Nils Ušakovs
Encyclopedia
Nils Ušakovs or Nil Ushakov (born June 8, 1976) is a Latvia
n journalist and politician. Since November 2005, he is the leader of the social democratic party alliance, Harmony Centre
, which enjoys the support of Latvia's large ethnic Russian population
. He was elected as a Member
of the 9th Saeima
in 2006. Following the June 2009 local elections in Latvia, the majority coalition of Harmony Centre and LPP/LC
factions in the Riga City Council
nominated Ušakovs for the position of the Chairman of the City Council, effectively the Mayor of Riga, the capital of Latvia. On July 1, during the first meeting of the newly formed council, Ušakovs was elected its chairman. He became the first Mayor of Riga of Russian descent since Latvia's restoration of sovereignty in 1991. Ušakovs' popularity among Rigans had grown steadily, and 73% of the city's residents approved of Ušakovs' performance in December 2010.
into the family of an engineer and an amateur jazz musician (father) and a literature and Russian language teacher (mother). During his childhood, Ušakovs considered a military career, perhaps influenced by his family's history: both of his grandparents were army officers who fought in World War II; many of his ancestors were involved in the Russian Civil War
.
Ušakovs graduated from the University of Latvia
in 1999 with a bachelor's degree
in economics. He became a naturalized citizen of Latvia during the same year. He then lived and studied in Denmark
, where he received a master's degree in economics and European integration
from the University of Southern Denmark
in 2002. Aside from his native Russian, Ušakovs is fluent in Latvian
and English, with basic knowledge of Swedish
, Danish
and German.
(1999–2000), TV5 (2001–2004) and the Channel One Baltic
(2004–2005), where he worked as a news editor. In 2004, Ušakovs, for his contribution to journalism, was conferred the Cicero Award, established by the University of Latvia and the Latvian Associations of Journalists.
made an invitation to join the National Harmony Party
, which Ušakovs accepted. The party soon entered the Harmony Centre alliance, with Ušakovs elected its leader. He became a Saeima member after the 2006 Latvian parliamentary election
, his alliance winning 17 seats (the third best result). The alliance positions itself as the only political force in the country promoting cooperation between the ethnic Latvians and Russians. Ušakovs has argued that such is the only way to achieve fuller integration of the Russian-speaking population, as opposed to political parties catering to the interests of only one ethnicity.
' LPP/LC party, which won 12 seats. Ušakovs and Šlesers were nominated for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor respectively, a move approved by the new city council on July 1.
Ušakovs's inauguration
was marred by a small controversy: the previous mayor, Jānis Birks
of the right-wing, national conservative For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK party, which failed to win any seats, did not participate in the traditional ceremony of passing the chain of office to the new mayor. Birks' press secretary claimed that it was not due to an ideological conflict or a grudge, but because Birks was away from the city on that day.
Ušakovs' sees strengthening of ties with Russia, particularly in the realms of freight transit through the Riga free port
and tourism, as a solution to Riga's economic troubles, as Latvia is hit especially hard by the financial crisis of 2007–2010. During his campaign for the Riga’s City Council, Ušakovs also argued for more emphasis on education of Latvia’s population and protection of vital local industries.
half marathon
event. Shortly before the finish line Ušakovs collapsed on the track. He was immediately placed in intensive care at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital
with signs of severe hyperthermia
. Ušakovs was placed in an induced coma
state. On May 25 he was transported to Berlin for further treatment at the Charité Hospital
. The spokesperson for the mayor said the German medics had offered their help because of their expertise in treating similar cases. The Latvian medical authorities had previously declared his condition "serious but stable." As of May 29, the doctors have reportedly noted positive changes in the patient's condition and have started medical procedures to awaken Ušakovs from of the induced coma
state.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n journalist and politician. Since November 2005, he is the leader of the social democratic party alliance, Harmony Centre
Harmony Centre
Harmony Centre is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and the Socialist Party of Latvia Harmony Centre (abbreviated SC; ) is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the...
, which enjoys the support of Latvia's large ethnic Russian population
History of Russians in Latvia
Russians have been the largest ethnic minority in Latvia for the last two centuries.-Ancient Latvia:The Latvian word krievi for "Russians" and Krievija for "Russia" is thought to have originated from Krivichs, one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs...
. He was elected as a Member
Deputies of the Saeima
The Deputies of the 9th Saeima are the 100 deputies or members of the parliament of Latvia, the Saeima, of which 99 began their activities on 7 November 2006 in parliament, and ended their activities on 2 November 2010...
of the 9th Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
in 2006. Following the June 2009 local elections in Latvia, the majority coalition of Harmony Centre and LPP/LC
LPP/LC
Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way is a Latvian political party, created from the merger of the Christian democratic Latvia's First Party , the liberal Latvian Way and the regionalist We for our District and Vidzeme Union in 2007. These parties had already formed an electoral coalition in 2006...
factions in the Riga City Council
Riga City Council
Riga City Council is the government of Riga City, the capital of Latvia. It is located in the Riga Town Hall at the Town Hall Square in the very heart of Riga....
nominated Ušakovs for the position of the Chairman of the City Council, effectively the Mayor of Riga, the capital of Latvia. On July 1, during the first meeting of the newly formed council, Ušakovs was elected its chairman. He became the first Mayor of Riga of Russian descent since Latvia's restoration of sovereignty in 1991. Ušakovs' popularity among Rigans had grown steadily, and 73% of the city's residents approved of Ušakovs' performance in December 2010.
