Welcome!! These words of the writer Rudolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) speak to our love of Latvia and of our Latvian heritage more than any others:

We want to give you a feel for Latvia and the Latvians by sharing our pictures, experiences, and personal perspectives. As children, we learned Latvia was a far off paradise held hostage by Soviet occupation. When Silvija finally visited during Soviet times, and Peters after independence, "reality" only amplified our appreciation and passion for all things Latvian».

We also want to be a resource to those seeking to learn more about Latvia by reproducing materials not widely available on the Internet, whether an album of pictures of Riga from a century ago», or the account of Soviet mass deportations and genicode in Latvia».

Foreign powers have waxed and waned over the Baltics for eight centuries. None has broken the Latvian will or dulled the Latvian identity. Latvian and its sister Lithuanian are the oldest surviving Indo-European languages and cultures. That they have preserved their culture over the centuries in the face of inestimable odds pays tribute to both the people and the powerful calling of their heritage.

Silvija and Peters Vecrumba


(Write us at sturgalve@aol.com and petersjv@aol.com!)