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Latgale
Latgale (; ; ; ; ; ; Belarusian Latin alphabet, Belarusian Latin: ''Łathalija''; ), also known as Latgalia or Latgallia, is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region of the country and lies north of the Daugava River. While most of Latvia is historically Lutheranism, Lutheran, Latgale is predominantly Catholic Church, Catholic: 65.3% according to a 2011 survey. After the Counter-Reformation it was the northernmost predominantly Catholic province or region in Europe. There is a considerable Eastern Orthodox minority (23.8%), of which 13.8% are Russian Orthodox Christians and 10.0% are Old Believers. As of 2020, the region's population was 255,968. The region has a large population of Russians in Latvia, ethnic Russians, especially in Daugavpils, the largest city in the region and the location of the region's only public university, the University of Daugavpils. Many of the Russians who lived in Latgale before Soviet rule are Old Believers. Rēzekne, often ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rēzekne
Rēzekne (, ''Rēzne'' or ''Rēzekne'' , ) is a state city in the Rēzekne River valley in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is called ''The Heart of Latgale'' (Latvian ''Latgales sirds'', Latgalian ''Latgolys sirds''). Built on seven hills, Rēzekne is situated east of Riga, and west of the Latvian-Russian border, at the intersection of the Moscow – Ventspils railway and Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railways. It is the 7th largest city in Latvia. Other names The Latgalian name of the city is ''Rēzne'' ( ) or ''Rēzekne'' (). Historically, in German sources, the location has been known as ''Rositten''. It is called ''Rzeżyca'' in Polish. Under the Russian Empire the city was named ''Rezhitsa'' (; ), but since Soviet period known as ''Резекне'' (). History A Latgalian hill fort''Rēzekne.com''.History." Retrieved on 4 October 2006 is known to have existed at Rēzekne from the 9th to the 13th centuries, until its destruction at the hands of German ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latgalians (modern)
The Latgalians (, ) are an ethnographic group living in Latgale region in Latvia, who speak Latgalian and Standard Latvian. Their distinct culture sets them apart from other Latvians. Name In the Latgalian language, the terms ''latgalīši'' and ''latgaļi'' have been traditionally used as synonyms describing both ancient and contemporary Latgalians as a part of the same continuum. The term ''latgalīši'' (in both meanings) prevailed in Latgalian literature and mass media during the first decades of the 20th century, whereas the term ''latgali'' has been consistently used (also in both meanings) in Latgalian literature and media published during the 1920s and 1930s in Latvia and from 1940 to 1988 in exile. Since the cultural revival of Latgalians in 1988, there is a tendency in Latgalian literature and media to follow Latvians in their use of both names. Early history Modern Latgalians developed as a result of Latgale having developed separately from other parts of contem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russians In Latvia
In Latvia, Russians have been the largest ethnic minority in the country for the last two centuries. The number of Russians in Latvia more than quadrupled during the Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944, Soviet occupation of Latvia when the size of the community grew from 8.8% of the total population in 1935 (206,499) to 34.0% in 1989 (905,515). It started to decrease in size again after Latvia regained independence in 1991 falling to 24.1% at the beginning of 2025. Ancient Latvia The Latvian word ''krievi'' for "Russians" and ''Krievija'' for "Russia" (and ''Krievzeme'' for Ruthenia) is thought to have originated from Krivichs, one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs. During the 11th–12th centuries, Principality of Jersika, Jersika and Principality of Koknese, Koknese, principalities in Eastern Latvia paid tribute to the Principality of Polatsk. Livonia Koknese was taken by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1208 and Jersika in 1209 and later both incorporated into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daugavpils
Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region of Latgale, and those to the south lie in Selonia. It is the second-largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some northwest and is the ninth most populous city in the Baltic states. Daugavpils is located relatively close to Belarus and Lithuania (distances of and , respectively), and some from the Latvian border with Russia. Daugavpils is a major railway junction and industrial centre, and was an historically important garrison city lying approximately midway between Riga and Minsk, and between Warsaw and Saint Petersburg. Daugavpils, then called Dyneburg, was the capital of Polish Livonia while in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Following the first partition of Poland in 1772, the city became part of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Historical Latvian Lands
Historical Latvian Lands () or formerly Cultural regions of Latvia () are several areas within Latvia formally recognised as distinct from the rest of the country. These are: Kurzeme (Courland), Zemgale (Semigallia), Latgale (Latgalia), Vidzeme, and Sēlija (Selonia). While some of these regions are seen purely as culturally distinct, others have historically been parts of different countries and have been used to divide the country for administrative and other purposes. On 16 June 2021, the Saeima adopted the which aims to create the necessary preconditions for strengthening the common identity of the population and for the preservation and sustainable development of the cultural and historical environment and cultural spaces of the historical Latvian lands. The Law assigns each parish and town in Latvia to one of the five historical Latvian regions: Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, Zemgale, and Sēlija. The state city of Riga, a Baltic metropolis, is a historical part of Vidzeme an ... [...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] |
Vitebsk Governorate
