Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as Latvian SSR (in Latvian: Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskā Republika), was one of the fifteen constituent republics of the former Soviet Union, from 1940 to 1991.

History

It was occupied by the Soviet Army on June 17, 1940, under the terms of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact and its secret Additional Protocol. The Latvian SSR became part of the Soviet Union on August 5, 1940, being the fifteenth Soviet republic. Its territories were conquered by Germany in 1941 and reconquered by the Soviets in 1944-1945 (see Occupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union 1944-1945).

The United States, Great Britain and other Western countries considered the occupation of Latvia by the Soviets illegal, and recognized the Republic of Latvia as an independent state.

The Latvian SSR, like the other Baltic Republics, were gaining autonomy in the late 1980s; In 1988 the use of the Latvian flag from before the invasion was allowed, replacing the Soviet flag. The Latvian Popular Pro-Independence Front won two-thirds of the senate in the democratic elections of March 1990.

On May 4, the chancellor declared his intention to restore independence, after a transition period of negotiations with the USSR. On that date, the name of the Latvian SSR was replaced by the Republic of Latvia. The Soviet government made a last attempt to normalize the situation, creating the National Salvation Committee in the capital to run the country. However, a referendum without legal value held on March 3, 1991 shows that 73% of the country's population wanted independence.

The Republic of Latvia declared a transition period and restored full independence on August 21, 1991, four months before the USSR ceased to exist. Today, the Republic of Latvia is considered a continuation of the State of 1918-1940.

Social

The growth rate of national income in the Latvian SSR was higher than the average for the USSR. National income in 1972 increased 2.3 times compared to 1960 and amounted to more than 4 billion rubles. In 1965-1971. real per capita income increased by more than 40%. By 1951-1972, the turnover of retail trade increased 7.7 times, amounting to 2.5 billion rubles in 1972. (more than 1000 rubles per capita). The average deposit amount per 1 inhabitant increased by 8 rubles. in 1950 to 322 rubles. in 1972.

The number of people receiving pensions in 1973 amounted to almost 500,000 people (compared to 239,000 in 1960). The housing stock in cities and urban settlements in 1972 amounted to 22.2 million m² of useful area.

Education

In August 1940 the Ministry of Education was liquidated and in its place the People's Commissariat for Education was created. On August 19, 1946, the People's Commissariat was transformed into the Ministry of Public Education of the republic (the republican status meant that with the natural centralization of industry throughout the USSR, this ministry had broader powers to take into account the regional characteristics of this republic).

The Ministry of Public Education of the Latvian SSR controlled the activities of primary schools, secondary schools, boarding schools, orphanages and kindergartens. Outside of the administrative leadership, the ministry organized advanced training of teachers, provided schools with textbooks and other means, dealt with the problems of minors (including guardianship problems).

On September 29, 1966, in parallel to the Ministry of Public Education of the RSSL, on the basis of the Commission for Higher and Secondary Specialized Education dependent on the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the RSSL. He planned the prospective development of higher and secondary specialized education in the republic (all universities and 9 institutions of secondary specialized education were directly subordinate to the ministry), supervised scientific work in higher educational institutions and, in addition, controlled the process of education in universities and secondary school.

In his work he collaborated with the Vocational Training Committee and other institutions. The training of doctors was carried out by the Riga Medical Institute. The average medical staff was trained by 8 medical schools. Medical research institutes: traumatology and orthopedics, experimental medicine and clinical medicine, problem laboratories of the medical institute. In 1971 there were 611 scientific and medical workers, including 70 doctors and 399 candidates of medical sciences.

Medicine

In 1940, 2,100 doctors worked in Soviet Latvia, in 1962 - 5,700. According to data from 1971, the birth rate per 1,000 inhabitants was 14.7, the mortality rate was 11 (15.7 in 1940); infant mortality - 16 per 1,000 live births (73 in 1940). The average life expectancy reached 70 years (58 years in 1934-1936). The main causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms.

In 1971 there were 199 hospitals with 28,800 beds (12 beds per 1,000 inhabitants). Specialized beds were deployed in hospitals: 5,300 therapeutic, 4,400 surgical, 800 oncological, 300 otorhinolaryngological, 300 ophthalmological, 800 neurological, 1,400 beds for pregnant and parturient women, 1,500 gynecological, 2,400 non-infectious children, etc. Polyclinic care was provided by 393 outpatient and polyclinic institutions, 505 feldsher-midwife stations; Workers of industrial companies are cared for by 6 medical units, 9 medical health centers.

There were 216 consultations with women and children. There were dispensaries, offices and dispensary departments: 38 tuberculosis, 64 dermatological and venereal, 56 oncological. Medical care in 1971 was provided by 8,700 doctors, that is, 1 doctor for every 275 inhabitants, and 22,700 paramedical workers. Medical assistance and treatment was carried out entirely at the expense of the state.

