Aleksandrs Kiršteins

Aleksandrs Kiršteins (born 27 August 1948) is a Latvian architect and far-right politician. Chairman of the foreign affairs committee. Member of the Supreme Council of Latvia and seven convocations of the Saeima. He rose to considerable attention when he promoted an exhibit celebrating Nazi war criminal Herberts Cukurs, who was part of the Arajs Kommando that massacred Latvian Jews during the Holocaust. He responded to critics of the exhibit by accusing Jews of collaborating with the Soviet Union. Marģers Vestermanis, director of the Jews in Latvia museum, summarized the overall message of the exhibit as "Jews killed our hero." As result of his Nazi glorification he was expelled from the People's Party.[1][2]

Aleksandrs Kiršteins
Personal details
Born27 August 1948
Riga, Latvia
Political partyLatvian National Independence Movement (1988-1997)
Latvian National Reform Party (1997-1998)
People's Party (1998-2005)
Latvian Farmers' Union
All for Latvia!
National Alliance
Alma materRiga Polytechnic Institute

In 1997 he was awarded the French National Order of Merit.[3]

References

  1. "Artistic quest ignites historic fire". www.baltictimes.com. Retrieved 2023-10-15. Now, 100 years later, Karosta is once again awash in ignominy's this time thanks to a group of locals and one foreigner who together have organized an exhibit on Herberts Cukurs, pre-war experimental pilot and voluntary member of a vicious death squad that rounded up and killed Jews during World War II. The controversial exhibit, organized by K@2, a culture and art NGO run by the Swedish documentary director Carl Biorsmark, has triggered outrage and indignation and even indirectly led to the recent political scandal involving Aleksandrs Kirsteins, the ultra-nationalist head of Parliament's foreign affairs committee.
  2. Dawisha, Karen; Parrott, Bruce (1994-01-28). Russia and the New States of Eurasia: The Politics of Upheaval. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45895-5.
  3. vestnesis.lv. "Francijas Republikas apbalvojumi un gada nosaukumi… - Latvijas Vēstnesis". www.vestnesis.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2023-10-15.
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