Vitebsk Governorate (, ) was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with the seat of governorship in Vitebsk. It was established in 1802 by splitting Belarusian Governorate and existed until 1924. Today most of the area belongs to Belarus, the northwestern part to Latvia and the northeastern part to Pskov and Smolensk Oblasts of Russia.Together with the Vilna, Kovno, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev Governorates, it formed the Northwestern Krai. The provincial city was Vitebsk, the largest city was Dvinsk. On January 1, 1919, the Provisional Revolutionary Government issued a manifesto proclaiming the formation of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Belarus (SSRB) within the RSFSR, which included the Vitebsk, Grodno, Mogilev, Minsk and Smolensk provinces. On January 16, 1919 by the decision of the Central Committee of the RCP the Vitebsk, Mogilev and Smolensk provinces were returned into direct subordination to the RSFSR. By the decision of the Pre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ludza
Ludza (; , , , , ''Ludza'') is a town in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. Ludza is the oldest town in Latvia and this is commemorated by a key in its coat of arms. Ludza is the administrative centre of Ludza Municipality that is located nearby the Russian border. The population as of 2020 was 7,667. History After Nikolay Karamzin, Ludza was first mentioned as ''Лючин'' in Hypatian Codex dating back to 1173 or 1177. In 1399 the Livonian Order built a stone fortress atop an older Latgalian fortress and used Ludza as an eastern outpost in Livonia. Ludza Castle ruins can be visited nowadays. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth After the dissolution of the Livonian Order in 1561, Ludza was incorporated into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and became a part of Wenden Voivodeship. In January 1626, during the Polish-Swedish War, Ludza was captured without a battle by Sweden due to the defeat of the forces of Polish-Lithuanian marshal Jan Stanisław Sapieha. Later it was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rēzekne Castle
Rēzekne Castle ruins () are located in the downtown of Rēzekne, Latvia, a city in the center of Latgale. The castle served as a base of the local Livonian order landlords until the 16th century and also as the main military support base for battles against Russians and Lithuanians. Today, fragments of the stone walls and the foundation can be seen on the ancient castle hill. History Archeological excavations reveal that between the 9th and 12th centuries a Latgalians, Latgalian wooden fortress was situated in the place where the castle ruins now stand. It is unknown when the Latgalian fortress was destroyed; however, in 1285, the master of the Livonian Order Vilhelms Šurborgs built a stone fortress on the Rositten stone hill. The fortress consisted of a two-story brick and stone castle with a three-storey towers and thick brick walls, functioning as the administrative seat of Rezekne. The castle was ravaged and rebuilt many times. Between 1577 and 1579, it was occupied by Cz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krustpils Castle
Krustpils Castle (, ) is a castle in Jēkabpils, in the Latgale region of Latvia. It is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Latvia. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Turkish prisoners of war were held here, many of whom later settled here permanently. Here the Latgale artillery regiment was located. During the Second World War infirmary of the German army was located here. A military hospital of the Red Army was placed here after August 1944. History The first written reference of the Krustpils dates from 1237, when the Archbishop of Riga built a castle named Kreutz. In 1359, the Livonian order took seven castles belonging to the Riga Archbishopric, being Krustpils among them. During the Livonian war in 1559 the castle was devastated. When the Livonian state was dissolved, Krustpils became property of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1561 to 1772, while the opposite Jēkabpils was part of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. The difference between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krāslava
Krāslava (; , , , , ) is a town and the administrative centre of Krāslava Municipality. The town lies on the Daugava, upstream and to the east of the city of Daugavpils. Most of the town is situated on the right coast of the Daugava. As defined by Latvian law, Krāslava belongs partially to the Latgale region (on the right side of the Daugava) and partially to the Selonia region (on the left side of the Daugava). History * Krāslava was an important hillfort on the waterway from the Varangians to the Byzantine Empire since early Middle Ages, part of the orthodox Principality of Jersika in the 13th century. * In 1558 was mentioned for the first time in written sources of Livonian Order as ''Kreslau'' (in German). * In 1676 the church was built by Society of Jesus, Jesuit Order and Krāslava became the most northern located center of the Jesuit movement on the border with the areas dominated by Protestant and Orthodox churches. * In 1729 Count Jan Ludwik Plater bought Krāslava. Fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krāslava New Palace
Krāslava New Palace or Plater's Palace (; ) is located in the historical region of Latgale, in eastern Latvia. It is an 18th-century manor ensemble with main manor house and other manor buildings and a Baroque-style park. History From 1553, the noble Plater family owned the Indrica Manor. In 1729 Jan Ludwik Plater, starosta of Daugavpils and later at the voivode of Inflanty (1735-1736) bought Krāslava, formerly property of Wolff von Lüdinghausen. His son Konstanty Ludwik Plater (1722-1778) married daughter of Prince August Ogiński and around 1750 began building a two-story stone building with a mansard roof near the ruins of the Kraslava Order Castle on the Theater Hill. Contraction was completed in 1791 by his youngest son, August Hyacint Plater. It is speculated that the Baroque-style palace project may have been designed by Jan Valentin Didreišten, architect of the Kraslava Town Hall, or was designed in collaboration with Antonio Paroko, architect of the Kraslava ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
