Sovetskaya Latviya

Sovetskaya Latviya (Soviet Latvia; Russian: Советская Латвия, ISSN 0233-3643) was a major Russian-language newspaper in the Latvian SSR.

It was an official publication of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia and the sister newspaper to the Latvian-language daily, Cīņa. From 1969 onwards, it was also styled as an official organ of the Council of Ministers (i.e. government) of the Latvian SSR as well.

History

1919, 1940–1941

The newspaper that became Sovetskaya Latviya was first published in 1940, following the Soviet takeover of Latvia, and the establishment of a monopoly on power by the Communist Party.

During this first period, it was named Nasha Pravda (Our Truth, Russian: Наша Правда, 1919) and Proletarskaya Pravda (Proletarian Truth, Russian: Пролетарская правда, 1940).

The purpose of Proletarskaya Pravda was to replace the influential, independent Russian-language newspapers, such as widely read liberal Segodnya (Today), with a Soviet-controlled one.