“Cold, snow, and swamp not yet frozen under the snow, what a deadly trap! Still, you must go forward in front of the enemy’s fire, as there is no way back. So harsh the conditions were in January a hundred years ago. Today, when we mark the centenary of the Christmas Battles, the weather is similar. Has something changed? Yes, it has. No hostile bullets are swishing around, whereas Latvia is free now,” told the President of Latvia.
He emphasised that the state of Latvia was established based on the courageous hope that the Latvian Riflemen had cherished in their hearts for their country then. Raimonds Vējonis mentioned that it was the reason why, starting from the centenary of the Christmas Battles, we began to celebrate the first hundred years of the independence of Latvia.
After the commemorative event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Battles, the President of Latvia addressed the participants of the winter camp White Wolf for Scouts and Girl Guides. He appreciated young people’s interest and concern in inheriting the history of their country. By understanding how young Latvian Riflemen had felt during the battles a hundred years ago, the young people strengthened both themselves and their country, as the President of Latvia stressed.