Friedrich Andreyevich Briedis, a participant in World War I, was a Knight of St. George and a full knight of the Order of Lāčplēsis. He served as a colonel and became one of the first organizers of the Latvian rifle battalions. Briedis commanded the 1st Ust-Dvinsk Latvian Rifle Regiment and led the anti-Bolshevik Latvian National Underground Group.

He was born in 1888 in the Vitebsk province, where his father, a peasant, moved in search of land. The family prospered, and Friedrich studied at the Dvinsk City Gymnasium. These years were happy for him. After obtaining his officer rank, he chose to serve in the 99th Ivanhorod Infantry Regiment in Dvinsk, where he soon married a young Jewish girl who converted to Orthodoxy. When World War I began, Briedis was 26 years old, an age when an officer had already learned much, but the desire for heroism had not yet faded. In the first battles, he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th class.

Briedis actively participated in the Latvian National Democratic Party, collaborated with the National Union of Latvian Warriors, the Latvian Temporary National Council, and the anti-Bolshevik movement.

On July 23, 1918, he was arrested and held at Lubyanka. An escape attempt failed, and Briedis was transferred to Butyrka. In prison, he received a newspaper with an obituary about himself, and four days later, a message about his arrest. He wrote to the outside world, asking that no sacrifices be made for him. Being a deeply religious and brave man, he was not afraid of death.

Briedis was the only member of the leadership of the 'Union' arrested by the Chekists before the uprising began. During interrogations, he denied the charges, claiming he had only worked against the Germans. However, the investigators had testimonies from Pinkis and an article in which Briedis criticized the Bolsheviks, which betrayed him.

Friedrich Briedis was executed on the night of August 27-28, likely by order of the deputy chairman of the Cheka, Y. K. Peters.

In Latvia, Briedis was posthumously awarded the Order of Lāčplēsis 1st class for the Christmas battles. A street in Riga is named after him, and a monument has been erected near Riga's 13th Secondary School. In Daugavpils, where he studied and served, a memorial plaque has been installed.