One of the most beloved of Latvian poets is Aleksandrs Čaks. One of his most memorable poems, “Atzīšanās” (with its opening phrase “Miglā asaro logs…”), provides the theme for the latest commemorative silver coin released April 14 by the Bank of Latvia.

The new proof coin, in the shape of a square and made of 0.925 pure silver, was designed by artists Ilmārs Blumergs, who provided the graphical design, and Ligita Franckeviča, who created the plastic model. The coin has a face value of 1 lat and has a mintage of 7,000. It was minted by Rahapaja Oy of Finland.

Čaks (1901-1950) was considered both a modernist and an urbanist who reflected not only the beauty of the city of Rīga in his poetry, but also the grittiness, with poems about homelessness, prostitutes, and poverty. The Rīga street Čaka iela is named in his honor.

This is the first Latvian commemorative coin released in 2011. According to the Bank of Latvia website, other releases planned for 2011 include coins celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Rīga-Daugavpils train line; the 800th anniversary of coin mintage in Rīga; the 275th anniversary of the Rundāle Castle; the “Non-traditional Solutions Coin” (a silver coin with stone elements); the 800th anniversary of the Rīga Cathedral; and the final coin in the Hanseatic League cities collection, celebrating Rīga and coinciding with the 810th anniversary of the city’s founding.

For further information, visit the Bank of Latvia website www.bank.lv.

The reverse of the silver commemorative coin honoring poet Aleksandrs Čaks shows a cobblestone street. (Image from Bank of Latvia)

While the census underway in Latvia aims to figure how many people are left in the country, it appears fewer are leaving for Ireland these days.

Data on Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs), which people use when seeking government services in Ireland, show that just 503 citizens of Latvia sought the identifiers during the first three months of this year. That’s a 41 percent drop from the 856 who received PPSNs during the same period last year.

In all, 3,134 persons from Latvia got PPSNs in 2010, a decline from the 3,916 recorded in 2009, according to statistics gathered by Ireland’s Department of Social Protection.

Since 2000, more than 46,000 persons from Latvia have received PPSNs, the greatest number—9,328—coming in 2005, or the year after Latvia joined the European Union.

While not an accurate gauge of the Latvian population in Ireland, the number of PPSNs is used as a measure of migration to Ireland. The island nation, once a hotbed of economic activity that drew tens of thousands of laborers, has seen a decrease in immigration as its financial fortunes have slipped.

Meanwhile, in Latvia the census continues. After giving residents of the country a couple of weeks to count themselves online, census workers now have fanned out across Latvia. They are scheduled to continue their work until May 31.

As of April 12, more than 780,000 Latvian residents have been counted, according to Aldis Brokāns, press secretary of the Central Statistical Bureau in Rīga.

Bureau officials have especially commended census workers in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia, where despite especially poor road conditions that in some cases have prevented use of automobiles, the head counters have continued their efforts, Brokāns said in a press release.