Seventy years ago, on 8 September 1944, Speaker of the Latvian parliament (Saeima), Pauls Kalniņš assumed the duties of the President of Latvia and signed the Declaration on restoration of the Republic of Latvia. As an effective constitutional act of the Latvian legal system, this declaration confirms Latvian people's unwavering desire for statehood, desire to sustain statehood based on the constitution, Satversme, and doctrine of continuity of state.
Latvian Central Council was instrumental to national resistance movement. Latvian people did not recognise and actively resisted occupation regimes. Patriotic Latvians opposing the occupation regimes were reinforced with belief of democratic and independent future for Latvia. Today we are honouring Konstantīns Čakste, Pauls Kalniņš, Jāzeps Rancāns and many, many others who joined the national resistance movement. They shared the conviction that Latvia has future. They believed that it is the duty of every citizen to defend Latvia.
It is our current mission to continue researching the history of national resistance movement and ensure that these historic events, which are essential for strengthening of our statehood, are engraved in our collective memory. Self-esteem and national identity of patriotic Latvians is reinforced and enhanced through historic research seeking the truth and honouring our heroes.