- List of Latvians
This is a list of prominent
Latvians . It includes:
* persons who were born in the historical territory of what is nowLatvia , regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and
* persons of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship.A
*
Augusts Vilis Abakuks (1914–1994) - a leader of the British Latvian community in exile
*Dace Akmentiņa (1858-1936) - actress
*Jānis Akurāters (1876-1937) - writer
*Ieva Akurātere (1951) - singer/songwriter
*Rutanya Alda , born Rutanya Skrastiņa (1942) - actress ("Mommy Dearest", "Deer Hunter")
*Viktors Alksnis (1950) - Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel"
*Ādolfs Alunāns (1848-1912) - actor, playwright
*Edgars Andersons (Edgar Anderson, 1920-1989) - historian
*Jānis Anmanis (1943) - painter
*Augusts Annus (1893-1984) - painter
*Jānis Annus - painter
*Anna Annus-Hāgena - artist, educator, curator
*Iveta Apkalna (1976) - organist
* Fricis Apšenieks (1894-1941) - chess player
*Vija Artmane (1929) - actress
*Aspazija "see Elza Rozenberga"
*Gunārs Astra (1931-1988) - dissident, fighter forhuman rights
*Auseklis "see Miķelis Krogzems"B
*
Helmuts Balderis (1952) - ice hockey player, forward
*Jānis Balodis (1881-1965) - army officer and politician
* Jānis Balodis (1950) - Australian playwright
*Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923) - “the father of Latvian folk songs”, who compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts “Latvju Dainas” (1894-1915)
*Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) - ballet-dancer
*Jānis Fridrihs Baumanis (1834-1891) - architect
*Kārlis Baumanis (1835-1905) - composer, author of thenational anthem of the Republic ofLatvia "Dievs, svētī Latviju! " (God bless Latvia!)
*Oskars Aleksandrs Bārs (1848-1914) - architect
*Vizma Belševica (1931-2005) - author, candidate forNobel Prize in Literature
*Eduards Berklavs (1914-2004) - politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
*Krišjānis Berķis (1884-1942) - general
*Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) - philosopher
*Eduard Berzin (1894-1938) - soldier in the Red Army, later Head ofDalstroy , theKolyma forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia
*Lilita Bērziņa (1903-1983) - actress
*Isaac Berzins (1990-) - musician
*Kaspars Bērziņš - basketball player
*Karlis Betinš (1867-1943) - chess player
*Andris Biedriņš (1986) - basketball player,Golden State Warriors
*Gunnar Birkerts (1925) - architect
*Bernhards Bīlensteins (1877-1959) - architect
*Alfreds Bīlmanis (1887-1948) - politician, diplomat, historian
* Vilhelms Bokslafs (1858-1945) - architect
*Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) - Latvian publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence
*Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) - writer and playwright
* Himans Blūms (1913) - painter
*Jānis Blūms - basketball player
*Mikelis Bukšs - Latgalian ethnographer and linguist
*Arvīds Blūmentals - "Crocodile Harry", a man living in a cave
*Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk (1966) - actress, producer, playwright
* Fridrihs Briedis (1885-1918) - colonel in first world war
*Mikhail Aleksandrovitch (1914-2002) - singer and cantor
*Ginters Buss (1983-present) - economistC
* Valters Caps (1905-2003) - designed first
Minox 8 x 11 photocameras
*Gustavs Celmiņš (1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader ofPērkonkrusts movement
*Vija Celmins (1938) - American painter born in Latvia
*Jānis Ciaguns (1951) - downhill skier
*Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) - composer, pedagogueČ
*
Aleksandrs Čaks (1901-1950) - poet
*Jānis Čakste (1859-1927) - first Latvian president
*Konstantīns Čakste (1901-1945) - lawyer and politician
*Mintauts Čakste - jurist, author, served in Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of LatviaD
*
Roberts Dambītis (1881-1957) - general and politician
*Jānis Dāliņš (1904-1978) - athlete, race walker
*Emīls Dārziņš (1875-1910) - composer
*Jacob Davis (1834-1908) - inventor of denim
* Ivans de Kolongs (1839-1901) - naval engineer
*Augusts Deglavs (1862-1922) - writer
* Elijās Eliezers Desslers (1892-1953) - Orthodox Jewishrabbi ,Talmudic scholar, and Jewishphilosopher
*Leor Dimant (1972) - Turntabilist and member of the rock groupLimp Bizkit
*Anatols Dinbergs (1911-1993) - diplomat
*Rūdolfs Filips Donbergs (1864-1918) - architect
*John Dored (1881-1954) - legendary cameraman, world reporter of Paramount
*Aleksis Dreimanis (1914) - geologist
*Inga Drozdova (1975) - model and actress
*Uldis Dumpis (1943) - actor
*Egons Dunens (1945) - inventor
*Eriks Dunens (1983) - Famous Minneapolis Hipster
