From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of prominent Latvians. It includes:
- persons who were born in the historical territory of what is now Latvia, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and
- persons of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship.
- Dace Akmentiņa (1858-1936) - actress
- Jānis Akurāters (1876-1937) - writer
- Ieva Akurātere (1951) - singer/songwriter
- Rutanya Alda, born Rutanya Skrastiņa (1942) - actress (Mommy Dearest, Deer Hunter)
- Viktors Alksnis (1950) - Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel"
- Ādolfs Alunāns (1848-1912) - actor, playwright
- Edgars Andersons (Edgar Anderson, 1920-1989) - historian
- Jānis Anmanis (1943) - painter
- Augusts Annus (1893-1984) - painter
- Jānis Annus - painter
- Anna Annus-Hāgena - artist, educator, curator
- Iveta Apkalna (1976) - organist
- Fricis Apšenieks (1894-1941) - chess player
- Vija Artmane (1929) - actress
- Aspazija see Elza Rozenberga
- Gunārs Astra (1931-1988) - dissident, fighter for human rights
- Auseklis see Miķelis Krogzems
- Helmuts Balderis (1952) - ice hockey player, forward
- Jānis Balodis (1881-1965) - army officer and politician
- Jānis Balodis (1950) - Australian playwright
- Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923) - “the father of Latvian folk songs”, who compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts “Latvju Dainas” (1894-1915)
- Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) - ballet-dancer
- Jānis Fridrihs Baumanis (1834-1891) - architect
- Kārlis Baumanis (1835-1905) - composer, author of the national anthem of the Republic of Latvia "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" (God bless Latvia!)
- Oskars Aleksandrs Bārs (1848-1914) - architect
- Vizma Belševica (1931-2005) - author, candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature
- Eduards Berklavs (1914-2004) - politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
- Krišjānis Berķis (1884-1942) - general
- Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) - philosopher
- Eduard Berzin (1894-1938) - soldier in the Red Army, later Head of Dalstroy, the Kolyma forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia
- Lilita Bērziņa (1903-1983) - actress
- Kaspars Bērziņš - basketball player
- Karlis Betinš (1867-1943) - chess player
- Andris Biedriņš (1986) - basketball player, Golden State Warriors
- Gunnar Birkerts (1925) - architect
- Bernhards Bīlensteins (1877-1959) - architect
- Alfreds Bīlmanis (1887-1948) - politician, diplomat, historian
- Vilhelms Bokslafs (1858-1945) - architect
- Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) - Latvian publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence
- Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) - writer and playwright
- Himans Blūms (1913) - painter
- Jānis Blūms - basketball player
- Mikelis Bukšs - Latgalian ethnographer and linguist
- Arvīds Blūmentals - "Crocodile Harry", a man living in a cave
- Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk (1966) - actress, producer, playwright
- Fridrihs Briedis (1885-1918) - colonel in first world war
- Mikhail Aleksandrovitch (1914-2002) - singer and cantor
- Valters Caps (1905-2003) - designed first Minox 8 x 11 photocameras
- Gustavs Celmiņš (1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader of Pērkonkrusts movement
- Vija Celmins (1938) - American painter born in Latvia
- Jānis Ciaguns (1951) - downhill skier
- Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) - composer, pedagogue
- Aleksandrs Čaks (1901-1950) - poet
- Jānis Čakste (1859-1927) - first Latvian president
- Konstantīns Čakste (1901-1945) - lawyer and politician
- Mintauts Čakste - jurist, author, served in Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of Latvia
- Andrejs Eglītis (1912-2006) - famous Latvian poet and patriot
