Andra Levite

Latvian physician and first lady
Andra Levite
Levite in July 2022
First Lady of Latvia
In office
8 July 2019 – 8 July 2023
PresidentEgils Levits
Preceded byIveta Vējone
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Born
Andra Apines

(1962-11-16) 16 November 1962 (age 61)
West Germany
Spouse
Egils Levits
​
(m. 1991)​
ChildrenIndra
Linards
Alma materUniversity of Giessen
OccupationGynecologist
Obstetrician

Andra Levite (born 16 November 1962) is a Latvian gynecologist and obstetrician. Levite, who is married to President Egils Levits, has served as the First Lady of Latvia from 2019 to 2023.[1]

Biography

Levite was born Andra Apines to a Latvian family in West Germany (present-day Germany) on 16 November 1962.[1] She received her medical degree from the University of Giessen in Germany in 1990.[1] Levite married Egils Levits, a Latvian lawyer and politician, in 1991. The couple had two children, Indra and Linards.[1]

From 1990 until 2019, Levite practiced as a gynecology and obstetrics in Luxembourg and Germany.[1] Specifically, she is a certified paediatric and adolescent gynecologist, certified obstetrician, and an ultrasonography specialist.[2] She practices in Latvian, English, German and French.[1][2]

She returned to Latvia full-time upon the election of her husband as President of Latvia and assumed the role of first lady in July 2019.[1]

[2] Levite temporarily left medicine to focus on her new duties as first lady.[2] On 28 April 2020, First Lady Levite resumed her medical profession as a member of the ARS Medical Centre's Women’s Consulting Department in Riga, while continuing to serve as the country's first lady.[2]

In July 2022, Levite spoke in-person at the "Ukraine and the World: The Future We (Re)build Together" Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen at the invitation of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[citation needed] In her remarks, the first lady promised that Latvia would help with the country's reconstruction following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, noting "Latvia, from the government to businessmen and civil society, is with Ukraine today, tomorrow and certainly also after Ukraine's victory in this brutal war. Latvia is ready to participate in the process of rebuilding Ukraine."[citation needed] In her opening speech, Levite also cited parallels between Ukraine and the Soviet occupation of Latvia, noting that "for more than 50 years, the Latvian people suffered the same pain that the Ukrainians are experiencing now. Therefore, Latvia has without doubt and hesitation provided support to Ukraine in all possible areas and will continue to do so in the future.[citation needed][3]

On 23 July 2022, Levite and Lithuanian First Lady Diana Nausėdienė visited Irpin, site of the Irpin refugee column shelling attack by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine. Levite and Nausėdienė also laid flowers at a mass grave in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, the site of the March 2022 Bucha massacre of Ukrainian civilians by Russian Armed Forces.[4]

Honours

Foreign Honours

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Biography of First Lady of Latvia Mrs Andra Levite". Office of the President of the Republic of Latvia. 2021-03-18. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Latvia's first lady Andra Levite starts working as a gynecologist at the medical center "ARS"". Archysworldys. 2020-06-28. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  3. ^ "Opening speech by the First Lady Andra Levite at the first ladies and gentlemen summit 'Ukraine and the World: The Future We (Re)build Together' hosted by Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska". Office of the President of the Republic of Latvia. 2022-07-26. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  4. ^ "First ladies of Lithuania and Latvia visit Irpin, Bucha". Ukrinform. 2022-07-23. Archived from the original on 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  5. ^ https://president.ee/en/state-decorations/bearers-of-decorations/54806-andra-levite/