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The Baltic republics of the USSR were distinguished by a higher level of freedom of speech in comparison with other parts of the Soviet Union. Soviet Youth was the only Soviet newspaper to print interviews with Boris Yeltsin when he was an opposition politician. The paper provided efficient reporting of the bloody events in Baku and Tbilisi in the late 80s. In fact, all of the present day Russian press of Latvia follows the traditions laid down by the editorial staff of Soviet Youth.  >>

After Latvia became part of the USSR the Latvian Orthodox Church was returned to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchy of Moscow. Church life entered an uneasy period of fighting for survival in an atheist state. Churches were closed and destroyed. Many clergymen suffered repressions. Part of the congregation abandoned the church, fearing persecution. But even in these difficult circumstances the Orthodox Church continued to bring the light of faith to the people. >>

After the end of the Second World War Latvia once again became a republic of the USSR. Restoration of the economy destroyed by war began. At the same time the painful transition to a socialist economic system was also resumed. During war time and Stalin’s repressions, Latvia lost almost a third of its population. Therefore in the first post-war years there was a deficit in the labour force, including skilled workers. The integration of Latvia into the united economic space of the USSR, the development of new industry, mass-scale construction and transport demanded a migration of the labour force. >>

The stadium «Daugava» has been constructed in Riga in 1945. >>

The Pļaviņas HE power station was put into operation in 1966, and the Riga HE power station in 1974. >>

Many construction prijects was made possible by the participation of Valery Kadyrkov (1939 -1989), Director of ‘Latgiprogorstroy’ (Urban Construction Institute) since 1981. >>

Mass scale construction of apartment blocks sprang up in the early 1960’s. >>

VEF (State Electrotechnical Factory) was the largest company in Latvia. It functioned from 1919 to 1999. >>

The Riga Electro-machinery Construction Works started functioning in 1946 >>