From April 3 to April 9, everyone is invited to take part in the events taking place in our city. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy the best of art, music and activities. Come with your friends and family and enjoy a week full of adventure.

April 3

• 16.00 | LATVIAN FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE | BFC Daugavpils vs. FK Liepāja | “Esplanāde” Stadium, Stadiona Street 1
• 19.00 | Board Game Night | “Daugavpils Geek” Board Game Club, Muitas Street 1
• 20.00 | House & Techno Among Paintings | DJ WII | Albrecht Art&Wine, Ģimnāzijas Street 40
• 20.00 | Live music and DJ sets | Restobar “DIČ BAR”, Viestura Street 59
• 20.00 | Karaoke night with Marija | Restaurant “Grand”, Varšavas Street 43B
• 22.00 | April Fools’ Weekend | One More Club, Viestura Street 53

April 4

• 11.00 | THEATER MASTER CLASS “GRANDPA MAZAI  AND THE CLEVER RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 12.00 | Felting workshop with Ksenija Šinkovska | Creative Studio “LAMA DAZZ”, Hekeļa Street 4
• 15.00 | THEATER WORKSHOP “GRANDPA MAZAI AND THE CLEVER RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 20.00 | Musical evening with vocalist and guitarist Arkādijs | Restaurant “Grand”, 43B Varšavas Street
• 20.00 | Live music and DJ sets | Restobar “DIČ BAR”, Viestura Street 59
• 22.00 | April Fools’ Weekend | One More Club, Viestura Street 53

April 5

• 10.40 | CINEMA | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 11:00 | THEATER WORKSHOP “GRANDPA MAZAI AND THE CLEVER RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 12.45 | CINEMA | Marsupilami | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 14.50 | CINEMA | Hoppers | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 15.00 | THEATER WORKSHOP “GRANDPA MAZAI AND THE LITTLE SMART RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 16.00 | Musical Evening with Viktors Bernāns | Restaurant “Grand”, Varšavas Street 43B
• 16.55 | CINEMA | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 18.00 | Concert by Ляпис Трубецкой | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 19.00 | Easter Muzbingo | Park Hotel Latgola, Ģimnāzijas Street 46
• 19.05 | CINEMA | Project Hail Mary | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92

April 6

• 11.00 | THEATER MASTER CLASS “GRANDPA MAZAI AND THE WISE RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 11.00 | CINEMA | Hoppers | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 13.00 | 3D pen drawing workshop “Spring Stencils” | Restaurant “Grand”, Varšavas Street 43B
• 13.10 | CINEMA | GOAT | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 14.00 | Easter at Unity Square | Unity Square
• 15.00 | THEATER MASTER CLASS “GRANDPA MAZAI AND THE CLEVER RABBITS” | Art Center “Arka”, Cietokšņa Street 4
• 15.20 | CINEMA | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 17.30 | CINEMA | Ready or Not 2: Here I Come | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92
• 19.50 | CINEMA | They Will Kill You | Daugavpils Culture Palace, Smilšu Street 92

April 7

• 16.00 | Knitting Class | Tradition House, Rīgas Street 22A
• 18.00 | “Mafia” game | IGGI Bar & Carbonades, Rīgas Street 22
• 18.00 | LATVIAN FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE | BFC Daugavpils vs. Ogre United | “Esplanāde” Stadium, Stadiona Street 1

April 8

• 16.00 | Latvian traditional instrument “kokle” lesson for beginners | Tradition House, Rīgas Street 22A
• 16.00 | Museum for Kids | “What’s on My Shelf” | Rothko Museum,  Mihaila Street 3
• 17.30 | Concert by Polish creative groups “Sounds of Easter Joy” | J. Pilsudska Daugavpils State Polish Gymnasium, Marijas Street 1
• 18.00| Discussion Club “Let’s Talk?!” | “New East” Association, 18. novembra Street 41A 
• 19.00 | Stage 3 of the “30-Minute Run” competition | Esplanade Recreation Park

April 9

• 16.00 | Opening of Ērikas Kuksinovičas painting exhibition “Monochrome” | Polish House, Varšavas Street 30
• 16.00 | Ceramics workshop for children | Rothko Museum Craft House, 18. novembra Street 8
• 17.00 | Concert “Sounds of Spring” | Forštate Culture Space, Vidzemes Street 41A
• 18.00 | Concert “Accordion Musical Messages” | Vienības House, Rīgas Street 22A

More information about the events: http://daugavpils.lv/afisa

Movie screening schedule: https://dkp.lv/kino/

Daugavpils Theater performance schedule: http://daugavpilsteratris.lv

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The Rothko Museum in Daugavpils has joined the global arts and culture platform Bloomberg Connects, becoming the first museum in Latvia to be featured on the app and marking a significant step in expanding digital access to art.

Through the Bloomberg Connects mobile app, audiences can explore the Rothko Museum on site or remotely from anywhere in the world. The museum’s digital guide offers curated audio, text and visual content, providing insight into its collection, exhibitions and Rothko’s artistic legacy.

At the heart of the guide are personal narratives that bring the museum’s context into sharper focus. These include audio recordings by Rothko’s children, Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, reflecting on their family’s connection to Daugavpils and their first impressions of the artist’s birthplace. Art historian David Anfam contributes further perspective on Rothko’s work and its presence in his country of origin.

The guide also introduces key aspects of the museum’s collection, including the exhibition “No. 2 [Untitled]”, where artists reflect on their works and their inclusion in the museum’s holdings. A dedicated section is devoted to the museum’s international residency programme, offering insight into artists’ experiences of working within the distinctive environment of the Daugavpils Fortress – a setting shaped by architecture, landscape and proximity to Rothko’s work.

“Joining Bloomberg Connects allows us to extend the museum experience beyond its physical space and offer a more layered engagement for both on-site and remote audiences,” says Pāvels Terentjevs, Head of Art and Communications at the Rothko Museum. “For the museum, this means strengthening the presence of Rothko’s legacy in his birthplace while opening that experience to a global audience.”

The Rothko Museum guide on Bloomberg Connects is available in English. The app can be downloaded free of charge on both Android and iOS devices.

Developed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg Connects provides digital guides to more than 1,250 cultural institutions worldwide – from major international organisations such as Venice Biennale, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Tate Modern to more locally rooted regional institutions – offering free and open access to arts and culture anytime, anywhere.

Information: Rothko Museum

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Daugavpils city will celebrate its 751st anniversary with a diverse cultural and entertainment programme. The City Festival, held under the motto “Daugava unites. Daugavpils celebrates”, will take place from June 5 to 7.

Throughout the festival, Daugavpils will transform into a vibrant hub of cultural, artistic and recreational events, offering something for every visitor — from concerts and creative workshops to sports activities, exhibitions and family‑friendly programmes.

As part of the celebrations, the traditional parade and festive fireworks show will also take place. This year, the fireworks will be accompanied by a light-and-music performance, uniting the artists and groups performing on the main stage at Unity Square. The festival’s musical programme includes:

• Friday, June 5 — Intars Busulis with “Abonementa Orķestris” and the band “Bermudu Divstūris”.
• Saturday, June 6 — rock musician Miks Galvanovskis, the internationally recognised “Bon Jovi” tribute band “New Jersey – Bon Jovi Tribute”, and the band “A‑Europa”.

On the first day of the festival, the main stage at Unity Square will open with a concert featuring the winners of the young talent competition. This will be a special opportunity to hear the laureates of the Latvian Regional Children’s and Youth Vocal Competition “Ceļā uz Lielo skatuvi”, who will perform together with the professional orchestras of the Daugavpils City Municipal Institution “Vienības nams”.

As the organisers of the City Festival note, “The festival highlights the city’s diversity, creativity, and sense of unity. This year’s programme also emphasises the idea of togetherness, as shared festive moments strengthen the bonds between people, cultures, and generations.”

The organisers invite everyone to join the celebrations and help create an unforgettable atmosphere in Daugavpils.

More detailed information about the City Festival will follow.

The Daugavpils City Festival is organised by the Daugavpils City Municipality and its municipal institutions.

Information:
DVPI “Vienības nams”

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On 24 April, the Rothko Museum will host “Fields of Colour”, a vibrant jazz performance by the Matthias Van den Brande Quartet (Belgium), composed in dialogue with Rothko’s iconic paintings.

Conceived by Belgian saxophonist Matthias Van den Brande, this remarkable reimagining of Rothko’s legacy offers a contemporary musical response to the artist’s emotional and chromatic language. Echoing the layered depth and quiet intensity of Rothko’s paintings, the programme draws on his exploration of colour as a vehicle of feeling and presence, translating visual perception into sound – an approach shaped in part by Van den Brande’s own experience of colour blindness.

Besides showcasing the award-winning trio of Matthias Van den Brande (saxophone), Tijs Klaassen (double bass) and Eouter Kühne (drums), the project also welcomes the acclaimed Belgian trumpeter Jean-Paul Estiévenart, who adds a further dimension of expressiveness and virtuosity to the performance.

The programme builds on the album “Fields of Colour”, recorded in February 2024 at La Buissonne studio in southern France and released in March 2025 on Fresh Sound New Talent Records.

“It is pulsating, powerful, exciting, captivating. A pure joy to listen to.” – Jean-Claude Vantroyen, Le Soir

The concert forms part of a wider cultural programme marking the museum’s 13th anniversary, centred on the opening of “Rothko. From the Family Collection”, a new display of paintings on loan from the private collections of the artist’s children. The day will also see the unveiling of “Transposition. The Rothko Motif”, a satellite project by Latvian textile artist Iveta Vecenāne who has translated into tapestry selected paintings from Rothko’s lesser-known Surrealist period.

The exhibitions will open at 4 p.m. and will be accessible free of charge on opening night. The concert, which concludes the day’s programme at 5:30 p.m., is also free, with advance registration required via the museum’s website.

Support: Daugavpils City Council and Latvia’s Culture Capital Foundation.

Matthias Van den Brande (b. 1993) is a Belgian jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger whose work reflects an international background shaped by studies in Belgium, Amsterdam and Philadelphia. He has performed as a soloist with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and released his debut album “Opus #1” in 2018. With the Matthias Van den Brande Trio, active since 2022, he has won several international awards and released “Three Sides of a Coin” (2023), a studio album widely acclaimed across Europe.

