ABOUT VILIS LACIS
A Latvian author and Communist political figure, he is particularly known for his 1933 novel Zvejnieka dēls (Fisherman's Son). From 1940-1959, he held the high-ranking office of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR.
During his youth, he worked as a manual laborer at the port of Riga.
He was under surveillance by the Latvian secret service due to his political affiliations.
He was raised in Mangali, Latvia and grew up in relative poverty.
He and Vija Celmins were both born in Latvia.
