Welcome to my blog! I am very excited to bring the past several years of research and discovery to the world. In researching my husband’s Latvian ancestry, I have unearthed lives long forgotten, made new connections and re-discovered old ones, and I have discovered details of Latvian, Baltic and world history that I never knew about before.

This family story encompassess many interesting historical events across time and space including the end of serfdom, the Latvian National Awakening, the fall of the Russian Empire and the rise of the Soviet Union, WWI, WWII and the growth of the Latvian diaspora.

My research is mostly set between 1830 and 1950. Five members of the family were sailors, one was in the Latvian Legion, one was a Latvian Rifleman and two fought with the White Volunteer Army in the Crimea during WWI. The family included farmers, factory workers, seamstresses, writers, soldiers and even a prison warden. These people lived through dramatic times of empire, war, famine, revolution and forced emigration.

The stories span not only the Baltic world but many other places such as England, Wales, Germany, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, the USA and Australia. I believe that reading about this history in the context of one extended family’s story makes it richer and far more interesting than a series of names and dates. These were real people, living through these real times.

The posts on this site will each focus on an aspect of Latvian history: a place, a building or an event for example. They will each be connected to members of this family story so the reader can see this history in the context of a real life. I will be continually putting up new posts all the time. There is so much to tell!

I am hoping to expose my readers to historical details and fascinating tidbits they might not have learned about before. I am also hoping to give tips on how others can embark upon their own genealogical journeys to research their Latvian ancestry. Whether you are a general history buff, interested in the Baltics, a budding family historian or just like to learn new things, I am confident there will be plenty here to stimulate your curiosity!