Latvia, like its neighbors to the north and south, was also formerly independent from 1918 to 1940 and as a component republic of the Soviet Union from that year to 1941 and yet again from 1944 to 1991, and its armed forces, then as in the 90s, were formed up of Latvian born personnel who served in the Russian military and thus share some of the Russian drill and parade ceremonial in combination with Western practices. After the restoration of Latvia's independence, parades at the Freedom Monument began on 23 August 1992. Today, the Latvian National Armed Forces hosts massive parades (with occasional participation by service personnel of NATO armed forces) on the following dates: