Classic Latvian Work About The Gulag Published in English
One of the most powerful accounts ever given of life in Stalin’s Gulag has finally been published in English. “Suddenly, a Criminal” by Melanija…
March 16 Rolls Round Again in Riga
As another March 16 prepares to roll around, exactly the same sequence of events as usual is set to unfold – hopefully. Because any…
Should he stay or should he go?
It’s hard to know precisely why everyone is being so coy about what is a very simple question – should President Andris Bērziņš attend May…
A Clockwork Megahysteria
I was interviewing Anthony Burgess when the Latvian Foreign Minister told me he was gay. At least, that’s how it felt, for in our…
Herbie Goes Bananas: Controversial Musical About Herberts Cukurs Opens in Liepaja
Herberts Cukurs was neither a sadistic Nazi killer nor a self-taught aviation genius. He was a simple-minded Everyman who loved his country, loved his…
Boxing Obama
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Estonia on September 3 answered a lot of questions – but it left one unanswered. Would Obama actually…