Publicity image: Matthias Van den Brande Trio and Jean-Paul Estiévenart, photo by Victoriano Moreno

Information: Rothko Museum

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This year, the Daugavpils Fortress will continue a tradition that is loved by many residents and visitors of the city – a flea market, which will take place on April 18. The flea market is traditionally held near the Daugavpils Fortress Visitor Center (5 Nikolaja St.) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

At the flea market, Daugavpils residents and guests of the city will be able to enjoy a special atmosphere of the Fortress as well as find and buy souvenirs, dishes, tableware, books, jewellery, vinyl records, musical instruments, model cars and toys, badges, coins, medals, household items and other interesting things.

The flea markets at the Daugavpils Fortress will take place on April 18, May 23, June 20, July 11, August 15, September 19, and October 24.

The organizers are encouraging sellers to plan their participation in advance and join this event. Registration starts on April 7 at 10 a.m. Places are limited, so be sure to apply on time.

Apply for participation and receive additional information writing on cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv, or by calling tel. no.  +371 65424043; +371 28686331.

Information: Daugavpils Fortress

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On 24 April 2026, the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils will unveil a new permanent display of paintings by Mark Rothko, offering a renewed encounter with one of the defining figures of twentieth-century art in a place where his story began.

Drawn from the private collections of Christopher Rothko and Kate Rothko Prizel, the exhibition – on view until April 2029 – continues the museum’s distinctive role as the only institution in Eastern Europe to offer permanent access to Rothko’s ground-breaking creative vision.

Conceived as a focused, evolving presentation, the display traces the entire arc of Rothko’s artistic development – from early figurative and Surrealist compositions to multiform experiments and the luminous colour field paintings of his mature period. Together, they reveal a decisive shift: from representation to abstraction, from image to presence, and from form to colour as a vehicle of emotional and spiritual experience.

Anchored in the institution’s founding vision, the exhibition is produced in close collaboration with the artist’s children, whose continuous support maintains a rotating display of Rothko paintings in his birthplace. So far, visitors have encountered twenty-four artworks from the Rothko family collection, and each new selection affords a fresh perspective on his art.

“It is a privilege to present these works in Daugavpils, where Rothko’s life began,” says Māris Čačka, Director of the museum. “The lasting generosity of Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko allows us to keep sharing Rothko’s paintings with audiences from Latvia and beyond. Each new rotation invites a slower, more attentive way of looking and deepens the dialogue between his legacy and contemporary artistic practice.”

Born in Daugavpils in 1903, Mark Rothko spent his formative years here before emigrating to the United States. Although his career unfolded abroad, the city remains an essential point of origin. Opened in 2013, the Rothko Museum honours this connection, inviting visitors to encounter his work not as an illustration of biography, but as an intimate and immersive experience shaped by colour, light and stillness.

The opening day programme on 24 April extends this conversation across disciplines. At 4 p.m., the new Rothko display will be unveiled alongside “Transposition. The Rothko Motif”, a satellite project by the Latvian textile artist Iveta Vecenāne, where she translates selected paintings from Rothko’s lesser-known Surrealist period into tapestry, echoing his expressive line and complex chromatic structures.

At 5:30 p.m., the museum’s concert hall will host “Fields of Colour”, an acoustic jazz performance by the Matthias Van den Brande Quartet (Belgium), inspired by Rothko’s art.

The opening day programme will mark the 13th anniversary of the Rothko Museum and will be accessible free of charge. Advance online registration for the concert will be required via the museum’s website.

With: Collection of Kristopher Rothko; Collection of Kate Rothko Prizel.

Support: Daugavpils City Council; Latvia’s Culture Capital Foundation; JCDecaux Latvia; Caparol.

Publicity images:

• Rothko Museum (photo by Santa Suhanova)
• Mark Rothko, Nude (1938/1939). Oil on canvas, 91.4 x 61 cm. Collection of Kate Rothko Prizel.
• Mark Rothko, Untitled (1948). Oil on canvas, 157.5 x 81.3 cm. Collection of Christopher Rothko.

Information: Rothko Museum

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On Easter, April 6, residents of Daugavpils and visitors are invited to participate in the event. “Vienības nams” is organizing Easter celebrations at Unity Square, with a variety of festive activities for the whole family.

The event participants will be entertained by the folklore group “Svātra”, the folklore ensemble “Dzīsme”, and guests of the event – the band “Augusti”, creating a true Latvian festive atmosphere with songs, games, and the joy of being together.

Together with the Mobile Game Park, everyone will be able to find the most exciting Easter attractions for themselves, as well as participate in traditional holiday activities and fun entertainment for both children and adults.

Due to weather conditions, the event will be held in the Unity House concert hall.

Information:
DVPI “Vienības nams”
Phone: +371 654 27552
E-mail: kultura@daugavpils.lv

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In caring for the population of the large gull and other specially protected bird species, during the bird nesting season from March 1 to August 1, a part of the Esplanade Wetland trail that leads through the swamp will be closed to visitors!

In the swampy area of the park, next to the Latgale Zoo, there is a Wetland Trail, which is about one and a half kilometres long. The trail is equipped with several observation platforms and shelters, allowing to observe birds and animals. It is a unique place in the Esplanade neighborhood of Daugavpils, where rare and protected animal and plant species can be found.

City residents and visitors can still take walks along the Wetland Trail from the Esplanade Park side and visit the viewing platforms.

During this period, city residents and visitors are invited to explore the variety of nature by visiting Latgale Zoo or using the virtual opportunities provided by the mobile app “Latgales Zoo-Mitrājs,” which is available free of charge for Android devices in the Google Play app store.

Information: Daugavpils City Municipality Public Relations Department 

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The Rothko Museum has announced an open call for artists from France to take part in a forthcoming group exhibition centred on the legacy of the French modernist painter Yves Brayer.

Opening in September 2026 as part of the Rothko Museum’s autumn exhibition season, the show is curated by the French curator Gilles Bonnevialle. The project takes as its point of departure Brayer’s paintings from the 1930s and 1940s, a period when the artist developed the compositional discipline and structural clarity that would become hallmarks of his work.

Created at a time when Europe was marked by political and social instability, these paintings can be read as visual constructions of order in a climate of tension. Rather than approaching them as direct political commentary, the exhibition proposes to view them as reflections on the resilience of form in moments of historical uncertainty.

In dialogue with this historical material, the Rothko Museum invites contemporary artists based in France to submit works that explore the relationship between form and instability. The exhibition also looks at how visual structures construct space under conditions of geopolitical tension and how they can either stabilise or disrupt our perception of reality. Participating works are expected to respond to these questions as independent contemporary reflections rather than illustrations of a particular historical moment.

Submissions are particularly welcome in the media of photography, video, installation, sculpture and object-based practice. Applications will be reviewed by the exhibition’s curatorial team, who will assess proposals for conceptual clarity, professional quality and their ability to enter into a meaningful dialogue with Brayer’s work.

The open call invites applications from French artists, as well as artists of other nationalities who live and work in France.

Application closes on 1 July 2026.

Further details about the exhibition and the application process are available on the Rothko Museum website: www.rothkomuseum.com.

The exhibition is supported by the Daugavpils City Council and Latvia’s Culture Capital Foundation.

Yves Brayer (1907–1990) was a painter, printmaker, illustrator and stage designer, recognised as one of the most significant figures in twentieth-century French figurative art. His work is distinguished by compositional clarity, a carefully structured organisation of space and a confident, expressive use of line. During the 1930s and 1940s, as Europe faced mounting political and social instability, Brayer’s paintings reveal an increasingly pronounced search for visual balance and inner order – an artistic response to the turbulence of his time.

Publicity images:

• Open call’s visual identity

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Set off on an orienteering adventure and discover the city of Daugavpils! Explore its most iconic landmarks and its most mysterious hidden corners. Play on your own or with a team and put your creativity, agility and sharp eye to the challenge.

Game Description
People say that Daugavpils, much like Mark Rothko’s color palette, has many shades. During this orienteering game, participants have the chance to experience the city’s diversity — discovering not only its well‑known landmarks but also its hidden gems and unexpected artworks.

One of the stops on the route is the so‑called “student area”, where your attention may be drawn to the figure of Pavel Dubrovin with his four‑legged companion, the residents of the Latgale Zoo, or the exhibition visible through the window of the Shmakovka Museum. The game challenges not only your navigation skills in an urban environment but also your knowledge of various historical and cultural facts.

To ensure an engaging and unpredictable experience, the route includes both permanent objects and those that may change over time. This means that some items mentioned in the tasks may have disappeared, been replaced, demolished, repainted, or damaged. Weather conditions — rain, snow, or fog — may also affect access to or visibility of certain locations.

Points of interest: 59
Mode of travel: on foot
Distance: 8 km
Estimated game time: 2+ hours
Team size: 2–4 people
Language: Latvian and English

Participation requires a purchased game code.
Buy your game code HERE.

What is Roadgames?
Roadgames is an interactive team‑based orienteering and adventure game played in the real world through a mobile app. It combines city exploration with educational and creative challenges, allowing players to discover new places while moving on foot, by car, or by bike.

The games are designed for friends, families, and corporate team‑building. Participants download the app, create a team, and navigate the map while collecting points for completing tasks.

How to participate?
To join the game, you need to download the Roadgames app. Once the game begins, the map and tasks become available in the app. Participants must travel to the marked locations to complete on‑site challenges, as well as take part in additional tasks that are not tied to a specific spot.

The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible by strategically choosing tasks and competing against other teams.

The full game rules are available at Roadgames.lv.

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The two‑year Latvia–Lithuania cross‑border cooperation project “Digital Crafts Tourism” (D-tour) has concluded, resulting in the creation of a new cultural tourism route. The route consists of five digital exhibitions, each highlighting a different field of traditional craftsmanship.

At the beginning of January 2026, the Latgale Planning Region, in cooperation with the Daugavpils City Municipality institution Vienības nams and Krāslava Municipality, invited visitors on a journey through time. Opening celebrations of new, contemporary digital exhibitions took place in Daugavpils and Krāslava, offering an opportunity to explore ancient craft skills, traditional ways of life, and the values of wooden architecture through a modern, interactive digital format.

