Art historian, painter. Director of the Rundāle Palace Museum, 1975 - up to now
Education and the academic career: Painting studies at the Latvian Academy of Arts (1961- 1966). Dr.h.c. art. (1997), Honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (1992), Corresponding Member of the Baltic Historical Commission at the University Göttingen (Germany). Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Deputy director of the Rundāle Palace Museum, 1971 – 1975. Head of the branch of the Bauska Regional Museum in the Rundāle Palace,1966 – 1971. Senior lecturer at the Latvian Academy of Arts (course History of Styles), 1971 - 1987. Chairman of the Restorer’s Certifying Commission, Member of the State Heraldry Commission, Member of the Coins design commission at the Bank of Latvia.
Decorations: Latvian Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis (Order of the Three Stars) (1994), Ordre
National du Mérite of France (2002), Verdienstkreuz of Germany (2003)
Ordine al Merito of Italy (2004), Netherlands Oranien-Nassau
Order (2006), Légion d’honneur (2007), Order des Arts et des Lettres of
(France (2013)
Languages: Latvian, Russian, French, German, English (in order of profoundness)
Main research subjects: Latvian art of the 18th and the 19th century, Architecture of
the Latvian manor houses and palaces, Theory of heraldry and
history of heraldry in Latvia
Publications: Books - Jelgava Palace, Riga, 1979 and 1986) (in Latvian), Liepāja
Town from Baroque to the Neoclassicism, Riga, 1984 (in Latvian),
Rundāle Palace, Riga, 1994 (in Latvian),Mežotne Estate, Pilsrundāle,
1993 (in Latvian, German), Kaucmindes muiža, Pilsrundale, 1999 (in
Latvian, German, Russian), Iecavas muiža, Pilsrundāle,2001, Garozas,
Lambārtes muiža, Pilsrundāle, 2001 (in Latvian, German), Svitenes,
Bērsteles muiža, Pilsrundāle, 2003 (in Latvian, German); Heraldika
Riga, 2007 (in Latvian); Libau. Eine baltische Havenstadt zwischen
Barock und Klassizismus, Köln, 2007; Bertschy. Das Werk des Architekten
Paul Max Bertschy und seiner Söhne in Liepaja/Libau (2011) (in Latvian and
German); Herrenhäuser in Kurland, Heft. 1- 7. Hamburg, 2008 – 2014
Catalogues - Building of the Rundāle Palace 1736 - 1740.1986 (in
Latvian, German, Russian); Eleja Palace. 1992 (two articles,
in Latvian), Ernst Johann Biron. 1992 (three articles) (in
Latvian,German, Russian); Manor House under the Oaks.
Ungurmuiža and the Family von Campenhausen in Vidzeme.
1998 (two articles, compiler and editor of the catalogue. In
Latvian and German); Johann Wilhelm Krause, Tartu, 2001
(in German, article and the catalogue about the Livonian
manor houses)
Multiple articles about history of architecture, manor houses and palaces, protection of historical monuments, heraldry, history of decorative arts in the professional magazines in Latvia, Russia, Germany, France