“the 95th anniversary of foundation of the Senate as the highest judicial institution of independent Latvia raises sense of affiliation, as Kristaps Valters and Janis Graudins, graduates of the Faculty of Law of Moscow University became first senators, and later another 13 lawyers, who also were graduates of Moscow University, joined them”, writes associate professor Stanislav Romanov, the deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University in greetings to the Supreme Court on the 95th anniversary of the Senate of Latvia. 

The deputy Dean points out that half among judges of the Senate of Latvia of 1918-1940 took higher education in Moscow, which had opened the door of the oldest Russian University wide to Baltic inhabitants during last two decades of the 19th century. Between 1880 and 1917, the Faculty of Law enrolled more than 500 students, and almost 70 Latvians started their careers in public service and in court. Most of them, having returned to Latvia, worked as sworn and private advocates, fair number of them devoted themselves to social and political activities, but after establishment of the state of Latvia in 1918 many lawyers of Moscow University participated actively in development of statehood and constitutional system in new Latvia and became outstanding public, social and judicial workers.  

“On behalf of professors, lecturers, students, master students and graduate students, acknowledging importance of this event, we cordially wish to the Supreme Court, its present senators and judges, court employees, guests of ceremonial meeting and descendants of first senators wealth, luck, success and energy to fulfil their mission”,  the greeting letter says.

The Faculty of Law of Moscow State University has its own historical museum, where information about further life and career of faculty alumni has been accumulated. Gennady Rizhenko, research associate from Social and Law Research Laboratory, having found information about the museum of the Supreme Court, invites the Supreme Court to cooperation to exchange information and materials about Latvian senators – graduates of Moscow University.  

The Supreme Court has already received interesting digital photocopies of photos, different certificates and other documents from Moscow State University archives, but, to get acquainted with the museum of the Supreme Court university researcher has planned to come to Riga and to visit the Supreme Court next year.  

 

Information prepared by

Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 67020396, 28652211