I was born in Saransk, Russia on June 1, 1980. My mother, who is Latvian, stayed in Russia with my grandparents when she was pregnant, and moved back to Latvia in 1988 (which at the time was part of the U.S.S.R.). My natural father was Russian but my stepfather is Swedish (which is why I have a Swedish surname). I moved to Sweden in July, 2004 and I am now studying the Swedish language. I am a Latvian citizen though and studied at Riga Technical University (Riga is Latvia's capital city) at which I obtained a degree in computer science. I would like to get a job where I can interact with the public such as being a politician, a journalist, a writer, or a singer.

My hobbies include reading, singing, and writing. I like to read classical fiction and good non-fiction (my favorite authors are Friedrich Nietzsche, Vladimir Nabokov, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Ernest Hemingway, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez). I also like to read books about Salvador Dali and Sigmund Freud. Salvador Dali is my favourite artist. I like watching old American movies and would like to one day become an American citizen.

I have written a book entitled "Book of the Gods" which was inspired by libertarian ideas. The book contains many essays which were written during 2002-2003. I was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, Britney Spears, Sigmund Freud, and Salvador Dali. My book contains many allegories. The main idea of my book is freedom. "The Book Of Gods" means the book of people because people were created in God's Own Image. Britney Spears is hated by many conservative sanctimonious people. Therefore, in my book, I call her a Saint, which is the opposite of the conservative meaning of saints.

You can learn more about my book and purchase it if you like at http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/23576.

The concept of liberty attracts me to the libertarian philosophy. I support democracy and dream about a free world. I am libertarian in morality which means I accept gay marriages and all kinds of sexual acts so long as they do not involve force or coercion. I am open to exploring the boundaries of my own sexuality but I know many sexual acts are illegal in many countries and people are not free to be who they are and do what they desire. This realization helped me to understand the importance of a free society where people could live their lives as they choose and make their own decisions without government interference or sanction.

I have not yet been active politically but I have been trying to find and interact with Libertarians for a long time. It wasn't until your leader, Dr. Tom Stevens, reached out to me that I realized I can do my part to open people's minds to the benefits of liberty. I believe I have found a home here with you on the Libertarian Freedom Council. I am honored to have been appointed a voting member and I will do my part to make a contribution to your efforts.

Dr. Tom Stevens spoke to me of his desire to bring libertarians throughout the world together under one banner to seek liberty for all the oppressed peoples of the world. I support him in this effort.

Igor Skoglund