Balvi

Balvi () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

Balvi Municipality Balvi Municipality ( lv, Balvu novads) is a municipality in northern Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 from parts of the Balvi District, by merging Balvi parish, Bērzkalne parish, Bērzpils parish, Briežuciems parish, Krišj ...

in the

Latgale Latgale ( ltg, Latgola; ; ger, Lettgallen; be, Латгалія, Łathalija; pl, Łatgalia; la, Lettgallia), also known as Latgalia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region and is north of the Daugava River. While ...

region of

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

. It was the administrative seat of the region (Latvian: ''rajons'') of the same name since 1949; prior to the

occupation of Latvia Latvia has been occupied by military forces from other nations from time to time. Military occupations of Latvia have included: * Livonian Crusade (13th century) * Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 * Occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany (1941– ...

it was part of the

Abrene district Abrene may refer to: *Abrene, the name which the town Pytalovo in Pskov Oblast, Russia bore in 1938–1945 when it was a part of Latvia * Abrene County, a historical district in Latvia *Abrene, general Latvian name for the territory of Pytalovsky Di ...

. The name derives from the stream Bolupīte and the adjacent lake. The first mention of Balvi was in 1224. A small wooden church and manor were constructed on the estate of a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

noblewoman Konstancija Hilsena at the site ca. 1765. When Latgale came under

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n rule in 1772, the estate was granted to the by

Catherine II , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , fa