The climatic resorts of Jurmala, Sigulda, Liepaja, the balneological centers of Ķemeri, Baldone were popular. In 1971 there were 45 adult sanatoriums with 10,400 beds, 14 children's sanatoriums with 1,800 beds and 28 rest houses and boarding houses with 7,900 beds. Health care expenses in 1971 amounted to 98,117 thousand rubles.

Nature

Most of the territory of the republic is a moraine plain up to 311 m high, mountainous highlands are located in the west (Kurzeme, up to 184 m), in the east (Latgale, up to 289 m) and in the center of the republic (Vidzeme, up to 311 m). The climate is transitional from maritime to continental. Average temperatures in January are from -2 to -7°С, in July from 16 to 18°С. Precipitation is 500-800 mm per year. The big rivers are Daugava, Lielupe, Venta, Gauja. Lakes occupy 1.5% of the territory (more than 3,000 lakes with a surface area of more than 1 hectare each); the largest are Lubanas, Raznas and Burtnieks.

Measures for environmental protection were carried out within the framework of the comprehensive program of nature protection and rational use of the resources of the republic coordinated by the State Planning Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia. Nature reserves, reserves, the Gauja National Park were created, geological and geomorphological monuments of nature were put under protection.

Economy

The Soviet period saw the reconstruction and increase of industrial capacity, including automobile (Riga Autobus Factory) and electrotechnical factories, the food processing industry, pipelines and the bulk oil port.

Part of the incorporation of the Latvian SSR into the Soviet Union was the introduction of the Russian language into all spheres of public life. Russian became a prerequisite for admission to higher education and better job occupations. It also became a compulsory subject in all Latvian schools. Large numbers of people were needed for the new factories and were sent there on purpose from different parts of Russia, thus creating a situation where the larger cities became increasingly Russified until the 1980s.

National income per capita was higher in Latvia than anywhere else in the USSR (42% above the Soviet average in 1968); however, Latvia was at the same time a relative contributor to the center of the Federation with an estimated 0.5% of Latvia's GDP going to Moscow.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all economic branches associated with it collapsed as well. While a significant Russian presence in Latgale preceded the Soviet Union (~30%), intense industrialization and the heavy importation of labor from the Soviet Union to support it, led to significant increases in the Russian minority in Riga, even forming a majority in Latvian urban centers such as Daugavpils, Rēzekne, Ogre.

Those areas were also the hardest hit economically when the Soviet Union collapsed, leading to mass unemployment. Strong disagreement with Russia over the legacy of the Soviet era has led to punitive economic measures by Russia, including the disappearance of transit trade when Russia cut off oil exports through Ventspils in 2003 (eliminating 99% of its shipments) after the Latvian government refused to sell the oil port to the Russian state oil company, Transneft. As a result, only a fraction of Latvia's economy is connected to Russia, especially after it joined the Union European.

Industry

Industrialized region with strong agriculture. In the 1970s and 1980s, about 42% of the structure of national income produced was industry (engineering, electrical engineering, radio electronics, etc.); about 24% - agriculture, 7% - transport and communications, 8% - construction (1984). Electricity production - 5 billion kWh (1985). The operational length of railway lines is 2384 km (1984), of which 248 km were electrified, motor roads 27.6 thousand km (1984), including 19 thousand km with a hard surface. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic carried out about 1/6 of all shipping in the USSR; Its main ports are Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja.

The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic imported oil and derivatives from Belarus, the Volga region and Western Siberia, coal and metal from Ukraine, tractors and trucks from Belarus, cotton, wool and leather from Central Asia and Kazakhstan. In turn, the RSSL supplied radios, automatic telephone exchanges, minibuses, wagons, washing machines, light and food industry products, etc. to other republics of the union.

RSSL industrial products were exported to more than 100 countries. In terms of per capita national income production, Latvia occupied one of the leading places among the Union republics. In terms of per capita production, the RSSL ranked first among the Republics of the Soviet Union in the production of passenger cars, trams, diesel engines and diesel generators, automatic telephone exchanges and telephone sets, refrigeration units, plywood, slate, wool and linen fabrics. Superior knitwear, radios, household washing machines, mopeds, as well as in terms of the volume of work of consumer service companies and railway passenger transport (1972).

Agriculture specialized mainly in dairy and meat farming and pig breeding.

Sports

In 1973 there were more than 2,600 physical culture clubs (321,200 members); there were 26 stadiums, 179 football fields, 423 sports halls, 147 ski bases, 75 tennis courts, 12 swimming pools, 4 bicycle tracks, about 2 thousand sports fields; 26,100 people participated in 63 children's and youth sports schools and 2 higher sports schools. There were about 400 sports camps to improve health, tourist bases, hunters' and fishermen's houses, etc.

Administrative subdivision

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