Latvian Flag

Latvian Flag

Latvian Flag

The area now known as Latvia has, in its past, been ruled by Vikings, Russians, German Teutonic knights, Poland, Lithuania and Sweden before coming under the control of czarist Russia during the 19th century. The anti-Russian independence movement that had emerged during the late 19th century having grown increasingly strong, Latvia proclaimed itself an independent republic in 1918. In February 1919, however, the Red Army invaded Latvia and began to establish a Soviet-sponsored regime. In 1940, during World War II, Latvia was annexed and became a republic of the U.S.S.R. Latvia again declared its independence in 1990, which was accepted by the U.S.S.R. shortly before its breakup in 1991.

The Latvian flag that the newly independent country adopted was the red-and-white-striped flag that was traditionally associated with Latvia. According to legend, this flag had been used in a battle against Estonian troops in 1280. Another legend tells of a wounded Latvian fighter who had been wrapped in a white sheet where he was lying remained white, but the two edges that had been folded over him were stained with his blood. The red of the flag therefore symbolizes Latvian blood shed in the cause of freedom. Although the Latvian flag was officially adopted in 1918, its use was suppressed during the period of Soviet rulership. Having re-emerged as a result of the revival of Latvian nationalism in the 1980s, it eventually replaced the Soviet Latvian flag in 1990.