The Orders of the Republic of Latvia
by Donald Michaluk
This work crams in with great detail the ceremonial embodiment of the spirit of the present-day Republic of Latvia, encompassing not only her Orders of merit but details of her banners, coat of arms, and even the national anthem. Everything is illustrated profusely and, a real treat, the full texts of the applicable laws are appended (mercifully translated into English, I don't think my Latvian is up to reading the originals quite yet!).
We start with some quite expansive acknowledgements. It's good to see those who have inspired and aided an author's journey to get noted over and above conventional quoting, citing, and referencing. Michaluk has gained assistance throughout the hierarchy of knowledge in Latvia and gives credit to their support and contributions to his work. The foreword, from the Latvian ambassador to Canada in turn lauds the result of Michaluk's labours.
The introduction gets to the heart of the matter: state awards are no mere fripperies to be passed around, they embody the very spirit of the nation that confers them, playing a vital role in what defines a state far more than that played by lines on a map. The trappings of state place that state in context: history, aspirations, identity all encapsulated in the decorations conferred, in heraldry and vexillology (the study of flags) as well as phaleristics and even the songs sung.
Then on to the meat of this work. Latvia has four orders which all trace their roots back to ones instituted in the 1920s during the first heady days of independent statehood, Latvia having broken free from Russian domination in the aftermath of the First World War. The first order to be discussed is the Order of the Three Stars, which - after some soul-searching by legislators as to the appropriateness of having a system of honours in a republic, where all citizens are equal, decided that some way of recognising merit was indeed required - was instituted in 1924. The name and design reference the three regions that make up the country, the need to work in harmony, and the aspirations of the nation to flourish as a state in various areas of activity. The Second World War put paid to all that with invasion by Germany and subsequent annexation by the Soviet Union. As part of the Soviet Union, national awards were supressed in favour of Soviet ones, and this order fell into disuse. Not long after Latvia gained her independence the Order of the Three Stars was re-established and as Latvia's senior civil award it is conferred on those who make significant contributions to Latvian society, culture, and national unity.
Next, the Order of Viesturs gets similar treatment. Named after a 13th century leader, it was instituted in 1938 and awarded in civil and military divisions to recognise contributions to national society and defence. It too was not used when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union but was revived in 2004 to be awarded along similar lines. Interestingly, the military division is marked by what are described as crossed "lances" although they look very like the more conventional crossed swords in practice.
This is followed by similar discussion of the Cross of Recognition which despite its name is an order, tracing its roots back to the short-lived Order of Recognition which was instituted by Duke Frederick William of Courland and Semigallia in 1710, being later referenced by the 1938 Cross of Recognition and revived after Latvia gained her independence once more. It has the most delightful motto POUR LES HONNÊTES GENS [FOR DECENT PEOPLE] and is awarded for exception contributions to the state and society.
Each of the three orders now exists in five class with three associated medals. Their designs are based on those of their predecessors and are all illustrated here by some stunning photographs by Andris Tone... the only disappointment is that apart from a few instances only the obverse is illustrated.
The next section deals with the Chapter of Orders, established in 1938 to administer the three orders detailed above in their original incarnations. It didn't last long, being supressed by the USSR in 1940, but was brought back into existence following independence and was instrumental in reviving the three orders for the modern state, refining the designs as appropriate from the originals and taking on their administration.
This is followed by similarly detailed analyses of the State Arms in their historic and modern form, the national flag and derivatives designed for various office holders, and finally the national anthem.
Finally, fully half of the book presents the modern legislation instituting the orders in 2004 and laying out not only the designs of the arms and flags but the way in which they ought to be displayed. There's even the music for the national anthem!
This book is a mine of information on modern Latvian orders and other ceremonial appurtenances of the state, showing how they draw upon history thoughtfully interpreted for the modern state.
Eagle-eyed readers may notice that I said that Latvia has FOUR orders, but only three are mentioned here. The outlier is the Military Order of Lāčplēsis, instituted in 1919. As a purely military order for services in action, it is not administered by the Chapter of Orders or even re-instituted in modern times, but it still appears in the order of precedence of the honours of the state. Hopefully there will be no need for it in the future.
You can get a copy from Amazon USA or Amazon UK.
Page last updated: 23 November 2025