Eduards Berklavs facts for kids

Eduards Berklavs (June 15, 1914 – November 25, 2004) was an important Latvian politician. He lived during a time when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union. Berklavs is remembered for standing up for Latvia's language and culture. He also played a big role in helping Latvia become independent again.

Eduards Berklavs: A Latvian Leader

Eduards Berklavs was born in a place called Kurmāle Parish. This area is now part of the Kuldīga Municipality in Latvia. From a young age, he was very active in groups that supported workers and communist ideas.

Early Life and Activism

In the 1930s, Berklavs faced challenges. He was arrested and spent time in prison. This was because of his activities with communist groups.

After the Soviet Union took control of Latvia in 1940, Berklavs became a government official. He worked for the Komsomol and the Communist Party of Latvia. By the 1950s, he became the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers for the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Standing Up for Latvia

While in his high position, Berklavs disagreed with some Soviet policies. He did not like the policy of "Russification". This policy tried to make people in Latvia more like Russians. Berklavs wanted the Latvian language to have a bigger role. He also suggested limiting how many people from other parts of the Soviet Union could move to Latvia.

Because of his views, some people called him a Latvian nationalist. In 1959, he was removed from his job. Later, he wrote a letter called the Letter of 17 Latvian communists. In this letter, he said the Soviet government was showing "Great Russian chauvinism". He also spoke against "forced assimilation", which meant making people give up their own culture.

Leading the Way to Freedom

In the late 1980s, Berklavs became a strong supporter of Latvian independence. He helped start a political group called the Latvian National Independence Movement (LNNK). He was also its first chairman.

At the same time, he was active in the Latvian Popular Front and the Congress of Citizens of Latvia. During this period, Berklavs was one of the most important people fighting for Latvia's freedom. He was elected to the Latvian parliament in 1990 and again in 1993. Both times, he was the oldest member of the parliament.