To mark the international radio day at February 13 this site will feature a large gallery of images describing the history of the Latvian radio history in the XX century. First the page features pictures from Latvian radio enthusiast journals Radio and Radio Abonements from 1926 to 1939. Then the collection is continued with pictures from the Soviet Radio magazine “Radio” that came out 12 times in a year from 1947. Latvia was part of the Soviet Union for 50 years and it was also a integral part of the soviet radio industry. The two main radio manufacturers in Latvia were VEF and Radiotehnika – a widely recognized among the Soviet Union and other parts of the world. This is part of the Soviet radio history in pictures 1947-1991 project, in four parts the part one and part two in the site shortwaveradioworld.blogspot.com the next two parts will be published soon. Here the pictures featuring the VEF and Radiotehnika, radios, workers and events are displayed from 1946 to 1991.
1926
Radio exhibition showing amateur made lamp radios
Latvian Radio Radio Tower near the Radio Building in the city center
1927
Latvian Radio Orchestra
Technical personal of the Latvian radio. From the left engineer R. Martinsons, executive of the radio station Dr. R. Valters and engineer J. Linters
Engineer J. Linters head of the Post and Telegraph radio department
1933
View on two now defunct radio transmitter towers near the Latvia Radio building
The Latvian Radio building in the Aspazijas būlvāris
Statesmen at the microphone. In the middle Prime Minister of Latvia Adolfs Blodnieks
The percentage of radio listeners in Europe on 1933
1934
Radio workshop at the VEF factory
Made in Latvia. VEF-2 lamp receiver with built in dynamic speaker
Main Latvian radio producer VEF (State Electronic Factory) celebrates 15 years of work
Latvian Radio celebrates 10 years of work.
VEF production at the Tallinn radio exhibition
Made in Latvia. VEF electro dynamic speaker and shift kompensator
1935
Made in Latvia. Productions by A. Liebovics A/S Fot0-Radio center company
Made in Latvia – VEFSUPER 7 MD with 7 lamps with electrical gramophone and automatic vinyl changer
1936
Newest trends and radio and television receiver production in Europe
Map of radio stations across Europe on 1936
1938
In the picture a 1920ies era crystal radio receiver
Power transformers for Madona radio station
1939
“VEF Radio” a drawing by A Irbītis
1946
The Riga Radiotehnika first post war radio T-689
The VEF VEFSuper M557 (number 2) one of the first post war radios produced in Latvia
1947
The article about the VEF factory and its director M Gailis on the May issue.
VEF M-557 in close up
1948
The VEF M-1357
1949
The new prototype of the first class receiver made by VEF
Radiotehnika T-755 receiver
Both Latvian made radios and their frequency coverage
1950
The new VEF design on 1950
Special editorial article about the VEF radios on May 1950
1951
Visiting the Riga Radio Club on May 1951
The report about installing radio communications in the Latvian collective farms (kolkhoz)
1952
The Radiotehnika Riga 6
1953
The VEF first ckass receiver “Mir”
Radiotehnika Riga -10
1955
VEF Mir -154
VEF Turist – one of the first Soviet portable radio. Still used tubes but set path to the portable transistor radio revolution
Radiotehnika Daugava vinyl and radio player known as radiola
1956
VEF Turist got popular thanks to its design
The VEF Radiola (second from right) among other popular soviet radios
The VEF Akords and its insides
1957
The look inside the VEF Turist
Vinyl-radio receiver or simply Radiola Lux
1960
Examining the Radiola Latvia
The sensational VEF portable transistor is shown for the first time next to the “astonished” tube radios. November 1960
1961
Radiotehnika Sakta
1962
The first tabletop transistor radio in USSR – the Radiotehnika Ausma
1963
Woman’s Day March issue – The Girls of the VEF factory
1964
Radiotehnika Selga – first of the long portable LW/MW series
1965
The new improved VEF Spīdola 10 transitor receiver becomes a hit
1966
The step towards the full transition to transistor portables is made – the new Riga Radiotehnika series
1967
The First class vinyl and radio Riga 101 a early Hi-fi sound system
Riga 102 and Riga 103 first class radios
1969
March front page cover featuring the Radiotehnika Selga
1970
Introducing the Selga portable December 1970
New special diploma for radio amateurs in Latvian Soviet Republic. December
The VEF 12 transistor
1971
Selga 403
The new VEF-202 one of the most popular VEF radios across USSR and abroad
In the bottom right – Riga 302 portable radio
1972
The VEF 202 (first on the left) and its counterparts made in Belarus and Russia
1973
The new Radiotehnika Hi-Fi system Melodija-101 ready for production
Ready for production – Riga 104 (above) and Spidola 207 (right)
1975
The new Spīdola -206
1976
The prototype for Radiotehnika Salut receiver
The first class stereo audio Hi-Fi system Melodija-101
1977
The VEF Stereo 101 system
1978
New Melodija Stereo 106
Another version of Melodija – the 104
1979
Among the DOSAAF (Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet) lottery prizes the Radiotehnika Selga 404 in black leather case
1980
The new magnitola (tape and radio player) Riga-110
High class receiver Salut 001
The VEF 260 Sigma magnitola
Magnitola Riga 110 in detail
1981
VEF high tech exhibition
1982
Radiotehnika 102 Stereo Vinyl player
Visiting the VEF Radio Assembly line featuring VEF Sigma
1984
Radiotehnika Stereo -101 in detail
1985
Riga 310 magnitola
1986
VEF 287 magnitola
Radiotehnika 230 portable magnitola
VEF 214 radio
Selga -309 single micro scheme receiver
1987
Besides radios VEF also produced telephones VEF TA-32
Riga Radiotehnika production – Riga 230, the Duets voice recorder and audio systems
Commercial for VEF-284 Stereo
June issue- title page shows Radiotehnika shop featuring various Radiotehnika products
1988
VEF 317 and VEF 214
Radiotehnika ML-6201 Stereo magnitola
1989
The Riga TV and Radio tower on the May issue
More about the Riga TV and Radio tower
Do it yourself radio – old Selga turned into tape player
1991
November 1991 the Union has fallen- Latvia is independent. again. Yet the journal calls Radiotehnika KS-711 stereophonetic system the part of “national radio production”.
Latvian History 