On 7 January, the doors of the Craftsmanship and Life Wisdom Exhibition opened to visitors at the Traditions House of Daugavpils Unity House. The exhibition is dedicated to the world of the Latgalian farmstead – a place where everyday life, work, and family traditions unfolded through the changing seasons. It offers a contemporary interpretation of ancient crafts, allowing visitors to discover them through visual imagery, sound, hands-on activities, and interactive storytelling.

From early morning, children and young people visited the Traditions House to take part in creative activities together with local historian Evija Maļkeviča-Grundele, bathhouse master Dzintra Abarone, splint basket-weaving craftsman Andris Kačkāns, and blacksmith Edgars Vronskis. Together with the head of the Traditions House, Baiba Pankjāne, children explored the new exhibition and, under the guidance of the masters, learned how threads were made in the past, the significance of the traditional bathhouse, and how splint baskets and metal jewellery were crafted.

In the evening, the celebration was enriched by songs performed by the folklore group Svātra of Daugavpils Unity House. Guests were addressed by Līvija Jankovska, Member of the Daugavpils City Council and Chair of the Committee on Education, Culture and Social Affairs; Iveta Maļina-Tabūne, Head of the Administration of the Latgale Planning Region and Manager of the Latgale Special Economic Zone; Ints Bērziņš, Head of the smart technologies company SIA Solavi; Director of Unity House Diāna Soldāne; and senior expert of the Latvia–Lithuania Programme, Līga Upeniece.

On 8 January, the multimedia exhibition “THE CODE OF WOOD. The Values of Krāslava’s Wooden Architecture” was opened in Krāslava. The exhibition tells the story of the importance of wood in Latgale’s cultural environment and craftsmanship. Visitors can explore the development of Krāslava’s wooden buildings, view traditional craftsmen’s tools and decorative elements, and take part in creative activities that reveal the construction principles and aesthetic qualities of wooden architecture.

On the opening day, workshops for children and young people were led by woodcraft master Aivars Andžāns. Musician and instrument maker Aleksandrs Maijers introduced visitors to the world of wooden musical instruments. Many attendees gathered for a discussion with architect Ģertrūde Rasnača on the distinctive features of single-farmstead wooden architecture in South Latgale.

The opening event was moderated by Sarmīte Teivāne, Project Manager of Digital Crafts Tourism. Welcoming speeches were delivered by Inese Vorslova, Deputy Executive Director of Krāslava Municipality for Financial Affairs; Alla Lomanovska, Acting Director of the Krāslava Regional Museum; exhibition creator Didzis Jaunzems; and senior expert of the Latvia–Lithuania Programme, Līga Upeniece. A special atmosphere was created by the musical performances of instrument maker and musician Aleksandrs Maijers.

The celebrations were organised by the lead partner of the project Digital Crafts Tourism – the Latgale Planning Region (Latvia), together with all project partners: Daugavpils City Municipality institution Vienības nams (Latvia), Krāslava Municipality (Latvia), Anykščiai Art Incubator – Art Gallery (Lithuania), and the Administration of Panevėžys District Municipality (Lithuania).

Iveta Maļina-Tabūne, Head of the Administration of the Latgale Planning Region and Manager of the Latgale Special Economic Zone, emphasises that in order to preserve and promote traditional cultural values more effectively and to pass on the knowledge and skills of intangible cultural heritage practitioners to future generations, it is essential to diversify approaches and introduce modern methods and tools. Direct, in-person transmission of skills from tradition bearers is not always possible, making digital solutions increasingly important.

Overall, five digital exhibitions have been opened within the project:
– the Latgalian farmstead at the Traditions House in Daugavpils;
– wooden architecture and woodcarving at the Krāslava Palace Complex;
– ceramics at the Anykščiai Art Incubator – Art Gallery;
– flax weaving and traditional folk musical instruments in Upytė village, Panevėžys district.

The newly opened exhibitions demonstrate that cultural heritage can be vibrant, engaging, and contemporary. They not only tell stories of the past but also inspire visitors to reflect on the role of craftsmanship and architecture today.

The Craftsmanship and Life Wisdom Exhibition in Daugavpils and “The Code of Wood” exhibition in Krāslava remain open to visitors – to everyone who wishes to experience the stories of Latgale in a digital, emotional, and deeply personal way.

The project “Digital crafts tourism” (acronym D-tour; No LL-00100) is co-funded by the European Union. The project is implemented within the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2021-2027.

The total project budget is EUR 697 275.  The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund with EUR 557 820.

Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027 aims to enhance the sustainable and cohesive socioeconomic development of its regions by fostering competitiveness and attractiveness for residents, students, workers, and visitors alike, thereby creating environments conducive to living, studying, working, and visiting.

Programme website: http://www.latlit.eu. About the project: latlit.eu/theprojects/d-tour/.

This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Latgale Planning Region and does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament.

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Raiņa Centre operates under the Latgale Central Library and offers interactive guided tours and cultural activities. Visitors can explore the history, cultural heritage, and notable personalities of the left bank of the Daugava River in Daugavpils.

The centre’s exhibition is dedicated to three notable personalities connected with this historical school: the Latvian poet, playwright, translator, theatre practitioner, journalist, and politician Jānis Pliekšāns – Rainis; the botanist, mathematician, and philosopher Kārlis Reinholds Kupfers; and the graphic artist Rihards Zariņš, one of the creators of the Latvian national coat of arms and the author of designs for banknotes, securities, and coins. The centre offers guided tours and creative workshops for school groups, families, and adult visitors.

Permanent Exhibition
Raiņa Centre is located in the building of the former Grīva German School and Rainis Secondary School No. 6. Many outstanding personalities studied here, and their achievements in various fields have made a significant contribution to the development of Latvian culture and science.

Guided Tour “Different Times – Different School”
During the tour, participants learn how schools developed in the Daugavpils area, what characterised German schools in the 19th century, and which subjects Rainis studied. Visitors can explore the most interesting historical events and secrets of the school building and its surroundings, and take part in practical activities by tackling tasks from old school subjects such as calligraphy, poetry writing, rhetoric, or natural sciences.

The tour is available in Latvian, Russian, and English.
Group size: 6–30 participants (larger groups are divided into two).
Materials are included in the ticket price.
Duration: 1 hour.

Creative Workshops
In the workshop “Let’s Get Acquainted – GRAPHICS!” participants explore the works of R. Zariņš, the types of seals created by R. Kupfers, the diversity of graphic techniques, and create their own graphic artwork. Each workshop focuses on creative experimentation and discovering materials and techniques, inspired by the unique legacy of Rainis, Kupfers, and Zariņš. Raiņa Centre provides all necessary materials.

Group size: 6–16 participants.
Duration: 1 hour.

PRICE LIST

Address:
Komunālā iela 2, Daugavpils

Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 11:00–18:00
Saturday–Sunday: closed
It is also possible to visit the centre at a different time arranged individually in advance.

Information:
Latgale Central Library
Phone: +371 29528218
E-mail: raina.centrs@lcb.lv
Facebook: Raiņa centrs

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Contributing your artwork is simple. Scan the QR code on a sheet and follow the instructions on your device to photograph and upload your coloured drawing. Your creation will appear on the exhibition’s screen in 3D, alongside the contributions of other visitors.

“Clay Pixels” is on view and open to visitor participation on the museum’s top floor throughout 2026.

The exhibition has been realised in collaboration with “We Rock” and with the support of Latvia’s Culture Capital Foundation.

Born in Daugavpils on 28 January 1931, Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013) made history as Latvia’s most internationally celebrated 20th-century ceramicist. His pioneering work transformed Latvian ceramics, establishing it as a vibrant and contemporary artistic medium. The Rothko Museum holds an extensive collection of his works, with hundreds on permanent display in the museum’s ceramic gallery, Martinsons House. Since 2016, the museum has hosted the international Martinsons Award exhibition as part of the Latvia Ceramics Biennale, honouring his legacy and celebrating the enduring vitality of the ceramic medium.

Publicity images: “Clay Pixels” at the Rothko Museum (photographed by Santa Suhanova)

For more information, please contact

Inga Gedžūne, Rothko Museum

+371 26070651

inga.gedzune@daugavpils.lv

The post “Clay Pixels”: An Interactive Digital Exhibition at the Rothko Museum appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Daugavpils becomes a crossroads of creativity as professional printmakers from Europe, Asia, and North America gather for the 14th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium – a lively creative forum culminating in a group exhibition at the Rothko Museum on 7 March.

From 23 February to 8 March, the Rothko Museum’s studios will pulse with creative energy. For two immersive weeks, nine artists from Italy, Canada, Poland, India, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia will work together, creating new artworks for the museum’s collection and shaping an exhibition that will celebrate their journey through the residency.

Selected from applications representing thirty-three countries, this year’s participants are Alessandro Cugno (Italy), John Graham (Canada), Kamila Bednarska and Katarzyna Tereszkiewicz (Poland), Kateryna Svirgunenko and Valentyna Ariepieva (Ukraine), Kethavath Vijay (India), Nida Shah (Lithuania) and Ināra Garklāva (Latvia).

Beyond the focused studio practice, the symposium opens its doors to the public through meet-the-artist events at the Rothko Museum.

On 27 February, 4 p.m., participating artists will present their creative portfolios.

The symposium exhibition will open on 7 March, 4 p.m., unveiling the results of this dynamic creative fortnight.

Admission to both events is free.

Conceived and produced by SIVIA Association, the symposium is part of the Rothko Museum’s residency programme and runs with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia and the Daugavpils City Council.

Since its inception in 2013, the Latgale Graphic Art Symposium has brought together over a hundred artists from nearly forty countries. Today, it continues to revitalise the graphic medium in Daugavpils and elevate Latgale’s global reputation, attracting artists to this crossroads of cultures to distil their impressions, exchange ideas and experience the contemporary resonance of traditional printmaking techniques.

Publicity image: In the Rothko Museum’s printmaking studio (photo by Pāvels Terentjevs)

Information:
Tatjana Černova
Curator of the symposium
tatjana.cernova@daugavpils.lv

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At 4.00 p.m. on Friday, 20 February, the Rothko Museum opens its first exhibition season of the year with six new projects bringing together artistic voices from Italy, Finland, and Latvia. Moving from contemplative and restrained non-figurative painting and installation to photographic narratives that trace experience as it inscribes itself on mind and body, the season echoes silence, light, belonging, memory, and stillness.

