PM Kulbergs marks 35 years since Latvia's restored independence
At a solemn Saeima sitting marking 35 years since the restoration of Latvia's de facto independence, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs shared personal memories of 1991 and urged citizens to keep defending the state. He stressed that freedom was won, not given.
On Friday, at a solemn Saeima sitting marking 35 years since the adoption of the constitutional law "On the Statehood of the Republic of Latvia," Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs addressed lawmakers, calling on everyone to affirm that Latvia was, is and will be.
He recalled that Latvia has two birthdays — its founding and the restoration of independence. During occupation the state did not legally disappear, as it lived on in people's memory, language and the work of exile Latvians.
Personal memories
Kulbergs said his father served in a home guard unit that guarded the Cabinet of Ministers, and that as a child he helped his father prepare Molotov cocktails, since his mother would not let him accompany his father. He also mentioned that his father, founder of the Riga Motor Museum, prepared Joseph Stalin's armored ZIS car, reportedly the best-armored vehicle in Latvia at the time, to potentially rescue then-Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis from an OMON threat if needed.
The events of 1991
The prime minister recalled that on 21 August 1991, Soviet forces in Riga had seized the television centre, radio building, telephone exchange and the Ministry of the Interior, while a coup attempt was underway in Moscow. As the Supreme Council debated the law's text, OMON armoured vehicles approached the building, yet 111 deputies voted for a free Latvia.
Kulbergs stressed that freedom was not a gift but was won through courage and persistence, paying tribute to the leaders of the Awakening movement and the defenders of the barricades. He also referenced Russia's war against Ukraine as a stark reminder that freedom cannot be taken for granted.
The prime minister emphasized the responsibilities of citizens, soldiers, teachers, medics, entrepreneurs and parents toward the state, as well as the need to strengthen defence and the economy. He recalled that 35 years ago the world was told that Latvia is an independent, democratic republic.
