Latgale Latgola | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Latgale in Latvia | |
| Country | Latvia |
| Largest city | Daugavpils |
| Area | |
• Total | 14,547 km2 (5,617 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 255,968 |
| • Density | 18/km2 (46/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| HDI (2018) | 0.810[2] very high ·6th |
Latgale (Latgalian:Latgola;Latvian:Latgale;Russian:Латгалия,romanized: Latgaliya;Polish:Łatgalia;German:Lettgallen;Belarusian:Латгалія,romanized: Lathalija;Belarusian Latin:Łathalija;Latin:Lettgallia), also known asLatgalia orLatgallia, is one of theHistorical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region of the country and lies north of theDaugava River. While most ofLatvia is historicallyLutheran, Latgale is predominantlyCatholic: 65.3% according to a 2011 survey.[3] 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% areRussian Orthodox Christians and 10.0% areOld Believers.[3] As of 2020, the region's population was 255,968.[1]
The region has a large population ofethnic Russians, especially inDaugavpils, the largest city in the region and the location of the region's onlypublic university, theUniversity of Daugavpils. Many of the Russians who lived in Latgale before Soviet rule areOld Believers.Rēzekne, often called the heart of Latgale,Krāslava, andLudza are other large towns in the region, which also has aBelarusian minority. There is also a significantPolish minority. As part of thePolotsk andVitebsk guberniyas, the region was part of thePale of Settlement and had a very large Jewish population – but many of the Jews were killed inWW2 and most of the remainder emigrated. Other than inDaugavpils, theBaltic German presence in Latgale was less sizable than in other regions of Latvia. According to the Latvian Official Statistics portal, Latgale is the only region of Latvia where the number ofSlavs surpasses the number of ethnic Latvians.[4]
Average incomes in the region are lower than in other parts of the country. Latgale also has the highest percentage of people at risk of poverty (32.7% in 2023[5]) in Latvia.
Historically, several different forms of the name Latgalia have been used.
Since 2004, use of the Latgalian language has been the subject of a major sociolinguistic/ethnolinguistic poll and study, conducted by theRēzekne Augstskola and the Centre d'Étude Linguistiques Pour l'Europe.
As of 2011 97,600 people in the region spokeLatgalian language,[6] which is astandardised form of local varieties of High Latvian dialect.
Originally the territory of what is now Latgale was populated by theEastern BalticLatgalian tribe. During the 10th–12th centuries two principalities,Jersika andAtzele, existed on the territory of modern Latgale and EasternVidzeme. In addition Latgalians inhabited parts of modernPskov Oblast in Russia andVitebsk Region in Belarus.
In the first decade of the 13th century thePrincipality of Jersika, also known asLettia, was allied with thePrincipality of Polotsk andLithuanian dukes against theBishopric of Livonia, but was defeated in 1209. Part of it was divided between the Bishopric and theLivonian Brothers of the Sword, the remainder became a vassal country. In 1239, after the death of KingVisvaldis, the latter was incorporated into the territory of theLivonian Order.
In 1242, after defeat in theBattle of the Ice, eastern Latgale (Lotygola) temporarily passed to theNovgorod Republic.[7] In 1263, Livonian knights started to build the Wolkenburg castle as the seat of an order convent near theRāzna lake (today within theRāzna National Park). It became the oldest order stronghold of the Latgale region.[8]
In 1277, Grand dukeTraidenis of Lithuania unsuccessfully besieged the newly built castle ofDaugavpils.
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Latgalian territories remained a part ofLivonian confederation until theLivonian War. During this war, Latgale was annexed by theGrand Duchy of Lithuania (1559–1562), which in 1569 was incorporated into thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.Ivan IV of Russia annexed Latgale in 1577, but renounced his claims to Livonia after the successfulLivonian campaign of theKing of Poland andGrand Duke of LithuaniaStephen Báthory inTruce of Yam-Zapolsky on 15 January 1582.[9]
In 1621 most of theDuchy of Livonia was ceded to theSwedish Empire, but part of the Duchy including Latgale remained under Polish-Lithuanian control. This became known as theInflanty Voivodeship.[10] The creation of Polish Inflanty is the birth of the region we now know of as Latgale. During this period the Latgalian language was influenced byPolish and developed separately from the Latvian spoken in other parts of Latvia.
In 1772, Latgale was annexed by theRussian Empire after theFirst Partition of Poland. Latgale was incorporated into theVitebsk Governorate. In 1860,Daugavpils andRēzekne became a part of theSaint Petersburg–Warsaw railway route.[11] In 1865, as part of Russia's anti-Polish policies, a period ofRussification was begun, during which the Latgalian language (written in Latin script) was forbidden.
This ban was lifted in 1904, and a period of Latgalian reawakening began. Two years later, LatgalianpoliticianFrancis Trasuns was elected as a member of theState Duma of theRussian Empire.[12]
After the First Latgale Latvians Congress in 1917, it was decided thatDvinsky,Lyutsinsky andRezhitsky Uyezds, populated mostly byLatvians should be transferred toGovernorate of Livonia. It became a part of the Latvian Soviet autonomy ofIskolat and a part of theLatvian Socialist Soviet Republic on 17 December 1918.[13]
In January 1920, a joint force of Latvian and Polish armies defeated theSoviet 15th Army in thebattle of Daugavpils[14]: 76–77 which lead to the resignation of the government of Soviet Latvia on 13 January and Latvian-Russian cease-fire on 1 February 1920.