- Kārlis Eihenbaums (1961) - diplomat
- Mihails Eizenšteins (1867-1921) - architect
- Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) - film director
- Modris Eksteins (1943) - Canadian historian and world-famous writer
- Peteris Elferts (1961) - parliamentary secretary, diplomat
- Indulis Emsis (1952) - politician
- Andrievs (Andrew) Ezergailis (1930) - historian of the Holocaust
- Movsas Feigins (1908-1950) - chess player
- Julijs Feldmans (1889-1953) - diplomat
- Johans Daniels Felsko (1813-1902) - architect
- Kārlis Felsko (1844-1918) - architect
- Gregors Fitelbergs (1879-1953) - conductor, composer and violinist
- Edmunds Fon Trompovsky (1851-1919) - architect
- Sandra Freiberga (1961) - journalist and TV personality
- Laila Freivalds (1942) - Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Edgars Voldemārs Frīzendorfs (1881-1945) - architect
- Eižens Finks (1886-1958) - oracle
- Olga Frolova _ (1975-----) _ idealist and subverter
- Inese Galante (1954) - opera singer (soprano)
- Gints Gabrāns (1970) - artist
- Elīna Garanča (1976) - opera singer (mezzo-soprano)
- Jānis Garančs (1973) - multimedia artist, researcher
- Lūcija Garūta (1902-1977) - composer
- Kārlis Goppers (1876-1941) - general, founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
- Raitis Grafs - basketball player
- Andrejs Grants (1955) - Photographer
- Austris Grasis (1942) - linguist, ethnographer
- Aleksandrs Grīns (1895-1941) - writer
- Ernests Gulbis (1988) - Latvian professional tennis player
- Natalie Gulbis (1983) - Latvian-descent LPGA golfer
- Uldis Ģērmanis (1915-1997) - historian, under the alias of Dr. Ulafs Jāņsons a social commentator
- Aivars Ģipslis (1937-2000) - chess player
- Gatis Jahovičs - basketball player
- Kristaps Janičenoks - basketball player
- Mariss Jansons (1943) - conductor
- Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš (1877-1962) - writer and painter
- Inese Jaunzeme (1932) - athlete
- Andryvs Jūrdžs (1845-1925) - pioneer of Latgalian literature
- Zelig Hirš Kalmanovič (1885-1944) - philologist, translator, historian, and community archivist
- Sandra Kalniete (1952) - politician, diplomat, former Latvia's EU commissioner
- Bruno Kalniņš (1899-1990) - Saeima member, Red Army General
- Imants Kalniņš (1941) - composer, politician
- Oskars Kalpaks (1882-1919) - colonel, first Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces
- Kaspars Kambala (1978) - basketball player, now pro boxer
- Renārs Kaupers (1974) - musician
- Jēkabs Ketlers (1610-1682) - Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
- Jānis Klīdzējs (1914-2000) - writer
- Gustavs Klucis (1895-1938) - painter and graphic designer
- Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916-1993) - chess player
- Ābrams Izāks Kūks (1864-1935) - chief rabbi, Jewish thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator and a renowned scholar
- Maija Kovaļevska (1979) - opera singer (soprano)
- Aleksandrs Kovalevskis (1840-1901) - zoologist
- Gidon Kremer (1947) - violinist and conductor
- Miķelis Krogzems (1850-1879) - poet, author and translator of German poets
- Bruno Kronbergs (1990) - student, actor, charity worker and philanthropist, sound engineer
- Juris Kronbergs (1946) - poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator
- Atis Kronvalds (1837-1875) - teacher and journalist, reformed the Latvian language, organized the first Latvian Song and Dance Festival
- Dainis Kūla (1959) - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
- Alberts Kviesis (1881-1944) - president
- Aleksandrs Laime (1911-1994) - explorer
- Eižens Laube (1880, Riga - 1967, Portland) - architect
- Vilis Lācis (1904-1966) - author and politician
- Ed Leedskalnin (1887-1951) - builder of Coral Castle in Florida, claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids.
