Discover
The identity of the nation
Latvia is one of the three Baltic states, between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, with a sandy coastline facing the Baltic Sea and more than half of its territory covered by forests. It is a small nation, around 1.8 million people, that spent centuries under foreign rule (German knights, Swedes, Russians and finally Soviet occupation) before regaining independence in 1991. Today it is a member of the European Union and NATO, but it still lives close to the Russian border, both geographically and culturally.
Christianity arrived in the region by force, brought by German knights in the thirteenth century, and later took hold as Lutheranism among Latvians, alongside Catholicism in the region of Latgale and Orthodoxy among Russian speakers. Crosses and church towers still mark the landscape of every town, a sign of a deep Christian heritage. But fifty years of atheism imposed by the Soviet Union emptied church pews, closed seminaries and cut off the transmission of faith from one generation to the next.
The result is a people that is mostly Christian in name, but reserved and even wary when it comes to lived faith: fewer than one in ten Latvians attends any service regularly. At the same time, a search for meaning outside the traditional church is growing among young people, including a renewed interest in ancient Baltic beliefs that predate Christianity, a sign of a spiritual thirst that has not yet found an answer.
The Latvian church is small but resilient, shaped by the experience of surviving repression. The greatest challenge today is not a lack of access to the gospel, since the Bible has been available in Latvian for centuries, but the distance between inherited tradition and a personal, living faith. It is also a call to build a bridge: between the Latvian speaking majority and the Russian speaking minority who, even while living side by side, rarely share the same church.
- Before contact with European Christianity, the Baltic peoples (Latvians and Livonians) lived off the land, fishing and their own beliefs.
- 13th century German knights conquer the region and impose Christianity by force, giving rise to the Livonian Confederation.
- 16th century The Protestant Reformation reaches the region and Lutheranism becomes the predominant faith among Latvians, while Latgale, to the south, remains Catholic.
- 17th-18th centuries Successive rule by Sweden and later the Russian Empire over Latvian territory.
- 1918 Proclamation of Latvia's independence on November 18, after the end of World War I.
- 1940 Soviet occupation: churches are closed, pastors are arrested, exiled or killed.
- 1941 German occupation during World War II, followed by renewed Soviet occupation until 1991.
- 1991 Latvia regains independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union on August 21.
- 2004 The country joins the European Union and NATO.
- Today A free and prosperous nation, marked by secularization, emigration and the search for a faith that goes beyond inherited tradition.
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Latvianofficial language, of Baltic origin, spoken by the vast majority of the population
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Russianspoken as a mother tongue by more than a third of the population, a legacy of the Soviet era
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Latgalianregional variant of Latvian spoken in the Latgale region, in the southeast of the country
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Englishwidely understood among young people and in larger cities
Latvia is a flat, green country in northern Europe, bordered to the west by the Baltic Sea. More than half its territory is covered by forests of pine, birch and spruce, dotted with thousands of lakes and rivers. Pale sandy beaches, marshes and farmland plains complete a quiet landscape without mountains, where nature still shapes the rhythm of people's lives.
Major cities
- RigaCapital and largest city, with a historic center recognized by Unesco and the country's main port
- DaugavpilsSecond largest city, in the southeast, with a strong presence of Russian speakers
- LiepājaPort city in the west, known for its music scene and former Soviet military port
- JelgavaFormer capital of the Duchy of Courland, in an agricultural region in the south center
- JūrmalaCoastal city of beaches and resorts, near Riga
Climate and temperature
Speķa pīrāgi
Crispy pastries filled with bacon and onion, traditional at parties and family gatherings.
Grey peas with bacon (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi)
A dish that symbolizes Latvian winter: cooked grey peas, bacon and sauteed onion.
Rupjmaize
Dark whole rye bread, present at almost every meal and a symbol of Latvian identity.
Cold beet soup (Aukstā zupa)
A pink, refreshing soup made with kefir, beets, cucumber and herbs, served in summer.
Kvass
A fermented, lightly sweet drink made from rye bread, popular as a summer refreshment.
Riga Black Balsam
A dark herbal liqueur, with a recipe more than 250 years old, a symbol of the city of Riga.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Reserve and discretion
Latvians prefer to observe before opening up; trust is built gradually, not in the first conversation.
Deep connection with nature
Forests, lakes and the Baltic Sea shape the calendar of festivals and the people's way of life.
