Register of the Latvian Oral History Project interviews

Finding aid prepared by David Jacobs
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2016
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu


Title: Latvian Oral History Project interviews
Date (inclusive): 1995-2016
Collection Number: 99028
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: In Latvian and English
Physical Description: 2 manuscript boxes, 20 digital sound files (0.8 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Sound recordings of interviews of Latvian political leaders, governmental officials, and others relating to political, social, and economic conditions in Latvia. Includes transcripts of questions and some related printed matter. Project sponsored by the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. Interviews conducted by David Jacobs. Digital copies also available.
Creator: Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace
Creator: Jacobs, David
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1999, with an increment acquired in 2016.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Latvian Oral History Project interviews, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Scope and Content of Collection

The initial set of interviews were conducted in 1999 and 2000 by David Jacobs of the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in an attempt to document political and social conditions, as well as cultural trends, in Latvia at the time. Each interviewee was asked a set of prepared questions designed to elicit information on leading issues of the day in a country that had become independent again in 1991, following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Topics covered in the interviews include Latvia's relations with the Russian Federation, its efforts to join the European Union (a goal that Latvia achieved in 2004), and the status of the sizeable Russian minority in the country. The role of business interests in Latvian politics was also addressed in a number of the interviews, as were questions of regional and social inequalities in the country. The interviews were recorded on compact sound cassettes and have since been digitized so that researchers can listen to them.
The sizeable increment to the collection is comprised of interviews conducted in 2016 (again by David Jacobs) with Latvian government officials, politicians, historians, and archivists. Each interviewee was asked a set of questions tailored to his or her position, as well as a set of questions that was asked of each individual. The questions focus on the 25th anniversary of renewed independence for Latvia: each interviewee was asked to give an account of the country's successes and failures since 1991. Issues such as NATO and European Union membership are addressed in most of the interviews, as are relations between Latvia and the Russian Federation. Other topics include the demographic situation in Latvia following the Great Recession, when some 400,000 Latvians left the country in search of employment. It should be noted that some of the interviews consist of informal discussions rather than structured question and answer sessions.
The increment also contains background information, as well as lists of the questions that each interviewee was asked. There is also a considerable amount of printed matter, consisting largely of brochures and handouts provided by some of the interviewees.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Audiotapes
Latvia -- Social conditions
Latvia -- Politics and government -- 1991-
Latvia -- Economic conditions -- 1991-

 

Sound recordings of interviews 1999-2000

Physical Description: 21.0 sound_cassettes
box 1

Cimdars, Arnis 1999 March 3

Language of Material: Latvian.

Scope and Contents note

Elga Zalite interviews Cimdars, chairman of the Central Election Committee, in Riga, Latvia.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006427
box 1

Panelejevs, Andrejs 1999 March 15

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Chairman of the party Latvijas Cels ("Latvia's Way").

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006428
box 1

Elerte, Sarmite 1999 March 17

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Editor of Diena.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006429
box 1

Johnson, Steven C. 1999 March 31

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Editor of The Baltic Times.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006430
box 1

Felsbergs, Valdis 1999 April 12

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Co-chairman of the Latvian Green Party.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006431
box 1

Bojars, Juris 1999 April 19

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Chairman of the Latvian Social Democratic Association.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006432
box 1

Lase, Ieva 1999 April 28 - May 5

Language of Material: French.

Scope and Contents note

Member of "The French Group," an informal circle of Latvian intellectuals deported to the Gulag in the early 1950s for reading and discussing banned literature, including the works of French existentialist philosophers.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006433
box 1

Skele, Andris 1999 May 20

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Leader of the People's Party (Tautas Partija).

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006434
box 1

Makarovs, Vladimirs 1999 May 21

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Minister of social welfare.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006435
box 1

Krupenkovs, Imants 1999 May 26

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Employee, Latvian Ministry of Economics.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006436
box 1

Jurkans, Janis 1999 June 2

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Leader of the National Harmony Party and former foreign minister of Latvia.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006437
box 1

Kaupers, Renars 1999 June 8

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Leader of Prata Vetra (Brainstorm), the most popular Latvian rock group.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006438
box 1

Muiznieks, Nils 1999 June 9

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Employee, Soros Fund of Latvia.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006439
box 1

Kalnins, Imants 1999 June 11

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Composer and member of Parliament.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006440
box 1

Tjarve, Rolands 1999 June 17

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

General director of Latvian Television, the state broadcasting company.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006441
box 1

Druviete, Ina 1999 June 30

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Linguist.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006442
box 1

Straume, Janis 1999 July 1

Scope and Contents note

Speaker of the Saiema (Latvian Parliament). This interview was conducted through an interpreter; it is in Latvian and English.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006443
box 1

Petersone, Valda 1999 July 9

Scope and Contents note

Deputy director of the state archives of Latvia.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006444
box 1

Birkavs, Valdis 1999 July 22

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents note

Latvian foreign minister from 1994 to 1999.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006445
box 1

Ulmanis, Guntis and Nils Muiznieks 2000 October 25

Scope and Contents note

In separate sessions, Jacobs interviews Ulmanis, former state president, and Muiznieks. The Ulmanis interview was assisted by a translator.

