Pray for Latvia

Singing played a major role in this nation’s independence. In the 1990s, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania sang patriotic songs in a series of peaceful demonstrations, eventually leading to freedom from the Soviet Union. Song and dance are central to Latvian culture, celebrated every five years during a festival with tens of thousands of performers. Latvia borders Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Belarus. About half of Latvia is covered in forests, but it also has over 300 miles of sandy beaches along the Baltic Sea coastline. With more than 300 bird species, Latvia is a popular bird-watching destination.

Decades of Soviet political repression, coupled with pressures like low wages and inflation, have contributed to rising rates of depression and alcohol abuse across Latvia. Mental health problems also worsen the nation’s rampant alcoholism, creating one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world. Though less widespread than alcoholism, many young adults suffer from drug abuse or drug-related deaths from opioid consumption. Each year, thousands of Latvians emigrate to other countries in search of better job opportunities and higher wages, shrinking the workforce and slowing economic growth.

Latvia’s national anthem is called God Bless Latvia, and more than 60 percent of the population identifies as Christian. The majority belong to Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Evangelical churches are a minority. Historical tensions between Russians and Latvians over the former Soviet occupation hinder unity in the Church. A small portion of the population follows Dievturi, a Latvian religious movement centered around folklore and spiritual connection with nature. Followers practice rituals and give offerings to mythological figures such as Dievs, their supreme divine figure. Pray for Christ’s love to overcome these tensions, and for biblical teaching to expel pagan traditions.