Aizkraukle () is a town in
Aizkraukle Municipality
Aizkraukle Municipality () is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. Its center is the town of Aizkraukle. The municipality was first formed in 2001 by merging Aizkraukle and Aizkraukle Parish. The population in 2020 was 8,024.
As a part of the Admin ...
, of which it is the administrative centre. Most of Aizkraukle is situated on the right bank of the
Daugava River
The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of ...
. As defined by Latvian law, Aizkraukle belongs partially to
Vidzeme
Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', ) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-centra ...
and partially to
Selonia
Selonia (; ), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is one of the Historical Latvian Lands encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia () as well as a portion of northeastern Lithuania. Its main city and cultural ce ...
.
Latviešu vēsturisko zemju likums
The population in 2020 was at 7,018.
History
In the second half of the 14th century, the Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order,
formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...
built the Aizkraukle Castle
Aizkraukle Castle (; ) is a ruined medieval castle, located on the right bank of the river Daugava in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, to the west of the modern town of Aizkraukle. The castle was built in the second half of the 14th century by th ...
, a few kilometres downstream from the ancient hillfort of Livs
The Livonians, or Livs, are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to the Livonian Coast, in northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian, a Uralic language closely related to Estonian and Finnish. It was believed that the last person ...
. The ruins of the castle still remain today. Before World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the settlement that stood near the site of modern-day Aizkraukle was known by its German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
name of ''Ascheraden''.
The modern town was established in 1961 as a settlement to house the builders of the nearby hydroelectric power plant of Pļaviņas.[Pospelov, p. 24] It was originally called Stučka[''Latvijas PSR Administratīvi Teritoriālais Iedalījums'', p. 47] (or "", ''Stuchka''[''Latvijas PSR Administratīvi Teritoriālais Iedalījums'', p. 118] and "", ''imeni Petra Stuchki''Russian
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
), for Pēteris Stučka
Pēteris Stučka, sometimes spelt Pyotr Stuchka; ( – 25 January 1932), was a Latvian jurist and communist politician, leader of the pro-Bolshevik puppet government in Latvia during the 1918–1920 Latvian War of Independence, and later a stat ...
, a Latvian communist.administrative center
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
of Stučkas district. In 1990, it was renamed as Aizkraukle, after the nearest railway station.
Economy
General industries in the area include power generation, woodworking, printing, and agriculture.
In 2004, Aizkraukle was awarded "The tidiest town in Latvia 2004" in its size group.
Католическая церковь (4).jpg, Aizkraukle Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church
Aizkraukles universālveikals.jpg, Soviet-era supermarket
Notable people
* Aigars Apinis
Aigars Apinis (born 9 June 1973) is a Latvian athlete. He participates in F52 class which means he has limited finger movement and no trunk or leg function.
On July 3, 1992, he suffered a severe cervical vertebrae injury while jumping into the ...
(born 1973), athlete
* Ivars Deinis (born 1977), luger
* Laura Igaune (born 1988), athlete
* Kristers Gudļevskis
Kristers Gudļevskis (born 31 July 1992) is a Latvian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Fischtown Pinguins of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Gudļevskis was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round (124th overall) of t ...
(born 1992), ice hockey player
* Elvis Stuglis (born 1993), footballer
* Ingars Stuglis (born 1996), footballer
See also
* Aizkraukle Station
Citations and references
Cited sources
*Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary." Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.
*Latvijas PSR Augstakās Padomes Prezidija Padomju Darba Jautājumu Daļa. ''Latvijas PSR Administratīvi Teritoriālais Iedalījums. 1978. gads''. Izdevnieciba "Liesma", Riga 1978.
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Vidzeme
Cities and towns in Selonia
Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union
Populated places established in 1967
Riga county
1967 establishments in the Soviet Union
Populated places in Aizkraukle Municipality