*Edgars Dunsdorfs (1904-2002) - historian, publicist and economistE
*
Andrejs Eglītis (1912-2006) - famous Latvian poet and patriot
*Kārlis Eihenbaums (1961) - diplomat
* Mihails Eizenšteins (1867-1921) - architect
* Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) - film director
*Modris Eksteins (1943) - Canadian historian and world-famous writer
*Peteris Elferts (1961) - parliamentary secretary, diplomat
*Indulis Emsis (1952) - politician
*Andrievs (Andrew) Ezergailis (1930) - historian of theHolocaust F
*
Movsas Feigins (1908-1950) - chess player
*Julijs Feldmans (1889-1953) - diplomat
*Johans Daniels Felsko (1813-1902) - architect
*Kārlis Felsko (1844-1918) - architect
* Gregors Fitelbergs (1879-1953) - conductor, composer and violinist
* Vesel fon Freitags-Loringhofens (1899-1944) - colonel and member of theGerman resistance against German dictatorAdolf Hitler
*Edmunds Fon Trompovsky (1851-1919) - architect
*Sandra Freiberga (1961) - journalist and TV personality
*Laila Freivalds (1942) - Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
*Edgars Voldemārs Frīzendorfs (1881-1945) - architect
*Eižens Finks (1886-1958) - oracle
*Olga Frolova (1975-----) - idealist and subverterG
*
Inese Galante (1954) - opera singer (soprano)
* Gints Gabrāns (1970) - artist
*Elīna Garanča (1976) - opera singer (mezzo-soprano)
* Jānis Garančs (1973) - multimedia artist, researcher
*Lūcija Garūta (1902-1977) - composer
*Kārlis Goppers (1876-1941) - general, founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
*Raitis Grafs - basketball player
*Andrejs Grants (1955) - photographer
*Austris Grasis (1942) - linguist, ethnographer
*Aleksandrs Grīns (1895-1941) - writer
*Ernests Gulbis (1988) - Latvian professional tennis player
*Natalie Gulbis (1983) - Latvian-descent LPGA golferĢ
*
Uldis Ģērmanis (1915-1997) - historian, under the alias ofDr. Ulafs Jāņsons a social commentator
* Aivars Ģipslis (1937-2000) - chess playerH
*
Morris Halle (1923) - linguist
*Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) - Latvian/American photographer
*Juris Hartmanis (1928) - computer scientist,Turing Award winner
*Uvis Helmanis - basketball player
*Alvis Hermanis (1965) - actor/stage directorI
*
Artūrs Irbe (1967) -ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper
*Karlis Irbitis (1904, Latvia - 1997, Canada) - aviation inventor, engineer, designer
*Aleksandrs Isakovs (1973) - soccer playerJ
*
Gatis Jahovičs - basketball player
*Kristaps Janičenoks - basketball player
*Mariss Jansons (1943) - conductor
*Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš (1877-1962) - writer and painter
*Inese Jaunzeme (1932) - athlete
*Andryvs Jūrdžs (1845-1925) - pioneer of Latgalian literature
*Ieva Jansone (1978) - English teacher at Riga Secondary Evening (shift) school of RainisK
* Zelig Hirš Kalmanovič (1885-1944) - philologist, translator, historian, and community archivist
*Sandra Kalniete (1952) - politician, diplomat, formerLatvia 'sEU commissioner
*Bruno Kalniņš (1899-1990) - Saeima member, Red Army General
*Imants Kalniņš (1941) - composer, politician
*Oskars Kalpaks (1882-1919) - colonel, first Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces
*Kaspars Kambala (1978) - basketball player, now pro boxer
*Renārs Kaupers (1974) - musician
* Jēkabs Ketlers (1610-1682) -Duke of theDuchy of Courland and Semigallia
*Jānis Klīdzējs (1914-2000) - writer
*Gustavs Klucis (1895-1938) - painter and graphic designer
*Mike Knuble (1972) - ice hockey playerNHL , forward
* Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916-1993) - chess player
* Ābrams Izāks Kūks (1864-1935) -chief rabbi , Jewish thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator and a renowned scholar
*Maija Kovaļevska (1979) - opera singer (soprano)
* Aleksandrs Kovalevskis (1840-1901) - zoologist
*Gidon Kremer (1947) - violinist and conductor
*Miķelis Krogzems (1850-1879) - poet, author and translator of German poets
*Bruno Kronbergs (1990) - student, actor, charity worker and philanthropist, sound engineer
*Juris Kronbergs (1946) - poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator
*Atis Kronvalds (1837-1875) - teacher and journalist, reformed theLatvian language , organized the firstLatvian Song and Dance Festival
*Dainis Kūla (1959) - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
*Alberts Kviesis (1881-1944) - president
*Jānis Krievkalns (1979) - TV producer, teacher at Adazi Valdorf schoolL
*
Aleksandrs Laime (1911-1994) - explorer
* Eižens Laube (1880, Riga - 1967, Portland) - architect
*Vilis Lācis (1904-1966) - author and politician
*Ed Leedskalnin (1887-1951) - builder of Coral Castle in Florida, claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids.
