|
Jānis Rieksts
Jānis Rieksts (or Reeksts; 21 May 1881 – 21 November 1970) was a Latvian autodidact photographer. Rieksts was born at Iecava Parish in the Zemgalian countryside. He lost both of his parents at an early age and moved to Riga at the age of 17. For some years he worked as a manual labourer, and in 1901 he opened his first studio in Torņakalns with his own capital. Rieksts was a renowned photographer, mostly for the documentation of the fights during World War I in Latvia, especially the fierce fights of Machinegun Hill () during the Christmas Battles, but also for the many portrait photographs of Latvian dignitaries (amongst them people like Rainis, Aspazija and Emīls Dārziņš). After the end of World War II, Rieksts worked for the company ''Rīgas foto'' until his retirement in 1964. Rieksts died in Riga at the age of 89, and was buried at the Riga Forest Cemetery Forest Cemetery () is an large cemetery in the northwestern part of Riga, the capital of Latvia, between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Autodidact
Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning, self-study and self-teaching) is the practice of education without the guidance of schoolmasters (i.e., teachers, professors, institutions). Overview Autodidacts are ''self-taught'' humans who learn a subject-of-study's aboutness through self-study. This educative praxis (process) may involve, complement, or be an alternative to formal education. Formal education itself may have a hidden curriculum that requires self-study for the uninitiated. Generally, autodidacts are individuals who choose the subject they will study, their studying material, and the studying rhythm and time. Autodidacts may or may not have formal education, and their study may be either a complement or an alternative to formal education. Many notable contributions have been made by autodidacts. The self-learning curriculum is infinite. One may seek out alternative pathways in education and use these to gain compet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rainis
Jānis Pliekšāns (11 September 1865 – 11 September 1929), known by his pseudonym Rainis, was a Latvian Poetry, poet, playwright, Translation, translator, and politics, politician. Rainis' works include the classic plays ''Uguns un nakts'' (''Fire and Night'', 1905) and ''Indulis un Ārija'' (''Indulis and Ārija'', 1911), and a highly regarded translation of Goethe, Goethe's ''Goethe's Faust, Faust''. His works had a profound influence on the literary Latvian language, and the ethnic symbolism he employed in his major works has been central to Latvian nationalism. Early life Rainis was born on "Varslavāni" farm, Dunava parish in Jēkabpils municipality. His father, Krišjānis Pliekšāns (ca. 1828–1891), was a tenant farmer. His mother was Dārta, née Grikovska (ca. 1828–1899), and he had two sisters, Līze (1854–1897) and Dora (1870–1950). During his education at the Riga State Gymnasium No.1, Riga City Gymnasium he met and befriended Pēteris Stučka, Dora Pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1970 Deaths
Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and 14,621 are killed and 30,000 injured. * January 15 – After a 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria, Biafran forces under Philip Effiong formally surrender to General Yakubu Gowon, ending the Nigerian Civil War. February * February 1 – The Benavídez rail disaster near Buenos Aires, Argentina (a rear-end collision) kills 236. * February 10 – An avalanche at Val-d'Isère, France, kills 41 tourists. * February 11 – ''Ohsumi (satellite), Ohsumi'', Japan's first satellite, is launched on a Lambda-4 rocket. * February 22 – Guyana becomes a Republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. * February – Multi-business Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Virgin Group is founded as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1881 Births
Events January * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The Chilean army defeats Peruvian forces. * January 15 – War of the Pacific – Battle of Miraflores: The Chileans take Lima, capital of Peru, after defeating its second line of defense in Miraflores. * January 24 – William Edward Forster, chief secretary for Ireland, introduces his Coercion Bill, which temporarily suspends habeas corpus so that those people suspected of committing an offence can be detained without trial; it goes through a long debate before it is accepted February 2. Note that Coercion bills had been passed almost annually in the 19th century, with a total of 105 such bills passed from 1801 to 1921. * January 25 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. February * Febru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riga Forest Cemetery
Forest Cemetery () is an large cemetery in the northwestern part of Riga, the capital of Latvia, between the neighbourhoods of Mežaparks and Čiekurkalns. Formally, the cemetery is divided between 1st Forest Cemetery, with entrance from Aizsaules Street, and 2nd Forest Cemetery, with entrance from Gaujas Street. In 1904, German Lutheran congregations in Riga inquired the Riga City Council for allotment of land for a cemetery in the Mežaparks neighbourhood. It was planned to become a new large cemetery after the Great Cemetery, that was established 1773 in Riga and had exhausted its potential. The prominent Baltic Germans, Baltic-German landscape architect Georg Kuphaldt was author of the original construction project presented 1908, which should have appeared as a park with a central via funeralis, with many small and lateral paths along the graves with low fences and small monuments. The Forest Cemetery was established 29 July 1910 following a decision made by the State Duma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks in World War II, Tanks and Air warfare of World War II, aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the List of wars by death toll, deadliest conflict in history, causing World War II casualties, the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Allied-occupied Germany, Germany, Allied-occupied Austria, Austria, Occupation of Japan, Japan, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emīls Dārziņš
