Mission Latvia

14/09/2026

🇱🇻🎬 A historic moment for Latvian cinema!

Woman Unknown, a Danish–Swedish–Latvian co-production, has won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the La Biennale di Venezia Cinema / Venice International Film Festival, while Mathilde Arcel also received the award for Best Actress. 🏆

Much of the film was shot in Latvia, with Riga serving as one of its main filming locations.

A remarkable achievement for the whole team and a proud moment for Latvia on the international film stage. 👏🇱🇻

All eyes were on the Lido as John Malkovich ('Wild Horse Nine') and Mathilde Arcel ('Woman Unknown') won best actor and best actress, and Venice sensation 'NAZA' claimed the Special Jury Prize.

09/09/2026

What do the “𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆”, a budding cultural center and museum, a family-run restaurant, a pizza joint, and a hotel in Latvia all have in common? 🙌

They were once important regional transport stations 🚞, and today they stand as inspiring examples of adaptive reuse.

Thanks to the creative vision, loving care, and relentless effort of their new owners, these former station buildings live on, serving their local communities and visitors in a different way.

Add these stops to your bucket list:
📍 Ērgļu stacija for a meal
📍 Ķeipenes Kinostacija for cultural enrichment
📍 Stacija Suntaži for an overnight stay
📍 Airītes Stacija / Railway Station Airīte for a concert experience
📍 Stacija Vaivari for a pizza named after one of the local stations in Jūrmala

🌳 Not only are the stations interesting from an architectural and historical point of view, but their scenic locations also make them easy to combine with other nearby attractions.


Visit Ogre

02/09/2026

Latvian doctor Veronika Puiša 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱. 🔍

As part of a ESA - European Space Agency mission, Dr Puiša and 12 other selected researchers will spend nine months at a polar station with no opportunity to evacuate.

It’s the latest adventure to add to an already impressive CV. Dr Puiša is a general practitioner who also specializes in space 👩‍🚀 and aviation medicine, works in Formula 1 racing 🏎️, and sits on the medical board of the ESA.

She’s currently undergoing training for the project in Antarctica and is due to depart in October. 😋 Among the personal items she’s already packed are several beloved snacks from Latvia: Selga biscuits, condensed milk, freeze-dried fruit and honey cake from Ozolu Bites.

💬 “I expect it to be a unique experience. No one knows exactly what it will be like, but there are bound to be both good and hard moments. It will certainly be interesting,” says Dr Puiša of what lies ahead.

31/08/2026

From Ventspils University of Applied Sciences to the ESA - European Space Agency! 🚀 Latvian engineering student Mārtiņš Leimants 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 at the European Space Research and Technology Center in the Netherlands. 👏

Mārtiņš is grateful to his university for the very hands-on, as well as theoretical training, access to well-equipped labs, and enthusiastic and encouraging teaching staff that prepared him for real-world work. 👍 But he’s quick to point out that talent alone isn’t enough. It takes real effort, curiosity, and a willingness to keep experimenting even when the right solution takes ten attempts to find.

📷 Photos: Mārtiņš Leimants

27/08/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀. 🤝

Latvijas Universitāte and SCHWENK Latvija are joining forces to create a center of excellence for industrial decarbonization. The university will bring its scientific expertise and research capacity to support the building materials manufacturer cut its environmental impact through new processes and technologies. 👷👍

It's a genuine two-way exchange: university students and staff will contribute through internships and research projects, while the company will offer case studies, workshops, and guest lecture opportunities in return. A perfect match. ✅

📷 Photos: Toms Norde

26/08/2026

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲? 🦷 Researchers at Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte (Riga Stradins University) are exploring exactly that. In an age when artificial intelligence is increasingly infiltrating our everyday lives, they've identified a way to embrace its ability to support the earlier detection of health risks.

🔍 The concept is simple: X-rays taken during a routine dental visit could also be used to flag early signs of osteoporosis. The catch is that dentists would normally need extensive additional training to spot those signs themselves. 👉 The Latvian research team’s solution? Let AI do the work instead.