* Jēkabs Mihaels Reinholds Lenc (1751-1792) - author
*Marija Leiko (1887-1937) - actress
*Eizens Leimanis (1905-1992) - mathematician
*Ludolfs Liberts (1895-1959) - painter/production designer
*Alexander Liepa (1919-2000) - inventor, artist
*Inga Liepa (1978) - Secretary of State
*Yolanda Liepa - Latvian/American pianist
*Maris Liepa (1936-1989) - ballet-dancer
*Lidija Liepiņa (1901,Riga -1992,Los Angeles ) - actress
*Edgars Liepiņš (1928-1995) - actor
*Gvīdo Linga - rock musician
* Nikolajs Loskijs (1870-1965) - philosopher
*Pēteris Lūcis (1907-1991) - actor
*Jānis Lūsis (1939) - athleteĻ
*
Jevgēnija Ļisicina (1942) - organistM
*
Maris Martinsons (1960) - professor of strategic management, international business consultant
*Māris Martinsons (1960) - film director
*Hermanis Matisons (1894-1932) -chess player
*Zenta Mauriņa (1897-1978) - writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
*Juris Māters (1845-1884) - author, lawyer and journalist, translated laws to Latvian and created the foundation for Latvian law
*Jānis Mediņš (1890-1966) - composer, conductor
*Haralds Mednis (1906-2000) - conductor
*Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) - first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Leo Mihelsons (1887-1978) - artist
*Kārlis Miesnieks (1887-1977) - Latvian painter
*Pīters Miglinīks (1852-1883) - Latgalian poet and fighter for social justice
* Arnolds Mikelsons (1922-1984) - artist
*Wilhelm Mikhailovsky (1942) - photographer
* Evgenijs Millers (1867-1938) - czarist Russian general
*Augusts Mitrēvics (1898, Latvia - 1964,Los Angeles ) - actor
*Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853-1916) - linguist
*Vilis Mikelsons ( 1918 ) - journalist
*Edgars Mikelsons (1958 ) - artistN
*
Arkadij Naiditsch (1985) - prolific chess player, now resident in Germany
* Marija Naumova (1973) - variety singer, winner of theEurovision Song Contest 2002 under her stage nameMarie N
* Vilhelms Neimanis (1849-1919) - architect
*Andris Nelsons (1978) - conductor ofCBSO
*Andrievs Niedra (1871-1941) - pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919)
*Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) - influential chess player
*Valters Nollendorfs (1931) - Educator, Deputy Director for Development, The Occupation Museum,Riga, Latvia
*Fred Norris (1955) - Radio PersonalityO
*
Stanislavs Olijars (1979) - athlete (European champion in 110m Hurdles)
*Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932) - received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities
*Elvīra Ozoliņa (1939) - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
*Arturs Ozoliņš (1946) - pianist
* Sandis Ozoliņš (1972) -ice hockey player (NHL), defense
*Valdemārs Ozoliņš (1896-1973) - composer, conductorP
*
Artis Pabriks (1966) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
*Karlis Padegs (1911-1940, Riga) Graphic artist, painter
*Marian Pahars (1976) -soccer player forSouthampton FC, and part of Latvia's national team
*Raimonds Pauls (1936) - popular composer, widely known inRussia
*Jānis Pauļuks - painter
*Eduards Pāvuls (1929-2006) - actor
*Lucia Peka (1912-1991) - Artist of the Latvian Diaspora
*Rudolfs Frederiks Peksens (1944) - Briagdier General, US Air Force
*Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928) - architect
*Jānis Pēpis (1909-1937) - painter and graphic artist
*Jānis Peters (1939) - poet, politician, diplomat
* Jekabs Peters (1886-1938) - revolutionary andSoviet Cheka leader
* Brita Petersone - American model
*Lukas Petersons (1979) - Latvian Beer Drinking Champion (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007)
*Kaspars Petrovs (1978) - serial killer
*Vladimirs Petrovs (1907-1943) - chess player
