1. Janis Plieksans, known by his pseudonym Rainis, was a Latvian poet, playwright, translator, and politician.
12 Facts About Rainis
1. 2.
Rainis' works include the classic plays Uguns un nakts and Indulis un Arija, and a highly regarded translation of Goethe's Faust.
3.
Rainis's works had a profound influence on the literary Latvian language, and the ethnic symbolism he employed in his major works has been central to Latvian nationalism.
4.
Rainis was born on "Varslavani" farm, Dunava parish in Jekabpils municipality.
5.
Rainis studied law at the University of St Petersburg, where he shared a room with Peteris Stucka.
6.
Rainis wrote for Dienas Lapa, Tevija and the Latvian Conversational Dictionary.
7.
From 1891 to 1895 Rainis was editor in chief of Dienas Lapa.
8.
In 1897 Rainis was arrested and deported first to Pskov, and later to Vyatka guberniya.
9.
Rainis was socially active and politically prominent, being one of the national leaders of the Revolution of 1905 in Latvia and the New Current that foreshadowed it.
10.
Rainis penned plays which linked Latvian folklore to the country's modern, political struggles.
11.
Rainis had the ambition of becoming Latvia's president and became less prominent in politics when this ambition was not fulfilled.
12.
Rainis' statue at the Esplanade in Riga is a gathering place that highlights the complex way his multi-faceted career and works are interpreted.