Background
Ušakovs was born in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
into the family of an engineer and an amateur jazz musician (father) and a literature and Russian language teacher (mother). During his childhood, Ušakovs considered a military career, perhaps influenced by his family's history: both of his grandparents were army officers who fought in World War II; many of his ancestors were involved in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
Ušakovs graduated from the University of Latvia
University of Latvia
University of Latvia is a university located in Riga, Latvia. Being established in 1919, University of Latvia is the biggest university in the Baltic states.-History:...
in 1999 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics. He became a naturalized citizen of Latvia during the same year. He then lived and studied in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, where he received a master's degree in economics and European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
from the University of Southern Denmark
University of Southern Denmark
The University of Southern Denmark, with campuses located in the southwestern part of Denmark - i.e. Funen, Southern Jutland and Sealand - is a research and educational institution with deep regional roots and an international outlook. Reaching even further south, the university offers a number of...
in 2002. Aside from his native Russian, Ušakovs is fluent in Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
and English, with basic knowledge of Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and German.
Journalist
From 1998 to 2005, Ušakovs had occupied various position with the Russian and Latvian media, including NTV (1998–1999), Latvijas TelevīzijaLatvijas Televizija
Latvijas Televīzija is the state-owned public service broadcasting television company in Latvia.The company is funded by grant-in-aid from the Latvian government , and gaining the rest from showing television commercials . Although moving LTV to licence fee funding has long been debated, this has...
(1999–2000), TV5 (2001–2004) and the Channel One Baltic
Channel One (Russia)
Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
(2004–2005), where he worked as a news editor. In 2004, Ušakovs, for his contribution to journalism, was conferred the Cicero Award, established by the University of Latvia and the Latvian Associations of Journalists.
Saeima member
In 2005, Ušakovs' friend Jānis UrbanovičsJānis Urbanovičs
Jānis Urbanovičs is a Latvian politician. He is the leader of the Harmony Centre party and a deputy of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Saeimas . He began his current term in parliament on November 7, 2006....
made an invitation to join the National Harmony Party
National Harmony Party
The National Harmony Party was a political party in Latvia.The party identified itself as a social-democratic party. It supported further liberalisation of the citizenship law by granting citizenship to each non-citizen who had lived in Latvia for at least 10 years...
, which Ušakovs accepted. The party soon entered the Harmony Centre alliance, with Ušakovs elected its leader. He became a Saeima member after the 2006 Latvian parliamentary election
Latvian parliamentary election, 2006
The most recent elections for the 9th Saeima, the parliament of Latvia, were held on October 7, 2006. There were lists of candidates from 19 political parties...
, his alliance winning 17 seats (the third best result). The alliance positions itself as the only political force in the country promoting cooperation between the ethnic Latvians and Russians. Ušakovs has argued that such is the only way to achieve fuller integration of the Russian-speaking population, as opposed to political parties catering to the interests of only one ethnicity.
Mayor of Riga
The Harmony Centre was the winner of the June 6, 2009 local election in Riga, securing 26 out of 60 seats. It entered a coalition with Ainārs ŠlesersAinārs Šlesers
Ainārs Šlesers is a Latvian politician. He is a member of the LPP/LC and a deputy of the 9th Saeima .-External links:*...
' LPP/LC party, which won 12 seats. Ušakovs and Šlesers were nominated for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor respectively, a move approved by the new city council on July 1.
Ušakovs's inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
was marred by a small controversy: the previous mayor, Jānis Birks
Janis Birks
Jānis Birks is a Latvian politician. He was the mayor of Riga between February 19, 2007 and July 1, 2009.-References:...
of the right-wing, national conservative For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK party, which failed to win any seats, did not participate in the traditional ceremony of passing the chain of office to the new mayor. Birks' press secretary claimed that it was not due to an ideological conflict or a grudge, but because Birks was away from the city on that day.
Ušakovs' sees strengthening of ties with Russia, particularly in the realms of freight transit through the Riga free port
Free port
A free port or free zone , sometimes also called a bonded area is a port, port area or other area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
and tourism, as a solution to Riga's economic troubles, as Latvia is hit especially hard by the financial crisis of 2007–2010. During his campaign for the Riga’s City Council, Ušakovs also argued for more emphasis on education of Latvia’s population and protection of vital local industries.
Illness
On Sunday, May 22, 2011 Ušakovs took part in Riga MarathonRiga Marathon
The Riga Marathon is an annual road marathon, held in Riga, Latvia. The main sponsor of the marathon is Nordea. It was established in 1991, but has only been a member of AIMS since 2007.Riga Marathon is one of the fastest growing marathons in Northern Europe...
half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
event. Shortly before the finish line Ušakovs collapsed on the track. He was immediately placed in intensive care at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital
Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital
Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital is outpatient and hospital health care service provider in Riga, Latvia In addition hospital plays a role in medical science and medical education...
with signs of severe hyperthermia
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
. Ušakovs was placed in an induced coma
Induced coma
A barbiturate-induced coma, or barb coma, is a temporary coma brought on by a controlled dose of a barbiturate drug, usually pentobarbital or thiopental...
state. On May 25 he was transported to Berlin for further treatment at the Charité Hospital
Charité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
. The spokesperson for the mayor said the German medics had offered their help because of their expertise in treating similar cases. The Latvian medical authorities had previously declared his condition "serious but stable." As of May 29, the doctors have reportedly noted positive changes in the patient's condition and have started medical procedures to awaken Ušakovs from of the induced coma
Induced coma
A barbiturate-induced coma, or barb coma, is a temporary coma brought on by a controlled dose of a barbiturate drug, usually pentobarbital or thiopental...
state.