On 20 November, Lviv Polytechnic National University and the Honorary Consulate of Latvia in Lviv held a joint event in the Assembly Hall of the main building – the Days of Latvia in Lviv, dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Latvia and the 20th anniversary of the Honorary Consulate’s establishment.
The coordinator of the joint event was Zoriana Dvulit, Professor at the Department of Foreign Trade and Customs, IEM, Head of the National Center The Baltic University Programme (BUP).
Briefly about the history of Latvia
The speeches repeatedly highlighted historical parallels between the paths of Ukraine and Latvia. Latvia, which declared its independence in 1918 and established a democratic state with freedom of speech and equal opportunities for people of different nationalities, and lost this independence in 1940 as a result of occupation and forced annexation by the USSR. Despite decades of occupation, Soviet repression and mass deportations, the country managed to preserve its language and culture. In 1989, Latvians, together with Lithuanians and Estonians, formed the Baltic Way, a 600-kilometre human chain that became a symbol of the peaceful struggle for freedom. After regaining independence in 1991, Latvia chose the path of democracy, joined the EU and NATO, and today actively supports Ukraine.
Photo exhibition The Road to Everest: the story of Juris Ulmanis and his mission
After the official part, the photo exhibition The Road to Everest, Which Continues was opened in the main building. Its author is Latvian mountaineer, volunteer, and writer Juris Albert Ulmanis. He also wrote the book When War Becomes Personal, in which he talks about the experience of Ukrainians in the fight against Russian aggressors, which he knows personally, not from the words of others.
Juris Ulmanis is a long-time friend of Ukraine, who has supported it since 2014, and after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, he even tried to join the international legion. At the exhibition, he presented photos from his 2023 ascent of Everest, where he installed the flags of Ukraine and Latvia.
Arnis Sablovskis is a Latvian publicist, journalist, writer, volunteer, recipient of Latvia’s highest award, the Order of the Three Stars, who spoke words of support for Ukraine.
