Vilis Lacis
Encyclopedia
Vilis Lācis was a Latvian writer and Communist politician.
Lācis was born into a working-class family in Mangaļi
, near Riga
. He was a manual labourer, mostly working in the port of Riga
and writing in his free time. In 1933, he published his hugely successful novel Zvejnieka dēls (Fisherman's Son), making him one of the most popular and commercially successful Latvian writers of the 1930s. His novels have been characterized as popular fiction, not always liked by high-brow critics, but widely read by ordinary readers.
Throughout this period, Lācis maintained underground ties to the officially banned Communist Party of Latvia
. Lācis was under periodic surveillance by the Latvian secret services due to his political activities. Eventually Lācis became a favorite of Latvian dictator Karlis Ulmanis
, who personally ordered the destruction of the surveillance files on Lācis. Lācis wrote newspaper editorials highly favorable of the Ulmanis regime, while still secretly remaining a Communist supporter, and Ulmanis's government generously funded Lācis's writing and a film adaptation of Fisherman's Son.
Lācis's Communist links became public after Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union
, when he was appointed as Minister of the Interior in the puppet government of Augusts Kirhenšteins
. After Latvia was illegally incorporated in the USSR in August 1940, Lācis became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR
(nominally, Prime Minister)and served in this position from 1940 to 1959. He was regarded mostly as a figurehead, as most of the actual decisions were made by the Central Committee
of the Communist Party. As first Minister of the Interior and then Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, he must take personal responsibility for the Stalinist deportations and other aspects of the police state, and signed orders for the arrest and deportation of over 40,000 people.
Lācis's books have been translated into more than 50 languages, with translations into Russian
being the most numerous. He remains the most translated Latvian writer.
Lācis was born into a working-class family in Mangaļi
Mangali
Mangali or Nayee is a caste from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They are hereditary Barber-Clan origin:The word Nayee stems from the Sanskrit root 'Nay'- which means to lead - stands for leadership...
, near Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. He was a manual labourer, mostly working in the port of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and writing in his free time. In 1933, he published his hugely successful novel Zvejnieka dēls (Fisherman's Son), making him one of the most popular and commercially successful Latvian writers of the 1930s. His novels have been characterized as popular fiction, not always liked by high-brow critics, but widely read by ordinary readers.
Throughout this period, Lācis maintained underground ties to the officially banned Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
. Lācis was under periodic surveillance by the Latvian secret services due to his political activities. Eventually Lācis became a favorite of Latvian dictator Karlis Ulmanis
Karlis Ulmanis
Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis was a prominent Latvian politician in pre-World War II Latvia during the Latvian period of independence from 1918 to 1940.- Education and early career :Ulmanis studied agriculture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and...
, who personally ordered the destruction of the surveillance files on Lācis. Lācis wrote newspaper editorials highly favorable of the Ulmanis regime, while still secretly remaining a Communist supporter, and Ulmanis's government generously funded Lācis's writing and a film adaptation of Fisherman's Son.
Lācis's Communist links became public after Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, when he was appointed as Minister of the Interior in the puppet government of Augusts Kirhenšteins
Augusts Kirhenšteins
Augusts Kirhenšteins, formerly spelt Kirchenšteins , was a Latvian microbiologist and educator. He was prime minister of Latvia June 20, 1940-August 25, 1940 and Acting President of Latvia July 21, 1940-August 25, 1940...
. After Latvia was illegally incorporated in the USSR in August 1940, Lācis became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
(nominally, Prime Minister)and served in this position from 1940 to 1959. He was regarded mostly as a figurehead, as most of the actual decisions were made by the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party. As first Minister of the Interior and then Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, he must take personal responsibility for the Stalinist deportations and other aspects of the police state, and signed orders for the arrest and deportation of over 40,000 people.
Lācis's books have been translated into more than 50 languages, with translations into Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
being the most numerous. He remains the most translated Latvian writer.