The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was de facto one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1944–1990.
The flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic shows a yellow hammer and sickle and outlined star on a red field above rippling water at the bottom, and was adopted by the (former) Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic on January 17, 1953.
Anatolijs Gorbunovs, also known as Anatoly Valeryanovich Gorbunov is a Latvian politician who served as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet during the final years of the Soviet regime in Latvia and as Chairman of the Supreme Council of Latvia during the first years after the country regained its independence.
A referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence was held in Ukraine on 1 December 1991. An overwhelming majority of 92% of voters approved the declaration of independence made by the Verkhovna Rada on 24 August 1991.
The Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia was the transitional parliament of Latvia from 1990 to 1993, after the restoration of independence. The Supreme Council was elected on 18 March 1990 as the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. On 4 May 1990 it declared the restoration of independence of Latvia and began a transitional period which lasted until the first session of the fifth Saeima on 6 July 1993. Independence was fully restored on 21 August 1991 during the Soviet coup attempt.
An independence referendum was held in the Republic of Georgia on 31 March 1991. It was approved by 99.5% of voters.
The Declaration "On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia" was adopted on 4 May 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR in which Latvia declared independence from the Soviet Union. The Declaration stated that, although Latvia had de facto lost its independence in 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, the country had de jure remained a sovereign country as the annexation had been unconstitutional and against the will of the Latvian people.
The president of Latvia is head of state and commander-in-chief of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Latvian SSR on 18 March 1990. It was the first free parliamentary election in Latvia since 1931 and saw 201 deputies elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR, 170 of them in the first round. Run-off elections were held on 25 March 1 and 29 April. The Popular Front of Latvia won over two-thirds of the vote. Unlike its Estonian and Lithuanian counterparts, the Latvian Communist Party did not separate from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, on 3 May 1990, the new Supreme Soviet re-elected the Communist Party member Anatolijs Gorbunovs as its chairman, effectively the leader of Latvia. He subsequently resigned from the party, and a year later the Communist Party was banned by the parliament.
A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991 across the Soviet Union. It was the only national referendum in the history of the Soviet Union, although it was boycotted by authorities in six of the fifteen Soviet republics.
An independence referendum was held in the Armenia SSR on 21 September 1991 to determine whether to secede from the Soviet Union. It followed a declaration of independence on 23 August 1990. 99.5% of voters voted in favour, with a turnout of 95%. The country officially became an independent state on 23 September 1991.
An independence referendum was held in the Turkmen SSR on 26 October 1991.
An independence referendum was held in the Republic of Uzbekistan on 29 December 1991, alongside presidential elections. The result was 98% of voters in favour, with a turnout of 94%.
An independence referendum was held in the Estonian SSR on 3 March 1991, alongside a similar referendum in the Latvian SSR the same day. It was approved by 78.4% of voters with an 82.9% turnout. Independence was restored by the Estonian Supreme Council on the night of 20 August.
An independence referendum was held in Lithuania on 9 February 1991, eleven months after independence from the Soviet Union had been declared on 11 March 1990. Just over 93% of those voting voted in favour of independence, while the number of eligible voters voting "yes" was 76.5%, far exceeding the threshold of 50%. Independence was subsequently achieved in August 1991. The independence of the Republic of Lithuania was re-recognized by the United States on 2 September 1991 and by the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 14 and 15 July 1940, alongside simultaneous elections in Estonia and Lithuania, following the Soviet occupation of the three countries. The Communist Party of Latvia was legalised and it created the "Latvian Working People's Bloc" to take part in the elections. It was the sole permitted participant in the elections as an attempt to include the Democratic Bloc, an alliance of all now-banned Latvian parties except the Social Democratic Workers' Party, on the ballot was suppressed.
A sovereignty referendum was held in the Ukrainian SSR on 17 March 1991 as part of a USSR-wide referendum. Voters were asked two questions on reforming the Soviet Union into a confederation of sovereign states. Most voters supported the proposal, although in the pro-independence oblasts of Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Ternopil, voters opted for independence as part of an additional question.
Estonian Restoration of Independence, legally defined as the Restoration of the Republic of Estonia, was proclaimed on 20 August 1991. On that day at 23:02 local time, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia, in agreement with the Estonian Committee, declared the illegal Soviet occupation and annexation of the country terminated, and proclaimed the full restoration of the independence of Estonia.
The 1978 Constitution of the Latvian SSR, officially the Constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic was the constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted on April 18, 1978 at the eighth session of the 9th Convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.
