Konstantins Pupurs

Konstantīns Pupurs (March 5, 1964 in Riga, – September 10, 2017 in Riga) was a Latvian political scientist, historian, linguist and human rights group "Helsinki-86" activist during the Latvian Third Awakening, also known as the Singing Revolution. Since 2010 he became active in the Latvian political movement "All For Latvia!".

Biography[]

From 1987 Konstantīns Pupurs was involved in the Environment Protection Club. On June 14, 1987, together with Helsinki-86 members he attended the first anti-Soviet demonstration in Riga at the Freedom Monument since the Second World War, carrying the then-banned flag of Latvia through the city center.^[1] At the end of the year he officially joined Helsinki-86. From 1988 Pupurs represented the interests of the group at the Council of Public Organizations, which at that time served as an informal "parliament" of all unofficial and official organizations in Latvia.

Prior to that he was studying at the Moscow Institute of History and Archives from 1983 to 1986. In 1986 he was expelled from the educational institution for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda. He continued his studies at University of Latvia, until he was expelled and ordered to leave the USSR by the KGB in July 1988 for his participation in Helsinki-86.

From 1988 to 1990 Pupurs lived in West Germany, actively participating in the Latvian exile political movement and cultural life. Later, in 1990, he moved to the United States. After the restoration of the independence of Latvia, Pupurs moved back to Latvia in 1992, where he continued his education at University of Latvia and actively participated in Latvian political life. In 1994, after an alleged assassination attempt, he moved back to US.^[2] While in the United States, he worked various odd jobs, eventually joining the US Navy in 2004, serving until 2010 and obtaining the rank of lieutenant.

He graduated from Massachusetts State University in Boston in 1999,^[3] and in 2003 obtained his master's degree from the London School of Economics in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies.

After his service, he returned to Latvia in 2010, where he served in the , later joining the Latvian Maritime Academy as a lecturer. Since 2010 he became active in the Latvian political party "All For Latvia!".^[4]

He died on September 10, 2017.

Sources[]