Vilis Lācis facts for kids

Vilis Lācis (born May 12, 1904 – died February 6, 1966) was a famous Latvian writer. He was also a communist politician, meaning he was involved in the government of Latvia when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Vilis Lācis was born Jānis Vilhelms Lāce. His family was a working-class family, meaning they earned their living through jobs like factory work or fishing. He was born in Vecmīlgrāvis, which is now part of Riga. During World War I, his family moved far away to the Altai region in Siberia. There, Vilis Lācis studied at a school for teachers in Barnaul.

In 1921, Lācis came back to Riga. He worked many different jobs, including being a fisherman, a port worker, a ship's fireman, and a librarian. In his free time, he loved to write stories.

Becoming a Popular Writer

In 1933, Vilis Lācis published a very successful book called Zvejnieka dēls, which means 'Fisherman's Son'. This book made him one of the most popular writers in Latvia during the 1930s. His books were known as "popular fiction." This means they were enjoyed by many ordinary people, even if some critics didn't always praise them highly.

Lācis and Politics

Even while he was a popular writer, Vilis Lācis secretly supported the Communist Party of Latvia. This party was not allowed to operate openly at that time. Because of his political activities, the Latvian secret services watched him.

However, Vilis Lācis became a favorite of the Latvian president, Karlis Ulmanis. President Ulmanis even ordered that all the secret files about Lācis be destroyed. Lācis wrote articles for newspapers that supported Ulmanis's government. At the same time, he still believed in communist ideas. Ulmanis's government gave Lācis money to support his writing and even to make a movie based on his book 'Fisherman's Son'. Later, during the time Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, eight more movies were made from Lācis's books, including a new version of 'Fisherman's Son' in 1957.

Role in the Soviet Government

In August 1940, Latvia became part of the USSR. Vilis Lācis then became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers for the Latvian SSR. This job was like being the Prime Minister. He held this important position from 1940 to 1959.

When Nazi Germany took over Latvia from 1941 to 1944 during World War II, Lācis was moved to Moscow. He continued to write there in a style called socialist realist. This style of writing was encouraged by the Soviet government.

Vilis Lācis was seen mostly as a public figure in his political role. Most of the big decisions were made by the main leaders of the Communist Party. He was involved in some very difficult times, including signing orders for the arrest and movement of many people.

From 1954 to 1958, Lācis also served as a Chairman in the Soviet of Nationalities, which was part of the Soviet Union's government. He received many important awards, including the Order of Lenin seven times and the Stalin Prize twice.

Legacy as a Writer

Vilis Lācis is still the most translated Latvian writer. His books have been translated into more than 50 different languages, with many of them translated into Russian.

See also

In Spanish: Vilis Lācis para niños