The stage was covered with red cloth, 99 deputies sat in the hall, and diplomats occupied the boxes: at noon on 21 July 1940, the first session of the so-called People’s Saeima opened in the National Theatre. After Soviet-supervised, non-competitive elections, it adopted two declarations that same day: one proclaiming Soviet power in Latvia and one on Latvia’s entry into the USSR. Kārlis Ulmanis had already laid down his powers, while Augusts Kirhenšteins took over as both head of state and prime minister.

This event formed part of the Soviet occupation and annexation process: the elections of 14–15 July were held with only one Moscow-approved list, and on 5 August the USSR Supreme Soviet accepted the request to admit Latvia into the union. The declaration of 4 May 1990 declared the 21 July 1940 declaration on joining the USSR void from the moment of its adoption.