🌐 Researchers worldwide have been exploring this approach for years, but using AI marks a major step toward making it practical. The hope is that it could become a widely used screening tool, flagging patients who should then be referred for confirmation via osteodensitometry.

📷 Photos: BioPhoT platform

22/08/2026

𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗮𝘆? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆?🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹

In Latvia, we often joke (and that is true) that we all know each other somehow - if not directly, then through one other person. And when it also comes to the Baltic Way, it really feels true. Someone’s mum and dad were there. A brother, an uncle and his wife, the children. Someone remembers arriving by motorcycle. Almost every family seems to have a story.

𝗢𝗻 𝟮𝟯 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵, 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮, 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟲𝟬𝟬 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗻𝗶𝘂𝘀. 🤝🤝🤝 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗻. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺.

When we ask our families and friends for photos from that day, many say the same thing:" 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴". There was excitement, uncertainty and emotions. What mattered was being there and holding the hand of the person next to you. That is why we are especially grateful to those who did take a camera with them and captured these moments for the generations that followed.
Here are three of them.
📸 Thank you to the Latvijas Nacionālais Vēstures Muzejs / National History Museum of Latvia and its LNVM Tautas frontes muzejs/Popular Front Museum of Latvia for helping preserve the memory of the Baltic Way.

📌 The Baltic Way, 23 August 1989. Participants on the Vidzeme Highway near Langstiņi, Riga. Rūdolfs Brizga is holding the first flag from the right. A group of Baltic Germans also took part. Photographer unknown.
Collection of the Popular Front Museum, TFMp 2203.
📌 The Baltic Way, 23 August 1989. Photographer unknown.
Collection of the Popular Front Museum, TFM 5217.
📌 The Baltic Way, 23 August 1989. Participants in Lithuania. In the foreground, three people with the national flags of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stand on the roof of a bus. Exact location and photographer unknown.
Collection of the Popular Front Museum, TFM 3580.

21/08/2026

𝟯𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘃𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲!🇱🇻

On 𝟮𝟭 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟭, Latvia adopted the Constitutional Law "𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘷𝘪𝘢", bringing to an end the transition period that had begun with the Declaration of Independence on 4 May 1990.

The law restored Latvia’s independence in full and reaffirmed the country as a sovereign, democratic state governed by the rule of law. It also paved the way for the broad international recognition of Latvia’s restored independence.

Thirty-five years later, this date remains a powerful reminder that 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱.

19/08/2026

Liepaja 2027 is preparing for its year as 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 - and the programme is already bringing internationally acclaimed cultural experiences to Latvia. 🎭

One of them is 𝗦𝘂𝗻 & 𝗦𝗲𝗮, the Golden Lion-winning Lithuanian opera-performance that will be staged in Latvia for the first time as part of the Liepāja 2027 programme.

Blending opera, visual art and performance, the work transforms an artificial beach into a reflection on climate change, consumer habits and humanity’s relationship with nature. In Liepāja, on the Baltic Sea coast, this story gains an especially meaningful setting - close to the shoreline that inspired its creators. 🌊

A powerful example of how culture can open conversations about the world we share.

13/08/2026

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟴𝟮𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆.🎂

Throughout August, Riga has been filling up with special events, flavours and little reasons to rediscover the city.
One of them is 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗮’𝘀 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 - a celebration of the iconic Vecrīga pastry, with cafés and bakeries across the city creating both classic and new versions of it.
And this weekend, things get even bigger: music, performances, food, markets and events across Riga will mark the city’s 825th birthday.

So if you’re in Riga, there’s plenty to see, hear and taste.
And yes - trying at least one Vecrīga probably counts as part of the birthday programme. 🙂

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟴𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗮!❤️

Explore the full Riga Summer programme at https://rigasvasara.lv/en/

📸 LIVE RIGA / Rīga City Council