The directory «Plots»

Blaumanis Rūdolfs
(1863—1908)

The most outstanding Latvian modern realist of the late 19th century was Rūdolfs Blaumanis. A prolific writer and dramatist, he is most noted for his masterful short stories and plays. He was influenced early on by the National Awakening revival, which had begun in the 1850's, and he was sympathetic to the revolutionary New Current movement, which started in the 1880's among radical Latvian intellectuals. Blaumanis expressed social pathos and his sympathy for the plight of the Latvian poeple in prose works, drama, poetry, and satire. His interests lay in concentrating on the present, in describing situations recognizable by ordinary Latvians, and dealing with immediate issues concerning society in general.

In his works, Blaumanis focuses on the conflicts between the heart and mind, and portrays the depths of human emotions, both positive and negative. Even today his many stories and plays retain their freshness and relevance. He never revelled in negativity just for the sake of novelty, nor did he moralize.

By his skillful use of aptly directed words and actions, intertwined with precise detail, Blaumanis conjures up a virtual time-space of Latvia at the turn of the last century, depicting the lives of the well-to-do and of those less fortunate. His stories are set in the bustling city as well as in the countryside, where, under a seemingly serene facade, emotions are ready to be set loose at any moment, eventually to explode either in tragedy or comedy.

Blaumanis has created a number of classic, unforgettable characters in Latvian literature, including many striking portraits of Latvian women. Today these characters are a part of Latvian literary discourse.

Latvia, 1999, Playing cards and Edgars

USSR, 1963, Rudolfs Blaumanis

USSR, 1963.01.01, Riga. Birth centenary of Rudolfs Blaumanis