Lāsma Kauniste. We were not allowed anywhere alone, usually someone from the check was with us

“I live near the Torniakalns station, where my grandmother had a house. Our territory was Maras pond and Arkadia. I spent my childhood there.”

Wasn’t it scary to go to the current Victory Park (then it was still called that), where the German generals were hanged?

We didn’t go there. Enough with your own territory. When the war ended, I was only three years old, and at that age no one is allowed far from home. Then people also avoided talking openly about such things.

Which subjects did you like best?

Singing, geography, history and, of course, physical education. We had a very good sports teacher – Krišs Matuzelis. We practiced many sports – skiing, athletics, and sports games. Then one day the teacher mentioned that they were forming speed skating groups at the “Daugava” stadium. And Alfons Bērziņš himself will be training. We knew little about him, and we did not know that he had only recently returned from exile in Siberia. However, many people talked about the fact that Bērziņš was the European champion. Almost the whole class left, but only the two of us remained together with Arija (Gulīti-Marks, – author). The coach was demanding and did not tolerate others. But soon he was banned from working with youth. That’s how we got to Aivars Leinert. We didn’t know the behind-the-scenes, because everything happened very quickly. We learned about the reasons why it all turned out that way only years later.

Didn’t coach Pēteris Strods try to seduce him, as he did with cyclist Imantas Bodnieks? He was a speed skater.