Peers remember public figure and director Rihards Pīks

Colleagues remember the late cinematographer, director and public figure Rihards Pīks as an outstanding figure in culture and foreign affairs, LSM reported. A farewell ceremony for the former politician will be held at the Riga Crematorium on Saturday at midday.

Actor Andris Lielais recalled how Rihards and Sarmīte Pīks gave him shelter in Latvia during a difficult period in his life. He also remembered their time together and deep conversations in the quiet of a library.

Sarmīte Pīks remembered her life partner as an excellent father and husband. She said their life had been filled with extraordinary turns and events, and that Rihards considered educating their children his main task. Their children, she said, had grown into citizens of the world with Latvia in their hearts, work and aspirations.

Former Culture Minister Helēna Demakova remembered Pīks as a notable cultural figure and recalled seeing him in the front rows with tears in his eyes when Latvia joined NATO on April 2, 2004, and the European Union at the beginning of May that year.

Demakova said Pīks was responsible for foreign affairs in the People’s Party, which he helped establish. He later served as a member of the European Parliament and, she said, fulfilled his responsibilities in Latvian politics and internationally with distinction.

As a cinematographer, Pīks filmed many people in Latvia from the beginning of the 1960s, first in newsreels and later in feature films. Demakova described him as balanced, restrained and highly perceptive about people.