Rūjiena (; ; ) is a town in

Valmiera Municipality Valmiera Municipality () is one of the 35 Municipalities of Latvia, municipalities established in Latvia in 2021, located approximately west of the national capital Riga. Its first elected municipal council took office on 1 July 2021. Its seat i ...

, in the

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 ...

region of

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 t ...

. As of 2017 its population was 3,007.

Geography

The town is located in northern Latvia, near the border with

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

, in the historical region of

(anciently part of

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

). It is from

Valmiera Valmiera () is the second largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of . As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020, it was at 24,879. It is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city, and ...

, from

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

and from

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Climate

Rūjiena has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb'').

Demographics

In 2021, the town had 2,725 inhabitants, 95% of whom were Latvians.

Population changes

Ethnicities

Personalities

Arturs Alberings Arturs Alberings (8 January 1876 – 26 April 1934) was the 6th Prime Minister of Latvia. He held office from 7 May 1926 to 18 December 1926. Personal life Alberings was born on 8 January 1876 to a family of farmers in Rūjiena, Kreis Wolmar ...

(1876–1934),

Prime Minister of Latvia The prime minister of Latvia () is the most powerful member of the Government of Latvia, who presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers. The officeholder is nominated by the president of Latvia, but must be able to obtain the support of a p ...

from 7 May 1926 to 18 December 1926 *

Dāvis Bertāns Dāvis Bertāns (born 12 November 1992) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Dubai Basketball of the ABA League. Nicknamed the "Latvian Laser", he also represents the Latvian national team. He was the 42nd pick in the 2011 NBA draft ...

, basketball player, 1992 *

Gustav Klutsis Gustav Gustavovich Klutsis (, ; 4 January 1895 – 26 February 1938) was a pioneering Latvian photographer and major member of the Constructivist avant-garde in the early 20th century. He is known for the Soviet revolutionary and Stalinist pro ...

(1895–1938), constructivist photographer and graphic designer * Kārlis Pētersons (1903 – possibly in 1980), wrestler *

Moses Wolf Goldberg Moses Wolf Goldberg (June 30, 1905 – February 17, 1964) was an Estonian chemist who, along with Leo Henryk Sternbach, developed a process for the synthesis of biotin (a B vitamin) in 1949. Biography Moses Wolf Goldberg was born in Rūjien ...

(1905–1964), chemist *

Edvīns Bietags Edvīns Bietags (28 February 1908, in Rūjiena – 29 September 1983, in Jūrmala) was a Latvian wrestler and Olympic medalist. Edvīns competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic o ...

(1908–1983), wrestler *

Nehemiah Levanon Nehemiah Levanon (; March 23, 1915 – September 2, 2003) was an Israeli intelligence agent, diplomat, head of the aliyah program Nativ, and a founder of kibbutz Kfar Blum. Originally a native of Latvia, he immigrated to the Mandatory Palestine ...

(1915–2003), Israeli official

Gallery

File:Ruhja linnavalitsus.JPG, Town hall's tower File:Rūjiena.JPG, Town's center File:Ruhja Keskkool.JPG, Rūjiena secondary school

References

External links

*
Official website of Rūjiena
Cities and towns in Vidzeme 1920 establishments in Latvia Valmiera county Populated places in Valmiera Municipality {{Vidzeme-geo-stub