*Andris Piebalgs (1957) - politician, diplomat,European Commission er for Energy
*Jānis Pliekšāns , 1865-1929) - distinguished Latvian writer, author of a number of poetry collections
*Juris Podnieks (1950-1992) - film director, producer
* Nicolai Poliakovs (1900-1974) -Coco the Clown
*Jānis Porziņģis - basketball player
*Gunārs Priede (1928-2000) - playwright
*Jelena Prokopčuka (1976) - winner of the 2005 and 2006 ING
* Sandis Prūsis (1965) - athlete, bobsleigh
*Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1901) - poet, author of Latvian national epic "Lāčplēsis "
*Jānis Pujāts (1930) -Roman Catholic cardinal
*Dainis Pīlācis (1980) - boyfriend of the English teacherR
*
Alek Racenis (1987) - American-Latvian pioneer currently residing in Agno, Switzerland. Catskill mountain and Swiss alps adventurer.
*Elza Radziņa (1917-2005) - actress
*Jānis Rapa - publisher
*Rainis "see Jānis Pliekšāns"
*Dr. Konstantīns Raudive (1919-1974) - writer, parapsychologist; claimed to discover means of communicating with souls in the afterlife, the "Raudive voices".
*Augusts Reinbergs (1860-1908) - architect
*Einars Repše (1961) - politician
*Lolita Ritmanis (1962, Portland) - orchestrator, composer
*Andris Ritmanis - physician, author
*Brigita Ritmanis - songwriter
*Fricis Rokpelnis (1909-1969) - author
*Mark Rothko (1903-1970) - abstract expressionist painter
*Jānis Roze - publisher
* Elza Rozenberga (1865-1943) - poet, playwright, married toJānis Pliekšāns
*Jānis Rozentāls (1866-1917) - painter
*Juris Rubenis (1961) - famous Lutheran pastor
*Mārtiņš Rubenis (1978) - sportsman, bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
*Brunis Rubess (1926) - businessman
*Inta Ruka (1958) - photographer
*Augusts Rumpēters (1899-1978) - jurist, served in Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of Latvia
*Tania Russof (1974) - pornographic actress* Sasha Siemel (Aleksandrs Ziemelis, 1890 Riga - 1970 Pennsylvania) - Tiger-man; considered by many to be the greatest hunter that ever lived.
*Voldemārs Salnais (1886-1948) - diplomat, statistician
*Augusts Saulietis (1869-1933) - poet, writer and teacher
*Kārlis Sebris (1914) - actor
* Uļjana Semjonova (1952) - tallest femalebasketball player in the Olympic history, 3-time World Champion
*Egīls Siliņš - opera singer (basso)
*Dāvids Sīmonsons (1882-1919) - general, first Commander-in-Chief of Latvian Army
*Kārlis Skalbe (1879-1945) - poet
*Baiba Skride (1981) - violinist
*Lauma Skride (1982) - pianist
*Linda Skride (1978) - viola player
*Jurģis Skulme (1928) - artist
*Vilis Skultāns (1914-1990) - journalist, historian
*Eduards Smiļģis (1886-1966) - theatre director, actor
*Konstantin Sokolsky (1904-1991) - romance and tango singer
*Arnolds Spekke (1887-1972) - historian, diplomat
*Raimonds Staprans (1926) - Latvian/American painter
*Lina Stern (1878-1968) - biologist and social activist
*Jānis Stībelis - singer
* Henrijs Stolovs (1901-1971) - stamp dealer
*Jānis Stradiņš - scientist
*Pauls Stradiņš - physician
*Jānis Streičs (1936) - film director, screenwriter, actor
*Maris Strombergs - BMX cyclist, gold medal winner at 2008 Olympics
*Pēteris Stučka (1865-1932) - author, translator, editor, jurist and educator
*Olafs Stumbrs (1931-1996) - poet, educator
*Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894-1975) - poet
*Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950) - prominent chess player
* Stanislavs Svianievičs (1899-1997) - economist and historianŠ
*
Viktors Ščerbatihs (1974) - athlete, weightlifter
*Heinrihs Kārlis Šēls (1829-1909) - architect
* Pauls Šīmanis (1876-1944) - Baltic German journalist, politician, activist defending and preserving European minority cultures
* Aleksejs Širovs (1972) - one of the top chess grandmasters in the world today.
