Ojārs Vācietis

Ojārs Vācietis (born November 13, 1933 - November 28, 1983) was a Latvian writer and poet. He is often considered one of the most famous and influential poets in Latvia during Soviet rule.

Biography

Ojārs Vācietis was born in November 13, 1933 in Trapene Parish, Latvia. His father Oto Vācietis was a servant. Vācietis studied in Trapane primary school and later in Gaujiena secondary school. 1952 he started latvian language and literature studies un University of Latvia. He graduated in 1957. Since 1958 he worked in several latvian magazines and newspapers (for example: Literatūra un Māksla, Liesma, Draugs). He also was an editor in Rīgas kinostudija. In 1960s he started to question many official ideological dogmas of Soviet regime in his poems. As a result, he was not allowed to publish from 1960-1966. Some of his works from this period was published for the first time only during Singing Revolution. However he was awarded with Latvian SSR State prize already in 1967.

He also translated many works from Russian into Latvian language. His most famous and still very high acclaimed translation was M. Bulgakovs Master and Margarita in 1979. He was declared Peoples writer of Latvian SSR in 1977. Vācietis was married with Russian poet Ludmila Azarova and their house in Riga, Torņakalns neighborhood is now transformed to a memorial museum.

Ojārs Vācietis died in November 28, 1983 in Riga. He was buried in Carnikava cemetery.