Gregorio Botta: “Painting Brings You Home”

Gregorio Botta (Italy) is the first Italian artist to exhibit solo at the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils. The city that gave birth to Mark Rothko and his Abstract Expressionism now represents a “home” for a silent, contemplative form of non-figurative painting – an ideal legacy that has long inspired Botta’s artistic research.

According to the exhibition’s curator Bruno Corà, art historian and critic, although Botta’s practice unfolds through a plurality of media, often in three-dimensional installations and sculptures, it is grounded in painting understood as an originating artistic gesture and continues to be deeply meditative:

“Using natural materials such as wax, rice paper, water, glass, leaves, and stone, the artist creates rarefied works that evoke emptiness and silence through minimal forms.”

Over the years, Botta has exhibited in important museums and institutions in Italy and abroad, establishing himself as one of the most distinctive voices of contemporary Italian art. At the Latvian exhibition, around thirty works are presented, some created specifically for this occasion.

Rose-Mari Torpo: “Strange Light”

Inspired by the fragile threshold moments of dawn and dusk, Finnish abstractionist Rose-Mari Torpo paints shifting, almost illusory spaces where light, colour, and movement generate immersive encounters. Working across canvas, paper, polyester, and found readymade materials, she experiments with spray paint, acrylic, and ink to test the boundaries of painting itself, letting the work extend beyond its frame and become an active spatial element.

Curator Tatjana Černova highlights the artist’s recent engagement with iridescent materials, which refract and reflect light, intensifying the inherent dynamism of her compositions:

“At times her surfaces resemble atmospheric dust; at others they appear liquid, or more solid and congealed. The structural indeterminacy of Torpo’s painting corresponds to an emotional register that remains consciously suspended and mutable, existing beyond figuration.”

Artists from Latgale: “Borderland”

The Rothko Museum’s annual spring exhibition of Latgale artists turns its gaze to the border, both as a line on a map and as a threshold of imagination. Bringing together sixty-four artists across generations and media, it reflects a shared connection to Latgale as a home, muse, crossroads, or point of departure.

Curator Aivars Baranovskis frames Borderland as a mental and physical space between staying and leaving, tradition and modernity, the local and the global:

“Beyond geography, the exhibition reflects on art itself as a practice unfolding at the border between normality and abnormality, between what is accepted and what is condemned. Because art’s very purpose is to test and redefine existing boundaries: illuminate the marginal, challenge the norm, and celebrate the richness of experience and meaning life has to give.”

With this conceptual focus, the show is both a meeting point for artists and an invitation for the viewer to see this complex region not just as lines on a map, but as a source of possibility and inspiration.

RZ Collection: “Ways of Seeing”

“Ways of Seeing” presents selected works from the RZ Collection – the private assemblage of entrepreneur and art patron Raivis Zabis (1973–2023). Guided by intuition and emotional response rather than systematic acquisition, he approached collecting as a deeply personal, almost artistic process. Contemporary art, which he saw as the clearest mirror of its time, formed the core of his engagement.

Curator Dace Dēliņa-Lipska notes that the exhibition’s title reflects the collector’s belief that art must be seen to be fully alive:

“For Zabis, artworks belonged out in the open rather than in storage. Indeed, art truly breathes and comes alive when someone stops to look. This exhibition is an invitation to reflect on ways of seeing – art, time, and our shared humanity.”

Jūlija Verbicka-Vasiļjeva: “Habitus”

In “Habitus”, Jūlija Verbicka-Vasiļjeva presents a photographic series unfolding as a visual and emotional inquiry into the boundary between appearance and experience, between what is visible and what is lived. Working at the intersection of documentary observation, subtle staging, and directorial control, the artist constructs a finely calibrated narrative that traces how social environment, upbringing, and personal history inscribe themselves in posture, gaze, and silence, shaping how we relate to ourselves and others.

Curator Tatjana Černova observes how in Verbicka-Vasiļjeva’s practice, habitus moves beyond its sociological origins to become a lived imprint – an experience absorbed into the body, behaviour, and emotional memory:

“At the heart of the exhibition lies an understanding of the human being as a process rather than a fixed state, drawing attention to the entanglement of individual stories with collective experience and urging viewers to consider how we all reflect the world around us.”

Pēteris Martinsons: “Reflection”

In 2026, the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics partners with the Rothko Museum towards an exhibition series at the Martinsons House gallery to mark the 95th anniversary of the Latvian ceramic artist Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013). Drawing on works from Latvian and international museum collections, the programme offers a wide-ranging view of the artist’s impressive creative legacy.

The first exhibition in the series presents large-scale ceramic sculptures from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art. Curator Valentīns Petjko highlights the exhibition’s anchoring diptych “Reflection” – early yet assured figurative abstractions where the human figure is distilled into geometric minimalism and archetypal signs. Meanwhile, the later works articulate Martinsons’s mature visual language, shaped by architectural thinking, sculptural experimentation, and a pronounced engagement with graphic line.

Exhibition Dates and Opening Night

The Rothko Museum’s spring exhibition season runs from 20 February to 24 May 2026.

Admission to the new exhibitions is free on opening night.

The Rothko Museum’s spring exhibition season was prepared in partnership with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, the Latvian National Museum of Art and Il Cigno Arte, with valued support from the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Daugavpils City Council, Italian Embassy in Latvia, Nordic Culture Point, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, and Caparol.

Publicity images:

• Gregorio Botta “Horizon”. Glass and wax, 20 x 200 x 8 cm, 2024
• Rose-Mari Torpo “Dawn”. Ink, acrylic, and spray paint on polyester and canvas, 180 x 125 cm, 2025. Photo by Janette Holmström
• “Borderland” – the exhibition’s graphic identity. Designed by Irina Bogdanova
• Anna Zholud “The Way Series No. 1”. Oil on cardboard, 75 x 105 cm, 2017. Photo by Valters Pelns
• Jūlija Verbicka-Vasiļjeva “Star” (from the Habitus series). Photography, 100 x 70 cm, 2025
• Pēteris Martinsons “Tension”. Chamotte, engoe, drawing, 72 x 34.5 x 33.5 cm, 1980. Latvian National Museum of Art

The post Light at the Threshold of Silence: Rothko Museum Announces Spring Exhibition Season appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

SIA “Daugavpils satiksme” offers a unique opportunity – a ride through Daugavpils on a retro tram built in the mid‑20th century at the Riga Wagon Factory.

The ride can be complemented with a guided tour covering the city’s history as well as its cultural and historical landmarks.

The retro tram is an authentic mid-20th-century vehicle that has been remarkably well-preserved. It is suitable for hosting various events – birthday celebrations, family gatherings, or, for example, excursions for school groups or company teams.

The retro tram route combines two popular Daugavpils tram lines (routes No. 1 and No. 3). The total distance is 16 km, and the ride takes approximately one hour.

Two retro trams are available:
– Tram No. 65, suitable for groups of up to 24 people, equipped with 8 tables;
– Tram No. 61, suitable for groups of up to 36 people, without tables.

The retro tram tour is available by prior arrangement only. To book, please contact SIA “Daugavpils satiksme” by phone +371 20012140 or e-mail: reklama@dsatiksme.lv.

A retro tram ride can also be booked online by filling out the application form on the “Daugavpils satiksme” website. A reservation calendar is available there, allowing visitors to choose the most convenient day and time for the ride.

Information: SIA “Daugavpils satiksme”
Photos: Sergejs Kuzņecovs

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As February 14 – Valentine’s Day, the Day of Love – approaches, the Latgale Culinary Heritage Centre “Šmakovka” once again invites everyone to celebrate love in a special way. Throughout the entire month of February, visitors will have the opportunity to take part in the romantic and exciting Valentine’s Day quest “We Met in Šmakovka!”.

During the quest, couples will be able to test their knowledge, intuition, and teamwork skills by completing tasks that lead them through the Šmakovka Centre’s exhibition, revealing the flavours, traditions, and stories of Latgale. It is not only a chance to spend quality time together but also to create new, heartfelt memories.

We invite you to embrace the adventure and let your hearts meet in Šmakovka – a place where love and the spirit of Latgale intertwine in one story.

Advance reservation is required.

Contacts:
Phone: +371 25666201
smakovka@daugavpils.lv
www.facebook.com/SmakovkasMuzejs
www.smakovka.lv

Address: Rīgas iela 22A, Daugavpils

Illustration by: Guna Gamazina

The post In February, the Latgale Culinary Heritage Centre will host the romantic Valentine’s Day quest “We Met in Šmakovka!” appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Centre of Technics and Industrial Design “Engineering Arsenal” informs about the possibility of renting its historic courtyard for a variety of events. “Engineering Arsenal” offers the only closed yard in Daugavpils Fortress with an area of 4000 square meters, electricity connection, places for food and rest, as well as a small building in case of changing weather conditions.

Celebration at the “Engineering Arsenal” is an ideal option for birthdays, weddings, corporate events, and especially biker/car enthusiast meetings.

The cost of the service is 260 EUR. The time of the event is agreed upon so as not to disturb the visitors of the centre and guests of the event.

Additional information: (+371) 28033133, inzenieruarsenals@daugavpils.lv, or DM on social media platforms.

Centre of Technics and Industrial Design «Engineering arsenal» is the largest exhibition of motorised vehicles in the Latgale region. It is a unique exhibition space of retro technology and applied design, which is located in the historic 19th-century building of the Daugavpils Fortress.

www.facebook.com/Inzenieru.arsenals

www.instagram.com/inzenieru_arsenals

www.youtube.com/@inzenieruarsenals

www.tiktok.com/@inzenieru_arsenals

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 5 December, the Rothko Museum will open its winter season with five new exhibitions exploring humour, presence, technology, and the shifting nature of contemporary experience. From introspective painting and dreamlike landscapes to porcelain shaped by both hand and machine, the season brings together voices from Lithuania and beyond, offering viewers a contemplative passage through the winter months.

Meda Norbutaitė – Wedge
Lithuanian artist, curator, and educator Meda Norbutaitė uses irony and grotesque to probe the social anxieties of contemporary life – our fears and expectations, jealousies and insecurities, inflated egos and self-doubt. Humour becomes both her language and her lens for exploring the dilemmas of today’s masked and performative self.