*Andris Šķēle (1958) - politician,Prime Minister of Latvia
*Armands Šķēle - basketball player
*Aleksandrs Šmēlings (1877-1961) - architect
*Reinholds Georgs Šmēlings (1840-1917) - architect
*Ernests Štālbergs (1883-1958) - architect, ensemble of the Freedom Monument
* Isāks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888-1957) - politician, lawyer and authorT
* Mihails Tāls (1936-1992) - the 8th
World Chess Champion
*Karlis Tenisons (1873-1962) - buddhist priest, Ambassador of Dalailama in Soviet Russia, then of Tibet in all Baltic states
*Jānis Roberts Tilbergs (1880-1972) - painter, sculptorU
*
Guntis Ulmanis (1939) - president
*Kārlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) - prime minister
*Juris Upatnieks - inventor of firsthologram V
*
Romāns Vainšteins (1973) - former pro cyclist, World Road Champion in 2000
*Raimonds Vaikulis - basketball player
*Julian Vaivods -Roman Catholic cardinal of Latvia
*Māris Valainis (1963) - actor, ("Hoosiers ," and "Casualties of War ")
*Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825-1891) - public figure, writer, publicist and economist
* Pauls Valdens (1863-1957) - chemist
*Ēvalds Valters (1894-1994) - actor
*Miķelis Valters (1874-1968) - state official, journalist, diplomat
*Sandis Valters - basketball player
*Valdis Valters - one of the best European basketball players ever, playmaker
* Aleksandrs Vanags (1873-1919) - architect
*Aleksandrs Vanags (1918-1986) - footballer
*Gustavs Vanags (1891-1965) - chemist
*Jānis Vanags (1958-) - Lutheran archbishop
*Jūlijs Vanags (1903-1984) - author and translator
*Alex Vanags-Baginskis (1927) - aviation author/editor
*Pēteris Vasks (1946) - contemporary composer
*Jukums Vācietis (1873-1938) - first commander of theSoviet Army
*Ojārs Vācietis (1933-1983) - poet
*Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892) - poet and translator
* Makss Veinreihs (1893-1969) - linguist
*Pāvels Veselovs - basketball player
*Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890,Jelgava - 1970,New Jersey ) - graphic artist
*Sigurds Vidzirkste (1928-1974) - graphic and painter
*Igors Vihrovs (1978) - gymnast, gold medalist at Sydney Olympics in 2000.
*Edvarts Virza (1883-1940)- famous Latvian writer
*Alvis Vitolinš (1946-1997) - chess master
*Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (1937) - former president
*Jāzeps Vītols (1863-1948) - composer
*Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892) - Latvian poet.
*Māris Verpakovskis (1979) - footballer, FC Dynamo Kyiv
* Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963-2006) - chess player
*Elina Volkmane (1982) - opera singerZ
*
Kārlis Zāle (1888-1942) - sculptor, author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
*Vilnis Zaļkalns (1947-2002) - journalist and publisher
*Friedrich Zander (1887-1933) - pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight
*Guntis Zariņš (1926-1965) - author
*Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) (1879-1963) - diplomat
*Rihards Zariņš (1869-1939) - graphic artist
*Valdis Zatlers (1955) - president
*Kārlis Zemdega (1894-1963) - sculptor
*Elmars Zemgalis (1923) - chess player
*Gustavs Zemgals (1871-1939) - president
*Imants Zemzaris (1951) - contemporary composer
*Valdis Zeps (1932-1996) - author and linguist, pseudonym Jānis Turbads
*Gustavs Zemgals (1871-1939) - president
*Imants Ziedonis (1933 -) - Latvian poet and folklorist
*Reinis Zusters (1918) - Latvian/Australian painterŽ
* Sergejs Žoltoks (1972-2004) -
ice hockey player (NHL), forwardee also
* List of North European Jews
*Prime Minister of Latvia
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