Raimonds Pauls' anniversary, unusually severe frosts, the death of Uļjana Semjonova... We present the traditional weekly roundup of news that did not go unnoticed.
Our Everything: Maestro — 90!
What epithets have not been bestowed upon our renowned composer Raimonds Pauls on the occasion of his 90th anniversary, which fell on this past Monday, January 12. Moreover, he himself, being a modest person, would likely dismiss most of them. He was even called an "icon." But what kind of icon is he? Although, if you take a closer look, the halo above his gray hair is clearly visible. It is the halo of universal love, adoration, and respect.
Pauls is like a clock that measures the milestones of our lives and the eras passing by. As long as they tick, the thread connecting our past and future does not break. And may they be destined to count many more happy and fruitful years!
Winter: Caution, it’s the real thing
LETA
January has gifted us, instead of the usual grayness and slush, a real winter with sledding, snowmen, and morning car cleaning, along with a healthy blush on our cheeks.
According to forecasts, this week is likely to become the coldest in Latvia since January 2024. Variable cloudiness and a small amount of precipitation are expected. In most parts of Latvia, nighttime and daytime temperatures will fluctuate between –5 and –15 degrees.
According to meteorologists, last winter, the air temperature in the country did not drop below –20 degrees even once. The lowest temperature in the 2023–2024 season was –29.5 degrees, recorded on January 8 at the meteorological station in Daugavpils. The strongest frosts in previous years were noted on January 17, 2021, in Stalgene, when the temperature reached –31 degrees.
Recognition: Prāta vētra and fans
The Latvian band became the leader in the number of nominations for the national music award "Zelta mikrofons," receiving four nominations.
This year, Sudden Lights, Skyforger, Juuk, Eklektika, Carnival Youth, as well as Sudrabu sirds and rapper Ozols received two nominations each, highlighting the genre diversity of the Latvian music scene and the unfortunate tendency not to name musical groups in their native language.
A total of 315 applications were submitted for the competition, including 140 albums, 57 songs, 74 music videos, 38 debut albums, and six concert video recordings. Awards will be presented in 20 nominations, and the winner in the "Album of the Year" category will be determined by an additional vote.
Special attention is given to the visual component of music: nominations for best music video, album design, and concert video recording are presented. "Prāta vētra" is also nominated in the categories of music videos and concert recordings.
The award ceremony for the "Golden Microphone" will take place on February 28 at the Olympic Center in Ventspils and will be broadcast live on TV3.
Loss: Uļjana Semjonova has passed away
LETA
At the age of 73, the outstanding Latvian basketball player Uļjana Semjonova has passed away, reports the Latvian Basketball Federation.
Uļjana Semjonova has forever left her mark on world basketball, becoming a standard and inspiration for many generations of female athletes. Listing her titles and honors could take a long time.
From 1968 to 1987, Semjonova was the leader of the legendary club "TTT Rīga," with which she won 15 championship titles of the USSR and 15 trophies of the European Champions Cup.
Uļjana Semjonova is an 11-time winner of the European Champions Cup and the Liliana Ronketti Cup, a 4-time champion of the Peoples' Spartakiad.
As part of the Soviet Union national team, she became a 2-time Olympic champion, a 3-time world champion, and a 10-time European champion.
Throughout her legendary career, Semjonova has been immortalized in all the main basketball halls of fame.
Public Catering: A star has fallen from the sky...
At the end of last week, the fish restaurant Tails, included in the international gastronomic guide Michelin Guide, closed in Riga.
"This is not a farewell forever. Tails will definitely open its doors again someday — in a new place and when the right time comes," emphasized the representatives of the restaurant in a social media message.
According to the State Revenue Service, as of January 6, the company has a registered debt of 128,828 euros for administered taxes.
Interestingly, the day before, information emerged that Latvia would pay about one million euros to experts from the Michelin Guide to continue tasting the cuisine of our restaurants. However, it may well be that the desire to meet high standards is too costly for our restaurateurs and detrimental to their business.