- Jēkabs Mihaels Reinholds Lenc (1751-1792) - author
- Marija Leiko (1887-1937) - actress
- Eizens Leimanis (1905-1992) - mathematician
- Ludolfs Liberts (1895-1959) - painter/production designer
- Alexander Liepa (1919-2000) - inventor, artist
- Inga Liepa (1978)- Secretary of State
- Yolanda Liepa - Latvian/American pianist
- Maris Liepa (1936-1989) - ballet-dancer
- Lidija Liepiņa (1901, Riga -1992, Los Angeles) - actress
- Edgars Liepiņš (1928-1995) - actor
- Gvīdo Linga - rock musician
- Nikolajs Loskijs (1870-1965) - philosopher
- Pēteris Lūcis (1907-1991) - actor
- Jānis Lūsis (1939) - athlete
- Maris Martinsons (1960) - professor of strategic management and organizational change
- Hermanis Matisons (1894-1932) - chess player
- Zenta Mauriņa (1897-1978) - writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
- Juris Māters (1845-1884) - author, lawyer and journalist, translated laws to Latvian and created the foundation for Latvian law
- Jānis Mediņš (1890-1966) - composer, conductor
- Haralds Mednis (1906-2000) - conductor
- Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) - first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Leo Mihelsons (1887-1978) - artist
- Kārlis Miesnieks (1887-1977) - Latvian painter
- Pīters Miglinīks (1852-1883) - Latgalian poet and fighter for social justice
- Arnolds Mikelsons (1922-1984) - artist
- Wilhelm Mikhailovsky (1942) - photographer
- Evgenijs Millers (1867-1938) - czarist Russian general
- Augusts Mitrēvics (1898, Latvia - 1964, Los Angeles) - actor
- Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853-1916) - linguist
- Vilis Mikelsons ( 1918 ) - journalist
- Edgars Mikelsons (1958 ) - artist
- Artis Pabriks (1966) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Karlis Padegs (1911-1940, Riga) Graphic artist, painter
- Marian Pahars (1976) - soccer player for Southampton FC, and part of Latvia's national team
- Raimonds Pauls (1936) - popular composer, widely known in Russia
- Jānis Pauļuks - painter
- Eduards Pāvuls (1929-2006) - actor
- Lucia Peka (1912-1991) - Artist of the Latvian Diaspora
- Rudolfs Frederiks Peksens (1944) - Briagdier General, US Air Force
- Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928) - architect
- Jānis Pēpis (1909-1937) - painter and graphic artist
- Jānis Peters (1939) - poet, politician, diplomat
- Brita Petersone - American model
- Lukas Petersons (1979) - Latvian Beer Drinking Champion (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007)
- Kaspars Petrovs (1978) - serial killer
- Vladimirs Petrovs (1907-1943) - chess player
- Andris Piebalgs (1957) - politician, diplomat, European Commissioner for Energy
- Jānis Pliekšāns, 1865-1929), distinguished Latvian writer, author of a number of poetry collections
- Juris Podnieks (1950-1992) - film director, producer
- Nicolai Poliakovs (1900-1974) - Coco the Clown
- Jānis Porziņģis - basketball player
- Gunārs Priede (1928-2000) - playwright
- Jelena Prokopčuka (1976) - winner of the 2005 and 2006 ING
- Sandis Prūsis (1965) - athlete, bobsleigh
- Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1901) - poet, author of Latvian national epic Lāčplēsis
- Jānis Pujāts (1930) - Roman Catholic cardinal
- Elza Radziņa (1917-2005) - actress
- Jānis Rapa - publisher
- Rainis see Jānis Pliekšāns
- Dr. Konstantīns Raudive (1919-1974) - writer, parapsychologist; claimed to discover means of communicating with souls in the afterlife, the "Raudive voices".
- Augusts Reinbergs (1860-1908) - architect
- Einars Repše (1961) - politician
- Lolita Ritmanis (1962, Portland) - orchestrator, composer
- Andris Ritmanis - physician, author
- Brigita Ritmanis - songwriter
- Fricis Rokpelnis (1909-1969) - author
- Mark Rothko (1903-1970) - abstract expressionist painter
- Jānis Roze - publisher
- Elza Rozenberga (1865-1943) - poet, playwright, married to Jānis Pliekšāns
- Jānis Rozentāls (1866-1917) - painter
- Juris Rubenis (1961) - famous Lutheran pastor
- Mārtiņš Rubenis (1978) - sportsman, bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
- Brunis Rubess (1926) - businessman
- Inta Ruka (1958) - Photographer
- Augusts Rumpēters (1899-1978) - jurist, served in Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of Latvia
- Tania Russof (1974) - pornographic actress
- Sasha Siemel (Aleksandrs Ziemelis, 1890 Riga - 1970 Pennsylvania) - Tiger-man; considered by many to be the greatest hunter that ever lived.
