Kulbergs recalls family story about Stalin's armored limousine

At a ceremonial sitting of the Saeima dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Latvia's de facto independence, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs shared a family story connected to the events of 1991.

According to the prime minister, his father had once prepared an armored ZIS-brand limousine that had belonged to the era of Joseph Stalin. Kulbergs explained that the vehicle was intended for an emergency scenario — had threats materialized from OMON, the Soviet Interior Ministry's special-purpose police unit, the car was meant to evacuate and rescue then-Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis or other senior Latvian officials.

Connection to the events of 1991

The ceremonial sitting where the story was told marks the moment when, following the collapse of the coup attempt in Moscow, Latvia secured international recognition of its de facto restored independence. Preceding that moment was a tense and dangerous period during which Soviet security forces, including OMON units, posed direct threats to the newly established Latvian state authority and its leading officials.

In his address, Kulbergs cited the family episode as an illustration of a time when ordinary people, including his own father, were indirectly involved in defending the country's independence, sometimes in unexpected and informal ways. The prime minister did not elaborate on whether the armored limousine was ever actually used for its intended purpose.

The anecdote was part of a broader ceremonial sitting that recalled the events of 1991 and the role people played in them, marking a significant commemorative day for Latvian statehood.