Art researcher Dr. Evelina Januškaitė observes: “In an age when social media offers almost endless channels for connection and floods our vision with images, Norbutaitė’s clowning becomes a wedge – a means to prise open the rigid frames that confine us so we can laugh at ourselves and rediscover a sense of freedom. Spanning the full range of emotion, the exhibition invites us to recognise and awaken the clown within – the self that reflects, opens up, critiques, loves, plays, errs, dares, and begins again.”

Solveiga Gutautė – Genius Loci

Lithuanian painter Solveiga Gutautė creates atmospheric spaces where shadow, silence, and quivering light become experiences in themselves. Unfolding on the threshold between day and dusk, dream and awareness, memory and today, her “shadow painting” is influenced by the meditative rhythms of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music and invites viewers into a slower, more intuitive mode of perception.

The project’s curator Māris Čačka calls the exhibition a soft yet powerful reminder that “art does not need to be understood. It is enough to let it happen and to linger, for a while, within its quiet breath.”

Rokas Dovydėnas – Porcelain and the Machine
Doctor of Arts, interdisciplinary artist and curator Rokas Dovydėnas, Lithuania, traces European porcelain’s evolving language across three centuries, focusing on the meeting of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary digital solutions. Drawing on historical vase forms and the inventive spirit of pioneers like Johann Friedrich Böttger, he asks how porcelain’s meaning shifts when the hand yields part of its authority to algorithmic design and robotic fabrication.

“Using Limoges porcelain fired at 1250°C, my works follow the blanc-de-Chine tradition of white vessels with transparent glaze. Yet their creation belongs to a new era: designed with computer modelling and produced by 3D clay printers, they embody the meeting of centuries-old material with robotic precision,” the artist says.

Diana Rudokienė – Dream Topographies
Lithuanian artist Diana Rudokienė explores the fragile boundary between the visible and the unseen, guided by an enduring fascination with memory, transformation, and the subconscious. Using translucent layers of oil and subtle tonal shifts, she creates dreamlike spaces where figures dissolve into atmosphere and light, suggesting inner landscapes shared across human experience.

“In the half-light between sleep and waking, images surface – shifting, dissolving, reappearing. Painting becomes a map of the unseen, tracing the delicate borders between dream and perception. In mapping my dream topographies, I invite viewers to recognise fragments of their own,” the artist notes.

Tensions and Transitions: Navigating the Boundaries of Being
Produced by Pashmin Art Consortia, Germany, the exhibition brings together Zhang Dawo, Peter Backhaus, Horst Wagner, Fant Wenger, Reinhard Hanke, Holger Dempwolff, Sonia Parchet, and Anna van den Hövel – eight artists whose works reflect the emotional and spiritual transitions of our rapidly changing world. Blending abstraction, expressionism, and a sense of the transcendent, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the shifting boundaries of personal and collective identity and to reflect on the struggles of modern existence – alienation, pursuit of meaning, and thirst for connection.

Exhibition Dates and Opening Night
The Rothko Museum’s winter season runs from 5 December 2025 to 8 February 2026. At the same time, until 1 February 2026, visitors can still enjoy two autumn season’s exhibitions – “Martinsons Award 2025” and “Matchstick in the Sand” by Milena Pirštelienė, Lithuania.

Admission to the new exhibitions is free on opening night.

The Rothko Museum’s winter exhibition season was prepared in partnership with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics and Pashmin Art Consortia, with valued support from the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Daugavpils City Council, Panevėžys City Municipality Cultural and Art Grant, and “Caparol”.

Publicity images:

1. Meda Norbutaitė. Vignette. Pie to the Face. Oil on canvas. 150 x 200 cm. 2022
2. Solveiga Gutautė. Untitled. Oil on canvas. 200 × 286 cm. 2025
3. Rokas Dovydėnas. A Meiping Vase. Porcelain, glaze, 3D printing. 2024
4. Diana Rudokienė. Twilight. Oil and gold foil on canvas. 80 x 160 cm. 2024
5. Holger Dempwolff. Mr Smith Walking on the Seaground. Oil on canvas, 100 x 70 cm

The post Where Art Invites to Linger: Rothko Museum Announces Winter Exhibition Season appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Latvia has become one more long-distance hiking route richer – the 1070-kilometre “Ezertaka” in Latgale is marked out and available for free to anyone who likes to hike on different distances.

For many, Latgale is associated with the country of blue lakes, and for good reason, because there are about 1200 different lakes in the region, as well as other types of water bodies. It is because of these lakes that the name of the long hiking route “Ezertaka” was chosen, which in Latgalian means “Azaru styga”. The route was developed by the Latgale Tourism Association, but for the initial idea and courage to undertake such an ambitious project, the Latgale Tourism Association would like to thank Iveta Druva-Druvaskalne, a teacher of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, and Amanda Valtere, a student. “Ezertaka” is also one of three similar routes in Latvia implemented in other regions by the Rural Tourism Association “Lauku ceļotājs”. Hikers now have the opportunity to make shorter and longer hikes on the trails “Jūrtaka”, “Mežtaka” and “Ezertaka”.

The schematic representation of the route is made in the form of a figure of eight or an infinity sign with an intersection at Lake Razna. A total of 134 lakes and other bodies of water can be found on the route “Ezertaka”. The route includes one of the deepest lakes in Latvia – Geraņimovas-Ildzas (46 m), lakes Lielā Gusena (38 m) and Ormijas (43 m) on the Kraslava side, lakes Riču (39.7 m on the Latvian side) and Sventes (38 m) in the Augšdaugava region. The route also passes Ežezers Lake, the richest lake in Latvia. In summer, lovers of walks will have the opportunity to enjoy some of the cleanest lakes in Latvia – lakes Sventes (transparency 7.5 m) and Medumu (5.2 m) in Augšdaugava region.

The route of the trail can be viewed on a Google maps. For the convenience of hikers, the map also shows the nearest attractions, housing, beaches, grocery stores and pharmacies. A separate layer of the map is a collection of Latgale churches created by the Dagda Tourism Centre. Ezertaka markings in nature are markings on natural objects (trees, rocks) and white-green-white road signs.

At the end of the marking stage, the next stages of development of the “Ezertaka” are considered, including infrastructure improvements and marketing activities.

If you notice missing or damaged markings on any section of the route, please write to info@latgale.travel and the route will be improved if possible.

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Daugavpils offers a wide range of recreation and leisure opportunities, visits to the city museums, cultural institutions and natural sites during the summer tourist season. Daugavpils is a dog friendly city, so residents and guests of Daugavpils can visit sightseeing with their four-legged pets.

The list of the places to visit:

Natural objects:

• Dubrovin Park is a favorite place for walks in the historic centre of the city. Rare trees and shrubs in Latvia grow here. The park has the largest fountain in the city, which is illuminated in summer. The park has a monument devoted to Dubrovin, who was the initiator of the park, former mayor P. Dubrovin, and his dog.
• Central Park is the largest park in the city. The park has walking paths, well-kept greenery, a large playground for children. There is a special “Tree of Love”. You can also take a breath and observe the cityscape in an unusual alley of benches.
• Esplanade Park is a place suitable for a variety of outdoor activities. The park has a bicycle park, a playground, street exercisers, a musical square with street musical instruments and landscaped pedestrian paths. The park has a separate fenced area for walking with a dogs.
• Bruģu Street promenade is a great place for leisurely walks, where you can enjoy the scenery of the Daugava bank and the works of Daugavpils artists on the concrete fence walls of Bruģu Street. Outdoor fitness equipment is available for lovers of active recreation, and benches are convenient for those who like a measured rest. Construction work will be completed soon, and at the beginning of the promenade, citizens and visitors will have access to the observation deck, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of Griva.
• The promenade along the Lielais Stropu Lake is a suitable place for lovers of long walks. A three-kilometre trail connects the 2 beaches of the lake, the promenade is equipped with benches, as well as outdoor exercise equipment and a playground.
• Daugavpils Fortress promenade is the newest promenade of the city, located on the bank of the Daugava, close to the historic Daugavpils Fortress. Great place for walking to enjoy nature, the flow of the Daugava and the historical breath of the city.

Cultural-historical and tourist sites:

• Daugavpils Fortress is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, especially popular among dog owners. Walking through the territory of almost 150 hectares will be a fascinating adventure for both families and their loved ones.
• The Medical Exhibition with an Exposition of Contraceptives is a unique permanent exposition in one of the historical buildings of Daugavpils Fortress. Various exhibits of medical subjects – equipment, photographs, documents, visual materials – are placed in 4 halls. There is also a place for four-legged friends in the spacious rooms. More information about the exposition can be found at visitdaugavpils.lv.
• Shmakovka Museum is a pet-friendly place in the basement of the historic Unity House, where you can learn about the history of Latgale through the lens of the region’s culinary heritage. More about the exposition – smakovka.lv.
• Exhibition of retro cars “Retrogaraž-D” is a unique collection of cars and objects from Soviet times near Daugavpils Fortress. There is the largest collection of “Moskvich” cars in the Baltic States. More information about the exposition – at visitdaugavpils.lv.
• Daugavpils Lead Shot Factory is the oldest ammunition production plant in Northern Europe, with the only active lead casting tower in Europe. Here you can learn more about the process of shot production and look at the production equipment. More information about the tourist offer – dsr.lv.

Before going with your pet to see other tourist attractions, contact each establishment and find out if your four-legged friend will be able to visit the particular establishment together with the owner. The list of Daugavpils tourist attractions is available here.

Recreation near city reservoirs:
Daugavpils City Municipality reminds that according to the requirements of regulations, bathing with dogs is prohibited only in places of official bathing. There are three of them in Daugavpils – the beach on the Lielais Stropu Lake “Stropu Vilnis”, the central beach in Lielais Stropu, the beach on the Šuņu Lake (after the former 7th basic school). Other bathing places are not official beaches, and there are no restrictions on bathing pets.

Information:

 Daugavpils City Municipality Communication Department

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Daugavpils invites you to experience a winter holiday season filled with miracles! From child-friendly performances and musical concerts to creative activities and New Year’s Eve celebrations — the city offers a wide range of events for the whole family.