After signing of theLatvian–Soviet Peace Treaty, parts of theVitebsk Governorate andPskov Governorate were incorporated into the new Republic of Latvia. United with other ethnic Latvian territories, as claimed by the declaration of independence (ethnic borders as national borders), they formed the districts ofDaugavpils,Ludza,Rēzekne and Jaunlatgale, laterAbrene district.
During theWorld War II, Latgale was first occupied by theSoviet Union in 1940 and by theNazi Germany in 1941. In 1944, at the beginning of the secondoccupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union, the eastern municipalities of theAbrene district including Abrene were incorporated into theRussian SFSR.
Following thedissolution of the Soviet Union and the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991, Latgale regained its status of one of the cultural regions of theRepublic of Latvia.
The land size of Latgale is 14,547 km2 and it is bigger than some of theEuropean countries, such asMontenegro,Cyprus andLuxembourg. Latgale is the easternmost region of Latvia and is located north of theDaugava River. It is a landlocked region that has no access to sea or ocean. It shares international borders withRussia andBelarus. The most populated cities in Latgale areDaugavpils (82,046) andRēzekne (31,216).
Themunicipalities of Latvia that are a part of Latgale areBalvi Municipality, the city ofDaugavpils,Ludza Municipality,Līvāni Municipality,Preiļi Municipality,Rēzekne Municipality andVarakļāni Municipality, as well as parts ofAlūksne Municipality (Liepna Parish),Augšdaugava Municipality,Jēkabpils Municipality (parts on the right bank of the Daugava),Krāslava Municipality (excludingKaplava Parish),Madona Municipality (Barkava Parish and lower portion ofOšupe Parish) and half ofAiviekste Parish (on the left bank ofAizmata River) and the Gostiņi neighbourhood ofPļaviņas ofAizkraukle Municipality.
Latgale is known asThe land of lakes due to large number of lakes in the region. The biggest lake in Latgale and second biggest in Latvia isLake Rāzna inRēzekne Municipality.[15] Its area is 57.81 km2.Lake Drīdzis, located in theKrāslava Municipality is the deepest lake in Latvia with a maximum depth of 65.1 meters.Dubna is the longest river in Latgale and 8th longest river in Latvia with a length of 120 kilometres. Other major rivers of the region areRēzekne (116 km) andMalta (105 km).
The highest point of Latgale isLielais Liepukalns, 289.8 meters high.
Latgale region historically had its cultural differences in comparison to the rest of Latvia, such as religion, traditions, and language.
| Religion in Latgale – 2011[3] | ||||
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| Religion | Percent | |||
| Catholics | 65.8% | |||
| Eastern Orthodoxy | 13.8% | |||
| Old Believers | 10.0% | |||
| Lutheranism | 5.0% | |||
| No religion | 5.8% | |||
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Due to the influence ofPolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the population of Latgale has remained predominantly aCatholic (65.8% of the population in 2011), whileLutheranism has been more common in other regions ofLatvia.
One of the most important Catholic spiritual centers inLatvia is located inAglona. Built in 1780,Basilica of the Assumption of Aglona that is one of the eightinternational shrines recognized by theHoly See,[16] historically has been a popular destination for the pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims from Latvia and abroad visit Aglona every year on 15 August, to attend the feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Aglona has been twice visited by aRoman pontiff. PopeJohn Paul II visited Aglona in 1993 andPope Francis in 2018.[17]
The region of Latgale historically has been the most prolific producer ofceramic wares.[18] Archeological investigations have shown thatLatgalians were well acquitted with the pottery craft in the period ofearly medieval state ofJersika.[19] Most of the types of wares of Latgalian ceramics, such asvuoraunīks (a pot for cooking),madaunīks (a pot forhoney storage),sloinīks (a pot for storingfruit preserves),stuodiņs (a pot for storingsour cream),ļaks (a vessel for storage of oil),pīna pūds (a pot for storing cow'smilk),kazeļnīks (a pot forgoat milk storage),puorūss (lit. "over-handle", a vessel for bringing food to the field),bļūda (bowl) andkryuze, were used in the local households for everyday use for several centuries.[20]
In 20th century, Latgalian ceramicists started to create decorative wares, such ascandlesticks and decorative plates.Latgalian ceramics rose to the international prominence, whenAndrejs Paulāns andPolikarps Vilcāns works were awarded with a Gold Medal at the 1937Paris Exhibition.[21] In earlySoviet period, Latgalian ceramicists struggled because of high taxes and being forced to join thekolkhoz's. Since 50's, ceramicists became more respected thanks to the enthusiasm ofGaigalava-born art historianJānis Pujāts, who organizedexhibitions inLatvia and outside its borders that showcased the works of several Latgalian ceramicists. In 1958, Andrejs Paulāns and Polikarps Vilcāns became first Latgalian ceramicists to be recognized as the People's Artists of theLatvian SSR.[21]
Ceramics remains one of the trademarks of Latgale and has a great legacy in the region. Established in 1976, Latgale Ceramics Studio inRēzekne was renamed to Andrejs Paulāns Folk Applied Art Studio in 1986.[22] One of the streets in the Latgalian town ofPreiļi is named in honor of him.[23] InRainis Museum inJasmuiža are located the relocated workshop and kiln ofAndrejs Paulāns, and a unique tile stove made by ceramicistĀdams Kāpostiņš.[24] InPreiļi there is ahouse museum, dedicated to theOrder of the Three Stars recipient - ceramicistPolikarps Čerņavskis.
In 2020, theBank of Latvia issued a commemorativeLatgalian Ceramics 2euro coin that features a candelabra on it.[25]
Famous people who have been born or lived in present-day Latgale:
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