During the leadership of Augusts Voss, Latvia experienced intensified Russification and industrial expansion. The need for labor to staff newly built factories resulted in a large influx of Russian-speaking workers from other parts of the Soviet Union, further reducing the proportion of ethnic Latvians. Additionally, Riga's status as the headquarters of the Baltic Military District drew many active and retired Soviet officers, accelerating demographic changes.
Economic policies prioritized collective farms and infrastructure, with increased subsidies raising rural living standards but yielding little in terms of production. Much of the agricultural output continued to come from private family plots rather than the collective farms. A campaign to liquidate family farms aimed to relocate farmers into small agricultural towns with apartment housing, converting them into salaried workers on collective farms.
The Voss era initially continued the modernization efforts of the 1960s, but economic stagnation set in by the mid-1970s. Major construction projects, such as Hotel Latvija, the Ministry of Agriculture building, and the Vanšu Bridge over the Daugava River, were delayed for years, reflecting inefficiencies in the Soviet system. A new airport was also constructed, though with difficulties.
Meanwhile, a "live and let live" ideology emerged as the system tolerated growing absenteeism, alcoholism, and black market activities. Consumer goods were often scarce, leading many Latvians to focus on cultural escapism. The music of Raimonds Pauls, Riga Film Studio's comedies, and public events like Poetry Days became immensely popular as ways for people to find meaning and enjoyment amid economic stagnation.