Good evening, viewers!
Good evening to those who are proud and those who makes us proud!
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome you all to the Riga Castle today and to thank those who launched this tradition.
For 20 years now, on this national holiday, we say thank you to people who do good without expecting recognition or salary, without expecting anyone to thank them. But you, who are here today, have been noticed and appreciated and nominated by your friends and colleagues to thank you. It is not exactly a state award, but it is the public's appreciation of your work.
As a rule, pride in Latvian folk tales is a rather big sin. Pride is something that a person is told about: "Never be proud!" But at the same time, we can never call pride arrogance. Pride is not arrogance. Pride is in no way about self-aggrandisement. Pride is, in fact, understanding one's worth, appreciating one's value. And when we honour "Pride of Latvia", we honour people who have selflessly helped others. They, unlike in fairy tales, can be proud of what they have achieved. The people who have been helped and those who have appreciated that help are proud of them.
Today, as we honour people of different generations and professions, let us remember one thing – this is a small part of their work. They will be inspired and will carry on after this celebration. But maybe we also will be inspired for something better.
Forgive me, ancestors, but I will rephrase a little the saying "You should be proud!", which is often used in a negative sense; I would say this: "My fellow countrymen, let us be and remain proud!"
In 2023, the “Pride of Latvia” award is presented for the 20th time. The anniversary ceremony was held in the Riga Castle. President Edgars Rinkēvičs presented the award to Didzis Dreimanis, the winner of the nomination "Young Person".
