Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day

Soviet Occupation Day became an official remembrance day on May 18, 2000. On June 17, 1940 Soviet troops invaded Latvia and occupied bridges, post/telephone, telegraph, and broadcasting offices. On the same day, Andrei Vishinski, Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union, introduced himself to President Kārlis Ulmanis as Soviet special envoy; two days later, Vishinski visited Ulmanis again, this time, to deliver the list, pre-approved by Moscow, of the new members of the cabinet of the Latvian government. Soon after, State administrators were liquidated and replaced by Soviet cadres, in which 34,250 Latvians were deported or killed and Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.