HOLIDAY PROGRAM

December – the Month of Winter Miracles

December 27

• 10:00 – 15:00

Charity fair and concert

Shopping centre “Ditton”

• 10:00

Christmas performance for children “Dwarfs` Winter Fairy Tale”

Unity House Concert Hall Foyer, Rīgas Street 22a

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 13:00 – 17:00

Closing day of the Christmas residence

Imperatora Street 8, Engineering Arsenal, activities both in the yard and indoors

• 14:30

Interactive performance “The Grinch in the Golden Fairy Tale” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 16:30

Interactive performance “The Grinch in the Golden Fairy Tale” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 17:00

End-of-year concert “For My City”

Rothko Museum Concert Hall, Mihaila Street 3, Free admission

• 17:00 and 18:00

The Little Prince’s Christmas Musical Tram

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 18:00

Musical performance “Nutcracker”

Daugavpils Palace of Culture, Smilšu Street 92

December 28

• 11:00

Christmas performance for children “Dwarfs` Winter Fairy Tale”

Unity House Concert Hall Foyer, Rīgas Street 22a

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 11:00

Creative master class “Christmas Tree in 3D” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 12:00

Performance „New Year`s Commotion”

Daugavpils Palace of Culture, Smilšu Street 92

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 14:00

Master class “Christmas Tree Decoration” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 16:00

Concert “Christmas Musical Cocktail”

Unity House Concert Hall, Rīgas Street 22a

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

December 29

• 11:00

Christmas performance for children “Dwarfs` Winter Fairy Tale”

Unity House Concert Hall Foyer, Rīgas Street 22a

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 11:00

Creative class “Creative Reading in the Museum” at the Rothko Museum

Mihaila Street 3, Daugavpils

Registration: mairita.folkmane@daugavpils.lv or by phone +371 26564817

• 12:00

Master class “Little Princess” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 14:30

“Golden Fairy Tale” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

December 30

• 11:00

Creative class “Creative Crafts and Where to Store Them?”

Mihaila Street 3, Daugavpils

Registration: mairita.folkmane@daugavpils.lv or by phone +371 26564817

• 14:00

Holiday program “Santa’s Mail” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 15:30

Holiday program “Santa’s Mail” at the miracle workshop “Astra”

Vienības Square

Registration by phone: 25144770

• 16:00

Performance “Three Baba Yagas and the New Year”

Daugavpils Palace of Culture, Smilšu Street 92

• 17:00 and 18:00

The Little Prince’s Christmas Musical Tram

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

• 18:00

New Year`s Run

Vienības Square

December 31 – New Year’s Eve

Starting from 11:00 p.m., immerse yourselves in the rhythms of dance music!

Shortly before midnight – New Year’s Message of the President and greetings!

We`ll ring in 2026 with the Latvian anthem and festive fireworks!

The celebrations will continue at the Night Disco until 3:00 a.m.

January – Holiday Season Continues

• January 1 to 4:

Weekdays: 17:00-18:00; weekends and holidays 16:00-17:00

Moments of joy for children with fairy-tale and cartoon characters

Vienības Square

• January 1 to 7:

17:00–20:00

Musical walks in the Christmas spirit

Dubrovin Park, A.Pumpurs Square

• January 5

17:00 and 18:00

The Little Prince’s Christmas Musical Tram

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online

Lights, music, laughter and the joy of being together – come and experience the magic of winter holidays in Daugavpils!

May every moment be filled with warmth and holiday miracles with your family and friends.

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The city has prepared a wide and warm program of events that will delight both children and adults. From the lighting of the Christmas tree and creative workshops to musical events and a Christmas residence – Daugavpils invites you to experience a holiday season filled with miracles.

HOLIDAY PROGRAM

November – beginning of the holiday

November 29 at 16:00

Lighting the first candle in the city’s Advent wreath

Square near St. Peter`s in Chains Roman Catholic Church

November 30 at 17:00

Lighting of the city’s main Christmas tree “When the Stars Light up the Christmas Tree…”

Vienības/Unity Square

December – a month of holiday miracles

December 1 to 30 (weekdays 17:00-18:00; weekends and holidays 16:00-17:00)

Moments of joy for children: meetings with fairy-tale and cartoon characters

Vienības/Unity Square

December 1 to January 4 (weekdays 17:00-18:00; weekends and holidays 16:00-17:00)

Miracle workshop “Astra” (“Chucha Chacha” program)

Registration by phone: +371 25144770

December 1 to 20

Rides on The Little Prince’s Christmas Musical Tram (for children aged 4 to 9)

Registration by phone: +371 25144770

December 3 at 17:00 and 18:30

Master class “Porcelain Christmas tree decorations”

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office

House of Traditions, Rīgas Street 22a

December 4 at 17:20 

Master class “Crocheted Christmas tree decorations”

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office

House of Traditions, Rīgas Street 22a

December 11 at 17:20

Master class “Gingerbread baskets”

Tickets: at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office

House of Traditions, Rīgas Street 22a

December 12 at 16:00

Christmas graphics workshop for families “Welcome to the Museum!”

Participation fee: 6 EUR

Registration by phone: 26564817

Rothko Museum, Mihaila Street 3

For families and children

December 5 at 17:30

Family game “In the Footsteps of St. Nicholas”

Free participation

Polish Cultural Centre, Varšavas Street 30

December 13 at 14:00 – 18:00

Opening of the Christmas residence

Engineering Arsenal, Imperatora Street 8

December 16 at 18:00

Christmas concert performance “On the Planet of the Little Prince”

Free admission

Unity House Concert Hall, Rīgas Street 22a

December 19 at 17:00 and December 20 at 11:00

Family event “Christmas Quiz”

Free participation

Registration by phone: 65449090

Latgale Central Library, Rīgas Street 22A

December 20 at 13:00 – 17:00

Christmas residence

Engineering Arsenal, Imperatora Street 8

Second Day of Christmas – December 26

16:00

Free microphone for children with Santa Claus, Snow Maiden and fairy-tale characters

Vienības/Unity Square

17:00

Concert “Feel Christmas” by the band “Eridana”

Vienības/Unity Square

 Go on a holiday adventure with your family to Daugavpils!

Lights, traditions, warmth and the joy of being together – all of this awaits you in our city.

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The Municipality of Daugavpils invites you to participate in the International Tourism Matchmaking Event in Daugavpils, which will take place on 20–21 November 2025.

The event is organized by the Tourism Division of the Department of Communications, Tourism, and Administrative Support of the Daugavpils City Council.

The aim of the contact fair is to promote cooperation between Latvian and international tourism professionals—including travel agencies, tour operators, and journalists—as well as to showcase Daugavpils as a diverse, inspiring, and worthwhile tourism destination.

Participants will have a unique opportunity to:
• take part in B2B meetings;
• build new business connections;
• discover Daugavpils’ 2026 event calendar;
• explore the city’s most notable tourist attractions;
• experience the offer of local tourism businesses.

Program:

Participation is open to:
Representatives of Latvian and international travel agencies and tour operators, as well as tourism media professionals. The number of participants is limited to 50 participants.

Registration:
Please register by 13 November 2025 (inclusive) by completing the online Registration form

The organizer provides:

• One night’s accommodation;
• A special discount code for transport to/from Riga (Lux Express)

We look forward to welcoming you to Daugavpils – a city where culture, art, nature, and warmth meet.
Let’s create new connections, share experiences, and explore the diversity of tourism in Latgale together!

Information prepared by
Tourism Division
of the Department of Communications, Tourism, and Administrative Support
of the Daugavpils City Council:
Phone.: +371 65422818, +371 26444810
E-mail turisms@daugavpils.lv
WWW www.visitdaugavpils.lv
Social media:
www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.travel
www.instagram.com/daugavpils.travel

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 5 September, the Rothko Museum will unveil its autumn season with six impressive exhibitions that show the richness and vitality of contemporary artistic practice. From the international Martinsons Award and its celebration of excellence in ceramics, to intimate, poetic explorations of memory, time, and nature, the season spans mediums, voices, and visions, promising an immersive encounter with creativity, imagination, and profound artistic expression.

Martinsons Award 2025
The autumn season opens with Martinsons Award, the flagship exhibition of the fifth Latvia Ceramics Biennale, which will unfold through autumn and into winter across venues in Daugavpils, Cēsis, and Liepāja. For the Martinsons Award 2025 at the Rothko Museum, an international panel of experts selected eighty works by artists from thirty countries, including twenty-three Latvians, from an incredible nine hundred and forty-one submissions. On the exhibition’s opening night, the jury will announce the winners, who will share a twenty-thousand-euro prize fund.

Co-curators Aivars Baranovskis and Valentīns Petjko emphasise the exhibition’s scale and breadth: from technically sophisticated pieces with matching conceptual depth to more intuitive, experimental works where clay itself shapes form and rhythm, revealing the poetic dialogue between material and maker. Under the Biennale theme, “From Stardust to Lush Sprouts”, the show reflects on cosmic origins and transformation, highlighting how clay, one of humanity’s oldest materials, continues to inspire contemporary creativity.

Milena Pirštelienė. Matchstick in the Sand
Lithuanian artist Milena Pirštelienė, international Gold Prize winner at the previous Biennale, presents a lyrical meditation on memory, attention, and the often overlooked details of daily life. Focusing on the small and seemingly unimportant – a shadow, a fragment of a street, a match in the sand – she asks: “Do we ever pause before the ‘insignificant’?”

In her hands, ceramics becomes a medium of quiet reflection, subtly revealing how the tiniest of objects can carry memory, emotion, and unexpected depth. The show invites the viewer to slow down, look closely, and rediscover the poetry in the everyday.

Sanita Ābelīte. Creatures
Latvian ceramicist Sanita Ābelīte, national Gold Prize winner at the Martinsons Award 2023, brings imagination to life in “Creatures”, an enchanting world of beings both real and fantastical. From animals of the forest, field, and sky to figures drawn from history and myth, Ābelīte’s creative touch transforms ideas into tangible, expressive forms that feel alive.

Created specifically for this exhibition, the ensemble of characters forms a cohesive, multi-layered world, inviting viewers to step inside and experience the artist’s nuanced vision, where craftsmanship and creativity converge and every form sparks curiosity and reflection.

