Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day
| Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Latvian: Latvijas Republikas okupācijas diena |
| Observed by | Latvia |
| Significance | Commemoration of the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 |
| Date | June 17 |
| Next time | 17 June 2026 |
| Frequency | annual |
Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas okupācijas diena) is an official day of remembrance in Latvia and is observed on June 17.[1] It commemorates the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940.
Overview
On June 17, 1940, Soviet troops invaded Latvia and occupied bridges, post/telephone, telegraph, and broadcasting offices. On the same day, Andrei Vishinski, Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union, introduced himself to President Kārlis Ulmanis as Soviet special envoy; two days later, Vishinski visited Ulmanis again, this time, to deliver the list, pre-approved by Moscow, of the new members of the cabinet of the Latvian government. Soon after, State administrators were liquidated and replaced by Soviet cadres,[2] in which 34,250 Latvians were deported or killed[3] and Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Soviet Occupation Day became an official remembrance day on May 18, 2000.[4]
Moldova's interim president Mihai Ghimpu instituted in 2010 the Soviet Occupation Day holiday[5][6] to remember the Soviet occupation on June 28, 1940,[7] but the Constitutional Court cancelled his decree on July 12, 2010.[8][9] Georgia followed the example and declared February 25 Soviet Occupation Day to recall the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921.[10][11]
See also
- Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
- Occupation of the Baltic states
- Red Army invasion of Georgia
- Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
References
- ^ Likums "Par svētku, atceres un atzīmējamām dienām"
- ^ Wettig, Gerhard, Stalin and the Cold War in Europe, Rowman & Littlefield, Landham, Md, 2008, ISBN 0-7425-5542-9, page 20–21
- ^ Simon Sebag Montefiore. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. p. 334.
- ^ "Grozījumi likumā "Par svētku un atceres dienām"". Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Vladimir Socor, Moldovan Government Chickens out of Historical Assessment of Communism
- ^ www.publika.md (June 24, 2010). "În fiecare an, pe 28 iunie, Moldova va comemora Ziua ocupaţiei sovietice şi victimele regimului totalitar comunist". Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Vladimir Socor, Russia Defends Soviet Occupation of Moldova
- ^ "Moldovan Leader: Court Ruling Against 'Soviet Occupation Day' Was Political". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. July 12, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2016 – via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
- ^ Moldpres, Moldovan top court says presidential decree on Day of Soviet Occupation unlawful Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Georgia declares February 25 Soviet Occupation Day
- ^ "Georgia: Feb. 25 Declared 'Soviet Occupation Day'". Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
External links
- Soviet Occupation Remembered in Riga
- Rihards Treijs "Par Latvijas okupāciju 1940.gadā"
- Latvijas Avīze "17. jūnijs – Latvijas Republikas okupācijas diena" (17.06.09.)
- "Latvijas okupācija:vēsturiskie un starptautiski tiesiskie aspekti"
- AllMoldova.md: "June 28 declared Day of Soviet Occupation'", June 24, 2010
- RFE/RL: "'Soviet Occupation Day' Causes Rift In Moldova's Ruling Alliance", July 3, 2010