Tourist book on Rīga published in nine languages

Andris Straumanis | 

A tourist guide to Latvia’s capital city, written by Rīga Vice Mayor Andris Ārgalis and available in nine languages, has been released by the publishing house Nacionālais apgāds.

“In writing this book,” Ārgalis said in a May 1 press release announcing release of Rīga, “I wanted to draw the attention of Rīga residents and city guests to the interesting details of Rīga’s splendid buildings—towers, attics, facades, cornices, ornaments, balconies, Rīga’s lions and angels.”

Among the approximately 40 areas of the city examined in the book are the Dome Square, St. Peter’s Church, the Esplanade, and several parks and boulevards.

The book is available in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Latvian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Rīga

Andris Ārgallis’ book on Rīga has been published in nine languages.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Nesaule talks about novel with The Smoking Poet

Andris Straumanis | 

Zinta Aistars, a Latvian-American writer and editor-in-chief for The Smoking Poet, talks to author Agate Nesaule for the online publication’s spring issue.

Nesaule, the award-winning author of the 1995 memoir A Woman in Amber, in March saw the release of her first novel, In Love with Jerzy Kosinski.

Although the two books are similar, Nesaule explains to Aistars what separates the novel from the memoir:

I have always been aware of and fascinated by the complex interplay of memory and memoir, memoir and fiction, truth and lies, and it is really this interplay that led me to In Love. I had experiences, emotions, and dreams which I did not want to include in a memoir; I wanted to play with them and change them; I wanted to find fictional equivalents far removed from any actual events; and I wanted to imagine what was plausible but would never happen. I also wanted to preserve the authenticity of feeling that I was able to bring to A Woman in Amber. In short, I wanted to write a novel.

The interview also examines why Nesaule chose a Polish writer, rather than a Latvian, as a hero for her novel; the feminism of Anna Dūja, the lead character of In Love with Jerzy Kosinski; and the strong reaction she received to A Woman in Amber.

Learn more about Aistars on her Web site, www.zintaaistars.com, or her blog, zintaaistars.blogspot.com.

In Love with Jerzy Kosinski

In Love with Jerzy Kosinski, Agate Nesaule’s first novel, was published in March.

Where to buy

Purchase In Love with Jerzy Kosinski from Amazon.com.

Note: Latvians Online receives a commission on purchases.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Two Latvian soldiers die in Afghanistan firefight

Andris Straumanis | 

Two Latvian soldiers have been killed and two others have been wounded—one seriously—during a firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan.

Details are scant, but the dead have been identified as Sgt. Voldemārs Anševics and PFC Andrejs Merkuševs, Latvian President Valdis Zatlers’ press office announced May 1.

Zatlers expressed his condolences to the soldiers’ families, friends and colleagues.

“Both of the National Armed Forces soldiers have given their lives, responsibly and courageously fulfilling their duties to provide security for many people,” the president said in a statement released by his press office.

Three U.S. soldiers and three Afghan soldiers also were killed in the incident, while three Afghan soldiers were wounded, the Latvian Ministry of Defense announced. The incident occurred in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar Province, which borders Pakistan, when insurgents attacked a observation post. Artillery and air support were called in to halt the insurgents’ attack.

The deaths of the eight soldiers also were acknowledged by the U.S. Department of State.

“The United States, Latvia and Afghanistan are working together to bring stability to Afghanistan,” spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement released May 1. “Today’s tragic loss of life demonstrates the challenges of our common mission and highlights the sacrifice of the brave individuals carrying it out. It also reaffirms our commitment to the Afghan people and the importance of working together to achieve peace and stability in the region.”

A total of 164 Latvian soldiers have been serving in Afghanistan as part of the multinational force led by the NATO defense alliance.

Anševics and Merkuševs are the second and third Latvian soldiers to die in Afghanistan since the National Armed Forces began serving there in 2003. In August, PFC Edgars Ozoliņš was killed and three other Latvian soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated as they were escorting members of the press.

Three Latvian soldiers have died in explosions while serving in Iraq. PFC Gints Bleija and PFC Vitālijs Vasiļevs were killed in December 2006, while Lt. Olafs Baumanis died in June 2004.

(Updated with information from the Latvian Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of State.)

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.