Belarusians in Latvia

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Belarusians in Latvia

Беларусы Латвіі
catholicism and Orthodox Church

Belarusians in Latvia (Belarusian: Беларусы Латвіі, romanized: Biełarusy Łatvii make up the country's third largest ethnic group after Latvians and Russians.

Number

According to 2017 statistics, 69.3 thousands of the inhabitants of Latvia identify themselves as ethnic Belarusians, which is slightly higher than according to the 2011 census (68 202) but still much lower than the numbers for 1989 and 2000.^{[citation needed]}

The border regions of Latvia are predominantly inhabited by Belarusians, there is a Belarusian school in Riga and several Belarusian organizations.^{[citation needed]}

History

According to research by the early 20th century ethnographers

in 1919 but were then transferred by the bolsheviks to the independent Latvia.

After Latvia gained independence, several organizations of the Belarusian minority were established in the country, as well as about 40 Belarusian schools, two Belarusian lyceums, two theatres (in Riga and Daugavpils), a newspaper and several magazines.

After the

.

During the Soviet occupation, Latvia saw an influx of migrants from Belarus.

During the Perestroika, new organizations of the Belarusian minority have been established. After the country restored its independence, some ethnic Belarusians left for Belarus.

Belarusians in Latvia

• Kastuś Jezavitaŭ, politician and minister of defence of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, born in Daugavpils
• Janka Maŭr, writer, born in Liepāja
• Viktar Valtar, writer, poet, born in Daugavpils

External links

• Svitanak, an organization of the Belarusian minority in Latvia