The Latvian Diplomatic Choir will be carrying the national flags of Latvia and Ukraine at the participants’ parade of the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival on 2 July 2023 to symbolize Latvia’s unrelenting, strong support to Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor state of Russia.
The choir is especially happy that the organizers of the Song and Dance Festival have responded to the choir’s public appeal calling for the Ukrainian national anthem to be sung at “The Field. The Road of Song” concert thereby demonstrating solidarity with the Ukrainian people who are fighting heroically and selflessly against Russia, which is perpetrating ever new war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Latvian Diplomatic Choir has, on earlier occasions, taken part in concerts and charity events in support of Ukraine. As underlined by the choir’s conductor, Katrīna Jēkabsone, “The choir will continue supporting Ukraine until victory, since Ukraine’s fight is also our fight. We are happy that the joint choir of the Song Festival will perform the Ukrainian national anthem. This will be an unprecedented act of strong moral support to Ukraine, to be forever inscribed in the history of the Song and Dance Festivals.”
The Latvian Diplomatic Choir was established on 26 January 2016, on the 95th anniversary of the international de jure recognition of the state of Latvia, or the so- called Diplomats Day. The members of the choir are Latvian diplomats, the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their family members and friends, as well as foreign diplomats. For the festive parade, the singers will wear various folk costumes representing the cultural and historical diversity of Latvian regions; foreign diplomats for their part will wear the national dress of their countries.