- Voldemārs Salnais (1886-1948) - diplomat, statistician
- Augusts Saulietis (1869-1933) - poet, writer and teacher
- Kārlis Sebris (1914) - actor
- Uļjana Semjonova (1952) - tallest female basketball player in the Olympic history, 3-time World Champion
- Egīls Siliņš - opera singer (basso)
- Dāvids Sīmonsons (1882-1919) - general, first Commander-in-Chief of Latvian Army
- Kārlis Skalbe (1879-1945) - poet
- Baiba Skride (1981) - violinist
- Lauma Skride (1982) - pianist
- Linda Skride (1978) - viola player
- Jurģis Skulme (1928) - artist
- Vilis Skultāns (1914-1990) - journalist, historian
- Eduards Smiļģis (1886-1966) - theatre director, actor
- Konstantin Sokolsky (1904-1991) - romance and tango singer
- Arnolds Spekke (1887-1972) - historian, diplomat
- Raimonds Staprans (1926) - Latvian/American painter
- Lina Stern (1878-1968) - biologist and social activist
- Jānis Stībelis - singer
- Henrijs Stolovs (1901-1971) - stamp dealer
- Jānis Stradiņš - scientist
- Pauls Stradiņš - physician
- Jānis Streičs (1936) - film director, screenwriter, actor
- Pēteris Stučka (1865-1932) - author, translator, editor, jurist and educator
- Olafs Stumbrs (1931-1996) - poet, educator
- Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894-1975) - poet
- Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950) - prominent chess player
- Stanislavs Svianievičs (1899-1997) - economist and historian
- Romāns Vainšteins (1973) - former pro cyclist, World Road Champion in 2000
- Raimonds Vaikulis - basketball player
- Julian Vaivods - Roman Catholic cardinal of Latvia
- Māris Valainis (1963) - actor, ("Hoosiers," and "Casualties of War")
- Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825-1891) - public figure, writer, publicist and economist
- Pauls Valdens (1863-1957) - chemist
- Ēvalds Valters (1894-1994) - actor
- Miķelis Valters (1874-1968) - state official, journalist, diplomat
- Sandis Valters - basketball player
- Valdis Valters - one of the best European basketball players ever, playmaker
- Aleksandrs Vanags (1873-1919) - architect
- Aleksandrs Vanags (1918-1986) - footballer
- Gustavs Vanags (1891-1965) - chemist
- Jūlijs Vanags (1903-1984) - author and translator
- Alex Vanags-Baginskis (1927) - aviation author/editor
- Pēteris Vasks (1946) - contemporary composer
- Jukums Vācietis (1873-1938) - first commander of the Soviet Army
- Ojārs Vācietis (1933-1983) - poet
- Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892) - poet and translator
- Makss Veinreihs (1893-1969) - linguist
- Pāvels Veselovs - basketball player
- Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890, Jelgava - 1970, New Jersey) - graphic artist
- Sigurds Vidzirkste (1928-1974) - graphic and painter
- Igors Vihrovs (1978) - gymnast, gold medalist at Sydney Olympics in 2000.
- Edvarts Virza (1883-1940)- famous Latvian writer
- Alvis Vitolinš (1946-1997) - chess master
- Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (1937) - former president
- Jāzeps Vītols (1863-1948) - composer
- Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892) - Latvian poet.
- Māris Verpakovskis (1979) - footballer, FC Dynamo Kyiv
- Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963-2006) - chess player
- [ Elina Volkmane ] ( 1982 ) - opera singer
[edit] See also