage. The area of Latvia has been inhabited since 9000 BC. Baltic tribes, the ancestors of present-day Latvians, arrived around 3000 BC. In the 13th century after conquest of today's Latvia, Baltic Germans settled here and gradually became the upper class and rulers of Latvia, while Latvians and Livonians lost their positions finally becoming serfs in the 16th century. This caused the Germanisation of the educated inhabitants of other nationalities, yet preserved some local traditions. In the 19th century, when