The World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība, or PBLA) and a student fraternity are backing an effort to restore a downtown Rīga street name in honor of pre-World War II Foreign Minister Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics.

The federation and the fraternity Talavija have sent a letter to Foreign Minister Māris Riekstiņš lending their support to restoring the Meierovics name on Basteja Boulevard, the foreign ministry announced in a March 26 press release. Meierovics was a member of the Talavija fraternity and his son, Gunārs Meierovics, was head of the PBLA from 1990-1993.

Riekstiņš wants Basteja Boulevard—which separates the Old Town district from the Bastejkalns park—renamed to Zigfrīda Annas Meierovica Boulevard, the name the street had from 1929 until 1941.

In February, Riekstiņš wrote to the Rīga City Council asking it to consider the name change. Although many Rīga streets renamed during the Soviet occupation had their pre-World War II titles restored in 1991, Basteja Boulevard did not change. Riekstiņš has said he wants the street renamed in part because this year marks the 90th anniversary of Latvia’s declaration of independence, an event in which Meierovics played a key role. Meierovics in 1918 became Latvia’s first foreign minister and twice served as prime minister. Meierovics died in a road accident in 1925 at the age of 38.

The boulevard runs from Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street on the north to Aspāzijas Boulevard on the south, connecting with the latter at Brīvības Boulevard.

A photographic exhibit about the tradition of song and dance festivals in Latvia will see its first presentation abroad on April 15, but also will be viewable online, organizers of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival have announced.

The exhibit, titled “When Many Become One” and representing the work of 39 Latvian photographers, was presented in Rīga on March 17. Its first showing abroad will be in the European Parliament in Brussels, followed by the European Council in Brussels and then to UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

In addition, the exhibit is due to be show in the Latvian embassies in the Netherlands, Poland and possibly Finland, Aiva Rozenberga, the song festival’s press secretary, told Latvians Online in an e-mail. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said, is evaluating whether other embassies will display the exhibit.

The images may be seen online on the Web site of the Latvian Institute.

Organizers of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival this summer in Rīga must guarantee that more concert tickets will be available, the Ministry of Culture has announced.

Culture Minister Helēna Demakova, in a March 17 meeting with Song and Dance Celebration Office head Romāns Vanags, said organizers must consider how to add seating—including changing stage design and organization.

Doing so could add up to 4,000 more tickets to the July 5 opening concert and another 4,000 to the July 12 closing concert, Vanags told Demakova, according to a Ministry of Culture press release. An additional 1,000 tickets could be made available to each of the July 10 and 11 grand folk dance performances.

The additional tickets could go on sale in May.

Tickets all but sold out March 10—the first day they went on sale at Biļešu Paradīze box offices—to the popular opening and closing concerts at the Mežaparks open-air stage. Tickets also became scarce for the grand folk dance performances.

Rumors surfaced quickly of scalpers buying up large blocs of tickets. But according to the Ministry of Culture, the majority of sales to the most popular concerts were in small groups of less than 10 tickets.

Demakova, according to the press release, wanted to know why ticket sales were not limited. To do so, Vanags replied, would have discriminated against people who live far away from regional box offices and who often send one person to buy tickets for a number of persons.

When additional tickets become available, Demakova added, residents of Liepāja should be given an advantage. Because of technical problems at Biļešu Paradīze box offices, many in the area could not buy tickets on March 10.