Lost for words. Poland’s contemporary ceramics
“Lost for Words” presents contemporary ceramics from Poland, guest country of the 5th Latvia Ceramics Biennale. The exhibition’s title, drawn from the Polish expression brak słów, reflects both being speechless in awe and struggling to articulate profound emotion when words alone cannot express the scope of feeling.

Through striking forms, intriguing textures, and symbolic gestures, the twenty-three featured artists shape clay into a universal language, inviting viewers to interpret and connect with the intangible and thus discover resonance and meaning beyond words.

Sandra Strēle. The Night Before
Latvian artist Sandra Strēle presents “The Night Before”, an intimate yet expansive meditation on new motherhood and the fluid boundaries between humanity and nature. Through painting, Strēle explores the ebb and flow of life, where water becomes both witness and agent, preserving, transforming, and revealing connections between the personal and the ecological.

Drawing on hydrofeminist thought, the exhibition examines liminal thresholds of bodies, ideas, and actions while reflecting on ecological change and the fragile, cyclical nature of existence. Strēle’s large-scale series, unfolding in a dynamic continuum she calls seriality, invites viewers to encounter familiar images re-imagined, generating ever-new meanings and resonances.

Uģis Auziņš. Improvised
Latvian painter Uģis Auziņš presents “Improvised”, a celebration of nature’s fleeting moments and ever-changing rhythms. Drawing profusely from the landscape of his birthplace, Auziņš transforms the subtle shifts of light, season, and colour into canvases that engage both the senses and the imagination.

A lifelong observer and sensitive interpreter of the natural world, Auziņš captures the ephemeral beauty of the sky, foliage, and wind, creating works that are at once emotional, reflective, and deeply attuned to the physical world around us.

Exhibition Dates and Opening Night
The Rothko Museum’s autumn season runs from 5 September to 23 November 2025. Two exhibitions – “Martinsons Award 2025” and “Matchstick in the Sand” by Milena Pirštelienė – will extend into the winter season and conclude on 1 February 2026.

Admission is free on opening night.

The Rothko Museum’s autumn exhibition season was prepared in partnership with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics and the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw, with valued support from the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Daugavpils City Council, the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, Embassy of Poland in Rīga, “Format”, “Szkło i Ceramika”, and “Caparol”.

Publicity images:

Rothko Museum. Photo by Didzis Grodzs.
Martinsons Award 2025. Logo.
Milena Pirštelienė. “Matchstick in the Sand”. White clay, pigment drawing, overglaze paint, glaze, 1020 °C, electric firing. 2025.
Sanita Ābelīte. “Creatures”. Ceramics. Varied sizes. 2025.
Karina Marusińska. “Self-Destruction”. Ceramics, synthetic materials, earth, ash, mixed media. Diameter 75 cm. 2023. Photo by Paweł Góral.
Sandra Strēle. “Triumphal Arch”. Water-based paint and acrylic markers on canvas. 80 x 40 cm (detail). 2025.
Uģis Auziņš. “March”. Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 50 cm. 2024

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The Rīgas Street Festival will take place in Daugavpils on September 13th. The festival will take place for the 12th time. The Rīgas Street Festival is a special story, which comes to life every year along the city’s main pedestrian artery.

Music, light installations, dances, art and craft workshops make a unique atmosphere where everyone will find something interesting for themselves.

During the event, the entire Rīga Street will be divided into several thematic sectors – musical stages; creative art section — graffiti, airbrushing, painting; craft workshops – blacksmithing, ceramics and more; in the auto section will be available for viewing American cars, drift cars and motorcycles, also  live sculptures, puppet theatre and  dances performances.

The Rīgas Street Festival was first held in the early 1990s, in 2014 it was revived and since then has been held annually in September. Nowadays, it’s one of the most awaited events in Daugavpils’ cultural life. Rigas Street is a special part of the city’s history: street is one of the first pedestrian streets in Latvia, an important cultural and architectural environment, where tradition meets modernity.

Rīgas Street Festival is hosted by Daugavpils City Council institutions “Vienības nams” Latvian and Latgalian Cultural Centre. Supported by Daugavpils City Council. Creative team of the Festival: Māris Susejs, Līga Čible un Sergejs Vasiļjevs.

Please be advised that photography and filming will be taken at the event for publicity and historical needs of the Daugavpils City Coucil.

Information:
“Vienības nams”
Latvian and Latgalian Cultural Centre
Telephone: +371 20613225
www.vienibasnams.lv

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This summer, Lithuania’s youngest city – Visaginas – proudly marks a milestone: its 50th anniversary. Known for its rich multicultural identity, Visaginas warmly welcomes friends from Daugavpils and all across Latvia to join in the celebrations. The festivities will be at their peak from 31 July to 10 August.

For ten vibrant days, Visaginas will come alive with the rhythm of culture – a celebration where the city’s history, community spirit, and creative present intertwine. The jubilee events will open with a contemporary circus from the Netherlands by Lake Visaginas, and continue with exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, film screenings, and community-led initiatives.

Highlights include:

• A Youth Fashion Exhibition curated by the Alexander Vasiliev Foundation
• The “Atomic Humour Festival” – two hours of high-quality stand-up comedy
• Jazz evenings by the lake at sunset – a magical atmosphere set to music
• A community waltz, uniting the city with performances from local talent
• Nightly “Scanorama” film screenings, showcasing both Lithuanian and European cinema
• A final weekend filled with live music (featuring G&G Sindikatas and Ivan Dorn), DJ parties and a spectacular laser show

The grand finale takes place on 10 August, when Ukrainian pop icon Ivan Dorn takes the main stage for a show-stopping performance, culminating in a dazzling laser show at Santarvė Square.

This celebration is more than just a series of events – it’s an invitation to reconnect, to reflect on our shared history, and to create new memories together.

For the full programme and the latest updates, visit: visaginokultura.lt

Information prepared by:

Visaginas Municipality

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Experience Exchange Trip “Taste the History”: Latvia’s Gastronomic Tourism Offer for Professionals from Šiauliai and Daugavpils

On June 26–27, 2025, within the framework of the project “Culinary Tourism Development through Modern Taste Traditional Lithuanian and Latvian Cuisine” / “Taste the History,” part of the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027, an experience exchange trip took place to explore Latvia’s gastronomic tourism offerings.

To explore Latvia’s tourism offering, representatives from four project partners participated in the trip: the Šiauliai Tourism Information Centre, the Šiauliai Technology Training Centre, the Daugavpils Technical School of Technologies and Tourism, and the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre, along with representatives from food service industry businesses in Daugavpils and Šiauliai.

Over the course of two days, tourism and catering industry professionals from Šiauliai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia) visited several gastronomic tourism sites in the Madona and Preiļi regions. During the trip, participants had the opportunity not only to taste local products and learn about their origin stories, but also to gain in-depth insight into the technological processes behind their preparation, explore the production equipment, and observe work processes in a natural environment. This provided a comprehensive perspective on the region’s culinary heritage and sustainable production practices.

As part of the program, the trip participants visited the organic farm “LAT ANGUS”, the cheese production facility “LĪVI”, the homemade wine producer “Domu Pietura”, the dairy farm “Lazdonas Piensaimnieks”, and the organic farmers’ enterprise “Juri”. Each visit provided a unique insight into the specific operations of the respective business and their contribution to the development of local gastronomic tourism.

The project “Taste the History” is implemented with the support of the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme, promoting cooperation and development of culinary tourism in the border regions.

Information prepared by
Public Relations Department
Municipality of the State City of Daugavpils

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While Daugavpils roars with the sounds of engines and speed, we invite you to seize the opportunity and discover our city’s diverse tourism offerings. From July 3rd to 6th, we’ve prepared special opportunities for you to get to know the culture, art, and history of Daugavpils!

The Daugavpils Fortress Visitors Centre offers an educational guided tour of the Daugavpils Fortress, as well as a visit to the exhibition “Nikolai Gate – A Door to the Past”.
Opening hours:
Thursday to Sunday: 10:00–18:00
Address: Nikolaja Street 5

The Rothko Museum offers guided exhibition tours for groups of up to 25 people
(advance registration required by calling Zhanna Jemeljanova at +371 20364226 or emailing: zanna.jemeljanova@daugavpils.lv).

Group tour schedule:

• July 3: 16:00 (in English)
• July 4: 12:00 (in English), 16:00 (in Latvian)
• July 5: 12:00 (in Latvian), 16:00 (in English)
• July 6: 12:00 (in English)

Entrance tickets: According to the current price list.
Opening hours:

• Thursday–Saturday: 11:00–19:00
• Sunday: 11:00–17:00

Address: Mihaila Street 3

The Daugavpils Centre of Technical and Industrial Design “Engineers’ Arsenal” invites you to visit its exhibitions at a discounted price – €5.00 per person
(presenting your Drift Festival participant card is required).

Opening hours:
Thursday to Sunday: 10:00–19:00
Address: Imperatora Street 8

Daugavpils Regional Studies and Art Museum invites visitors to explore its exhibition halls, offering insights into the rich history of Daugavpils and the surrounding region, as well as a journey through various forms of art.
The museum’s exhibitions and displays tell the stories of local people, traditions, historical events, and the development of art through the centuries.

Entrance fees:
• €6.00
• 50% discount for schoolchildren, students, seniors, members of Latvian Honorary Families with a “3+” card, and family tickets (adults with children)
• Free admission for persons with Group I and II disabilities and their accompanying persons, as well as for preschool-aged children

Special Exhibition:
Until September, visitors can enjoy the Alexander Vassiliev Foundation’s costume exhibition “In the Rhythm of the City,” showcasing the history of fashion and accessories.
Admission: €10.00 (50% discount for schoolchildren, students, and seniors)

Opening hours:
Thursday to Saturday: 10:00–18:00
Sunday: 10:00–16:00
Address: Rīgas Street 8

Daugavpils Clay Art Centre invites you to take part in a creative workshop, which includes a guided tour of the centre, insights into the work of ceramic artists, and the opportunity to create a small clay souvenir.

Advance registration is required by phone: +371 65425302.

The workshop is available in Latvian and Russian.

Ticket price for the creative workshop: €6.00 per person

Opening hours:
Thursday–Saturday: 12:00–18:00
Sunday: 12:00–16:00

Address: 18. Novembra Street 8

The Latgale Culinary Heritage Centre “Šmakovka” invites you to explore its permanent exhibition and the special display “Priekā!”

