In a Grīziņkalns family of a seamstress and a mason, Lilija Bērziņa was born in Riga on 17 July 1903; on stage she would become Lilita Bērziņa. Her way into theatre was almost accidental: at nineteen she was invited on the street to act in the silent film “Psihe”, and Eduards Smiļģis then brought her to the Daile Theatre. Around 300 roles followed, from Spīdola to Aunt Mirta in “A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer’s Eve”.

Lilita Bērziņa belonged to the Smiļģis era of the Daile Theatre, where actors were expected to bring not only craft but a broad theatrical presence. Her biography also shows the Soviet cultural system beside the stage brilliance: titles, prizes and political posts often came bundled with a public artist’s status at the time.