Dainas – folk songs, but not really
Dainas, usually four-line poetic texts, have been a part of the Latvian culture for more than a thousand years. Many of them have no authors as Dainas are considered to have risen from people and spread from person to person, therefore losing any association with one single creator. Because of that, they capture the collective mentality of the daily routine of people from all levels of society and embodies the Latvian spirit throughout. They were all combined in the so-called “cabinet of songs” over a 25-year long period by a single man during the late 19th century. The cabinet holds 268 815 individual pieces of paper each containing from 4-8 Dainas (internet was not a thing back then)! These had been obtained by travelling the country and learning about all of them from people directly. Dainas carried a specifically important role during the occupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union after the Second World War. In that period freedom of speech was limited and pro-Latvian ideas were censored. At the same time, people kept on singing Dainas that helped to keep the national identity alive. In fact, the movement through which Latvia regained its independence is called the “Singing Revolution”. The significance hasn’t diminished now and Dainas are still commonly used in national traditions (summer solstice, national song and dance festival, etc.) that find their roots in pagan celebrations that originated before the spread of Christianity.
References: http://www.latvia.eu/traditions-lifestyle/latvian-folksongs-dainas
VEF radio and electronics company.
VEF used to be the largest producer of telecommunication technology in the Soviet Union. Although it originated in 1887 under a different name, it reached its industrial peak during the 1960s. It provided the entire Soviet Union with communication equipment like radios and even produced airplanes. At one moment two thirds of all phones in the Soviet Union were created by VEF. One of its most famous achievements was the production of the first portable radio that was able to pick up shortwave frequencies. VEF has solidified itself into the history as one of the greatest and most successful factories Latvia has ever had. Streets, a bridge, a basketball team and other frequently heard of things are still named after VEF even though it went bankrupt shortly after the regain of independence in 1991. However, it is interesting how while researching for this post I learnt that VEF was heavily involved in creating tech for the military, spies, etc. As I think about it now, it makes a lot of sense understanding what the regime was and how important VEF used to be. Nevertheless, I find that the Latvian community has forgotten about that and only sees VEF as one reason why to be proud about ourselves. I think this would be an interesting topic to explore.
References: http://www.laikmetazimes.lv/2014/05/26/vef-latvijas-lepnums-1dala-pirmas-brivvalsts-laiks/