Access

Use copy reference number: 99028_a_0006446
box 1, folder 1

Interviewee questions circa 1999

Scope and Contents note

Also includes article about Imants Kalnins.
 

Printed matter 1995-1999

box 1, folder 2

Article undated

box 1, folder 3

Brochures and pamphlets 1997-1998, undated

box 1, folder 4

Clippings (photocopies) 1999

box 1, folder 5

Newsletters 1995-1997

 

2016 Increment 2009-2016

 

Digital sound files of interviews 2016

Scope and Contents note

Twenty digital .mp3 sound files (1.71 GB).
onsite digital

Zālite, Elga 2016 September 4

Physical Description: 3.0 digital_files

Scope and Contents note

Latvian historian.
onsite digital

Zeltīts, Raivis 2016 September 20

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Latvian politician and general secretary of the National Alliance party.
onsite digital

Spolītis, Veiko 2016 September 20

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Member of the Saiema (Latvian Parliament).
onsite digital

Pildegovičs, Andrejs 2016 September 21

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

State Secretary, Latvian Foreign Ministry.
onsite digital

Ušakovs, Nils 2016 September 21

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Mayor of Riga and head of the Concord Party.
onsite digital

Rozenberga, Aiva 2016 September 21

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Head of the Latvian Institute.
onsite digital

Kalniņa, Inese 2016 September 22

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Head of the Latvian State Archives.
onsite digital

Kalniņš, Ojārs 2016 September 23

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Saiema (Latvian Parliament).
onsite digital

Lehris, Ainars and Jonathan B. (Al-Jazeera reporter) 2016 September 23

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Latvian historian. Conversation recorded in a café with ambient noise.
onsite digital

Razāns, Andris 2016 September 26

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Former Latvian ambassador to the United States.
onsite digital

Slaidiņa, Inguna 2016 September 27

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Deputy Director of the Latvian Archives.
onsite digital

Jakovļeva, Mārīte; Margarita Barzdeviča; and Elga Zālite 2016 September 27

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Latvian historians.
onsite digital

Merivoo-Parro, Maarja 2016 September 27

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Estonian historian.
onsite digital

Lehris, Ainārs and Maarja Merivoo-Parro 2016 September 27

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Latvian and Estonian historians.
onsite digital

Ščerbinskis, Valters 2016 September 28

Physical Description: 2.0 digital_files

Scope and Contents note

Latvian historian.
onsite digital

Jēkabsons, Ēriks 2016 September 28

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Latvian historian.
onsite digital

Spirğe, Alda 2016 September

Physical Description: 1.0 digital_file

Scope and Contents note

Vice principal and English teacher at Jelgavas Gymnasium (part 1 of interview is missing due to technical failure).
 

Interviewee materials 2014-2016

Scope and Contents note

Contains background materials on those interviewed and lists of questions asked.
box 2, folder 1

Zālite, Elga 2016

box 2, folder 2

Zeltīts, Raivis 2016

box 2, folder 3

Pildegovičs, Andrejs 2016

box 2, folder 4

Spolītis, Veiko 2016

box 2, folder 5

Ušakovs, Nils 2016

box 2, folder 6

Rozenberga, Aiva 2016

box 2, folder 7

Kalniņa, Inese 2016

box 2, folder 8

Kalniņs, Ojārs 2016

box 2, folder 9

Lehris, Ainārs 2016

box 2, folder 10

Razāns, Andris 2016

box 2, folder 11

Slaidiņa, Inguna 2016

box 2, folder 12

Barzdeviča, Margarita 2016

box 2, folder 13

Jakovļeva, Mārīte 2016

box 2, folder 14

Merivoo-Parro, Maarja 2016

box 2, folder 15

Ščerbinskis, Valters 2016

box 2, folder 16

Jēkabsons, Ēriks 2016

box 2, folder 17

Spirğe, Alda 2016

 

Printed matter 2009-2016

 

Brochures and handouts 2013-2015 undated

box 2, folder 18

General, various Latvian museums undated

box 2, folder 19-20

Latvijas Institūt 2013-2015

box 2, folder 21

Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka undated

box 2, folder 22

Lestene memorial undated

box 2, folder 23

Likteņdārzs memorial undated

 

Monographs 2013-2016

box 2, folder 24

Zelta ābele, 1993-2013 2014

box 2, folder 25

Zelta ābele, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2013-2016

 

Serial issues 2009 2016

box 2, folder 32

Jelgavas Vēstnesis 2016

box 2, folder 27

Plēsums 2009

box 2, folder 28

Trimdas arhīvi atgriežas. 4. daļa 2009

box 2, folder 29

Video disc, Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration, Latvijas Institūt 2013