Dainas and collective singing
Singing together, in choirs and festivals, is one of the strongest expressions of Latvian identity, recognized by Unesco.
Jāņi festival
The celebration of the summer solstice, on the shortest night of the year, blends bonfires, flower crowns and traditions that predate Christianity.
Memory of Soviet occupation
Decades under Soviet rule left marks on faith, language and the relationship with neighboring Russia.
Two languages, one territory
About a third of the population speaks Russian as their mother tongue, a reflection of decades of migration during the Soviet period.
- Being overly effusive from the start Latvians value reserve and manners; closeness comes with time, not in the first conversation.
- Confusing Latvian with Russian These are distinct languages and identities; use the one appropriate to each person.
- Treating the Christian faith as a thing of the past Christianity is still part of national identity, even among those who do not practice it; discuss the topic with respect.
- Joking about the Soviet period The occupation left deep marks on real families; it is a subject to handle with sensitivity, not humor.
- Treating nature as mere scenery Forests, lakes and the coastline are central to Latvian life and soul, not just tourist landscape.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Many identify as Christian by tradition, but without a personal or lived faith.
Young people increasingly distant from any religious practice.
Decades of repression cut off the transmission of faith between generations.
A search for ancient pre-Christian beliefs as an alternative to institutional faith.
Excessive alcohol consumption fuels despair and weakens entire families.
One of the highest in Europe, a sign of a weary people without living hope.
Young people leaving the country en masse, aging villages and weakening local churches.
Two communities living side by side, with little spiritual bridge between them.
Cultural discretion also isolates and makes life in a faith community harder.
Decades under authoritarian regimes left widespread skepticism toward every institution, including the church.
Religious freedom in Latvia is broad and protected by law: the Constitution guarantees the separation of Church and State, and Christians of any denomination can gather, evangelize and publish their faith without legal restriction. There is no violent persecution or institutional discrimination against the church.
The real challenge is different: decades of atheism imposed by the Soviet occupation emptied churches, closed seminaries and cut off the transmission of faith between generations. Today, most of the population identifies as Christian in name only, baptized in the Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox tradition, but without regular practice; fewer than one in ten Latvians attends any service regularly.
Society is also increasingly indifferent to faith, following the secular trend seen across the rest of Europe, and a growing share of young people identify with no religion at all. At the same time, interest is growing in ancient pre-Christian Baltic beliefs, sought out by those looking to rediscover roots outside institutional religion.
Another point of concern is the quiet divide between the Latvian speaking majority and the Russian speaking minority, mostly Orthodox: the two communities live side by side, but with little spiritual connection between their churches. Rebuilding bridges of living faith, between generations and between languages, is today the main challenge facing the Latvian church.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Latvia has only 10 catalogued ethnic groups, most of them Baltic and Slavic neighbors who have lived alongside Latvians for generations, a legacy of the Soviet era. Almost all already have some degree of access to the church and the Scriptures: Latvians themselves, the majority of the population, are among the most reached peoples in the world. The only group still considered unreached is the small Latvian Jewish community, numbering a few thousand people. The greatest challenge here is not a lack of access to the gospel, but the distance between a Christianity of tradition and a personal, living faith.
- 2K Unreached 0,1%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 565K Superficially reached 31,8%
- 57K Partially reached 3,2%
- 1.2M Significantly reached 64,9%
- 1 Unreached 10%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 6 Superficially reached 60%
- 2 Partially reached 20%
- 1 Significantly reached 10%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
higher than the Eastern Europe average, lower than Western Europe
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn some Latvian phrases: the gesture is well received, even though English is common among young people.
- Dress in layers: winters are long, dark and cold, with few hours of daylight.
- Respect personal space: Latvians value discretion and dislike forced intimacy on first contact.
- Enjoy nature: forests, lakes and the Baltic coastline are part of everyday life; hiking and saunas are common habits.
- Avoid comments about the relationship with Russia: it is a sensitive topic, tied to the Russian speaking minority and the memory of Soviet occupation.
- Use public transport: Riga has a good network of buses, trams and trolleybuses.
- Pay by card: it is accepted almost everywhere, carry little cash.
- Decline alcohol politely if you prefer: it is a common social custom, but no one will insist after a polite refusal.
- Join local choirs and festivals: collective singing is a natural gateway to friendship and deeper conversation.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.