Emīls Dārziņš (November 3, 1875 – August 31, 1910) was a Latvian composer, conductor and music critic. Dārziņš' work bears a distinct romantic character, with a strong trend towards national themes. His main musical authorities and influences were Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Jean Sibelius. Dārziņš musical contribution is mainly to vocal music ( choral and art songs), but he also composed orchestral music, though only one piece, "Melanholiskais valsis" (Melancholic waltz) has survived. His only opera, "Rožainās dienas" (Rosy days), remained unfinished after his early death at the age of 34. Biography Dārziņš was born on November 3, 1875, in a rural teacher's family. Both his parents were very musical and facilitated Emīls's first musical education. His father, being an amateur musician and conductor of a local choir, taught his son to play the piano. Dārziņš's attachment to music became stronger after he almost lost his eyesight at the age of 3, as a result of ov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspazija
Aspazija was the pen name of Elza Johanna Emilija Lizete Pliekšāne (née Elza Rozenberga; 16 March 1865 – 5 November 1943), a Latvian poet and playwright. Aspazija is the Latvian transliteration of Aspasia. Biography Aspazija was born and raised in a wealthy peasant family in the Dobele county of Courland Governorate near Jelgava in 1865, where she studied and was active in youth organizations. She left the gymnasium during the last year of her studies, and in 1886, married Wilhelm Max Valter. Later, she became interested in literature, mainly by German authors. Her first publication appeared in 1887 in the newspaper ''Dienas Lapa''. In 1891, she divorced her husband and, until 1893, worked as a private teacher in Jaunsvirlauka. In 1893, she settled in Riga and started to work as a journalist. In 1894, her first plays ''Vaidelote'' and ''Zaudētās tiesības'' were staged in Riga. In those years she met Jānis Pliekšāns (better known as Rainis), a newspaper editor, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portrait Photography
Portrait photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective Photographic lighting, lighting, Painted photography backdrops, backdrops, and poses. A portrait photograph may be artistic or clinical. Frequently, portraits are commissioned for special occasions, such as weddings, school events, or commercial purposes. Portraits can serve many purposes, ranging from usage on a personal web site to display in the lobby of a business. History The relatively low cost of the daguerreotype in the middle of the 19th century and the reduced sitting time for the subject, though still much longer than now, led to a general rise in the popularity of portrait photography over painted portraiture. The style of these early works reflected the technical challenges associated with long exposure times and the painterly aesthetic of the time. Hidden mother photography, in which portrait photographs featured y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iecava Parish
Iecava Parish () is one of the subdivisions of Bauska Municipality in its northern part. It surrounds the city of Iecava, which serves as the extraterritorial parish center. It is bordered by Code, Dāviņi, Mežotne, Stelpe and Vecumnieki parishes of Bauska Municipality, Salgale Parish of Jelgava Municipality, Baldone Parish of Ķekava Municipality and Olaine Parish of Olaine Municipality. From 2003 to 2021, Iecava Municipality was located on its territory. History Iecava was first mentioned in 1492, when the Master of the Livonian Order, Johann Freytag von Loringhoven, issued a document regarding the duties of peasants from Iecava and Mežotne regarding the local estate. There is earlier proof of inhabitants of Semigallia settling the area. Today, in the center of Iecava, there was a camp, in which there have been found many items even from the Stone Age such as war hammers and work hammers. Two early tombs of the Iron Age were also explored. In the 14th century Ie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christmas Battles
The Christmas Battles (; ; ) were offensive operations conducted by the Imperial Russian Army and Latvian Riflemen during World War I in the area of Jelgava, Latvia, by the Russian 12th Army of the Northern Front. The operation took place from 23 December until 29 December 1916 according to the Julian Calendar (or 5 January to 11 January according to the Gregorian Calendar). The 12th Army was commanded by Gen. Radko Dimitriev; it was opposed by the 8th German Army. The battles took place in a swampy region, ''Tīreļpurvs'' (Tīrelis Swamp), between Lake Babīte and Jelgava. The main assault force was the 6th Siberian Rifle Corps which included two Latvian Riflemen brigades ("strēlnieki" who became a part of Latvian folklore and an important factor in the Latvian national awakening movement). Background The German 8th army's advance was stopped near Riga in October 1915. Almost immediately German forces began fortifying their positions. A huge, 30 kilometer long wall A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast, and shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of , with a population of 1.9million. The country has a Temperate climate, temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city is Riga. Latvians, who are the titular nation and comprise 65.5% of the country's population, belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian language, Latvian. Russians in Latvia, Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population; 37.7% of the population speak Russian language, Russian as their native tongue. After centuries of State of the Teutonic Order, Teutonic, Swedish Livonia, Swedish, Inflanty Voi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