Entrance fee:
• €6.00
50% discount for schoolchildren, students, seniors, Latvian Honorary Families with a “3+” card, and families (adults with children).
Free admission for people with Group I and II disabilities and their companions, as well as for preschool-aged children.

Opening hours:
Thursday–Sunday: 11:00–19:00

Address: Rīgas Street 22A, Daugavpils

Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre
Up-to-date information about tourist attractions and leisure activities in Daugavpils.

Opening hours:
Thursday–Sunday: 10:00–18:00

Address: Rīgas Street 22A, Daugavpils

Experience not only the adrenaline rush of the drift competition but also the welcoming hospitality and interesting tourist sites of Daugavpils!

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On June 1, on the last day of the City Festival in Daugavpils, a car show hosted by the “Rolling Team” community will take place in the courtyard of the Centre of Technics and Industrial Design «Engineering Arsenal». The event will be held from 10:00 to 17:00. Many cars of different categories from Latvia and Lithuania will take part in the show.

Different contests are planned within the event:

– competition of the most powerful exhaust;

– competition of car audio systems;

– contests for all visitors and other surprises.

Entrance to this event (courtyard) is free of charge.

Let’s celebrate the 750th anniversary of Daugavpils together!

Information: “Rolling Team”

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European Museum Night is an international event that has been held in many European countries since 2005. In addition to regular exhibitions, many museums also organise special events – creative workshops, concerts, theatrical performances etc. The event will be held on Saturday evening, May 17^th and will occur until the early hours of Sunday morning. Entrance is for free.

This year, 17 places in Daugavpils will be awaiting Museum Night 2025 visitors – museums, exhibitions, sacral and cultural institutions will open their doors to everyone and will offer free admission to the permanent exhibitions as well as special events such as workshops, concerts, theatre performances and other activities.

Daugavpils city celebrates its 750th anniversary in 2025. Therefore, in response to the overall theme of the 2025 Museum Night “Stories of Our Values”, Daugavpils will invite visitors to explore the city’s history, places and people that make up Daugavpils’ values. Each of the 17 sites is an important part of this story, reflecting the diversity of Daugavpils, its rich cultural and historical heritage, as well as the personalities whose lives and activities are closely related to our city.

THE MAP OF THE MUSEUM NIGHT 2025 IN DAUGAVPILS

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From 29 May to 1 June, Daugavpils will celebrate its 750th anniversary. This year, the city’s celebrations will expand considerably, offering a varied and rich programme of culture and entertainment.

The celebrations will begin on Thursday, 29 May, at the Daugavpils Fortress, where visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a musical programme in the courtyard of the Rothko Museum – a cabaret concert performance “THIS IS LIFE …”. This musical and theatrical experience will create a special atmosphere where passion, music and the performance of outstanding artists will merge into one breathtaking evening.

On Friday, 30 May, three stages will be set up in the city centre for concerts offering a varied musical programme. Visitors will be able to enjoy attractions, a wide range of markets and outdoor cafés starting on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, 30 May, the Rothko Museum will open its Summer Exhibition Season and Daugavpils Fortress will host a concert by “PALÚ” and “House of Berries”. The festivities will continue in the city centre – in parks, squares and Rīgas Street, as well as on the main stage at the Unity Square, where the performance of the drum and bagpipe band “AUĻI”, the band “LATGALĪŠU REPS”, the concert programme “ABBORN, “ABBA” and the musical show “RICO SANCHEZ and “The GIPSIES” will be held.

On Saturday, 31 May, the city centre will become the epicentre of the festivities. Music, entertainment and various activities will take place throughout the day. There will also be a colourful festive parade, with the participation of both local residents and visitors. At the end of the day, a grand concert will take place in Vienības Square, which promises to be one of the highlights of the festival. “SUDDEN LIGHTS” and “Bi-2” will perform in the Unity Square.

For the second time, the international event “Tourism Street” will take place during the Daugavpils City Festival. Visitors will be able to get new ideas for their holidays in Daugavpils, other parts of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. During the event, professional advice and recommendations for planning an unforgettable holiday for different target audiences will be available. The “Tourism Street” will be open in the city centre – on Ģimnāzijas Street from Saules Street to Rīgas Street:
30 May from 15.00 to 19.00;
31 May from 10.00 to 19.00.

On Sunday, 1 June, youth will take over the baton with sports activities in Vienības Square. There will be a variety of events attracting sports enthusiasts, amateurs and others.

This year the Latgalian tradition of singing together turns 100 years old, and the Latgalian Song Festival celebrates its 85th anniversary. In this regard, the Latgalian Song Festival will take place on 1 June at the Stropi open air stage for the first time in the last 10 years. During the festival there will be several concerts. The culmination will be a big festive concert, which will bring together both Latgalian artists and guests from other parts of Latvia. The programme will include Latgalian folk songs and modern compositions.

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From 10 to 22 March, Daugavpils will welcome graphic artists from nine countries for the 13th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium – a vibrant creative forum for professional printmakers that will result in an exhibition at the Rothko Museum.

As the most significant international event in the graphic medium held in the Latgale Region, the symposium has, over the years, brought together more than a hundred printmakers from over forty countries. Its idea and concept belong to Association SIVIA, which has run the symposium since its inception in 2013 as part of the Rothko Museum’s residency programme. Today, the symposium continues to revitalise the graphic medium in Daugavpils and boost the international profile of Latgale by drawing artists to this vibrant region where creativity can truly thrive.

The symposium format gives artists two productive weeks away from the distractions of daily life, enabling them to concentrate on nothing but creation. Settled in the Rothko Museum’s printmaking studios, they distil their impressions of Daugavpils and its historic fortress and translate Latgale’s distinctive scenery into original artworks for the symposium exhibition. Some choose to hone their long-preferred techniques, while others opt for unconventional experiments to capture the creative impulse of the here and now.

Participation in the forum is competition-based. A jury of experts selected eleven artists from nine countries for the symposium’s 13th edition. Thus, the 2025 team of participants includes Ana Vivoda (Croatia), Anatolijs Šandurovs (Latvia), Antonia-Styliani Taralli (Greece), Caterina De Nisco and Michele Bernardini (Italy), Martyna Rzepecka and Łukasz Koniuszy (Poland), Indraagni Ghosh (India), Lilli-Krõõt Repnau (Estonia), Sioban Piercy (Ireland), and Sirkku Ketola (Finland).

The public will have the opportunity to get to know the artists and explore their practices at a meet-the-artist event scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, 14 March, in the Rothko Museum’s video room.

The symposium will close on 21 March, 4 p.m., in the museum’s gallery space with the unveiling of an exhibition that will display the tangible results of the intense creative fortnight.

Admission to both events is free of charge.

The 13th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium is supported by the Daugavpils City Council, Latvia’s State Culture Capital Foundation, Caparol, and Devona.

Publicity image: In the Rothko Museum’s printmaking studio (photo by Pāvels Terentjevs)

Information: Rothko Museum

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 7 March, the Rothko Museum will inaugurate its first exhibition season of the year with six new projects where art becomes a language for celebrating our humanity and deep connectedness with nature. Alongside solo exhibitions by Ritums Ivanovs, Iveta Šmita, and Basil Alkazzi (UK, Monaco), the season’s programme includes a panorama of Latgalian art, a showcase of Latvian graphics from the Rothko Museum Collection and collaborative ceramics by Silvija Šmidkena and Leons Lukšo.

Ritums Ivanovs. Temple

After years of artistic research and collaboration with the Rothko Museum, Ritums Ivanovs (Latvia) transforms the former military arsenal now housing the museum into a Temple with four chapels, set on the very ground where Mark Rothko, the global visionary of art and thought, was born and used to live. Continuing his deep engagement with portraiture, Ivanovs presents an exhibition that provides an insight into the pages of art history through Ivanovs’ distinctive artistry and Rothko’s timeless intellectual legacy. The monumental portraits become an object reference where we discover the true, the real, and the present artist – Rothko, Rembrandt, and Ritums himself.

“The Temple is a space for self-reflection, awareness, and a direct experience of art. This exhibition – a destination for art’s pilgrims – has been created slowly, step by step, with almost sacred reverence and introspection. Moved by a long and careful reading of ‘The Artist’s Reality’, a book containing Rothko’s writings that were never published in his lifetime, Ivanovs, in his paintings, pulls back the curtain to reveal the universal tensions that all artists navigate, while also offering a glimpse into his own reality and process – the method, inspirations, and persistent dedication that built this Temple,” says Aivars Baranovskis, curator of the exhibition.

Basil Alkazzi. Museum Collection 2007–2024

The Monaco-based British artist and philanthropist Basil Alkazzi paints to celebrate the deep interconnectedness of life in all its forms. The exhibition showcases a significant collection of Alkazzi’s works dating from 2007 to 2024, now part of the Rothko Museum Collection. Inspired by the lush landscapes, flora, and skies of Monaco and the South of France and executed with an extraordinary sense of colour, light, and form, they invite the viewer to contemplate the deep interconnections between the microcosm and the macrocosm, the earthly and the divine.

The exhibition’s curator, Māris Čačka, observes: “Alkazzi’s art resonates with an inner energy that transcends the physical world. Here, the horizon is not a boundary but a passage into realms both known and unknown. The dynamism in his work, the tension between stillness and movement, mirrors the complexity of human experience and the vastness of the universe. (..) So, let the exhibition offer more than just a visual experience. Let it be an invitation to meditate on the profound beauty of the universe and our place within it.”

Iveta Šmita. Let the Forest Be a Forest

Latvian artist Iveta Šmita, from Sigulda, has developed a unique technique of painting on silk using calligraphy ink and a natural staining agent derived from alder bark, which she prepares herself. Her exhibition is an ecologically conscious statement on the problem of deforestation – a poignant issue given that, although Latvians are often considered a ‘forest nation,’ the country’s natural forest biotopes are vanishing at an alarming rate.

The exhibition also features figurative pieces inspired by the art of ballet. How does deforestation tie into classical dance? A recent national study on “Cultural Participation and Its Impact” revealed that only fourteen per cent of Latvia’s population attends opera and ballet performances. Meanwhile, the proportion of the country’s natural forests is rapidly declining, primarily due to industrial logging.

“While Latvia may theoretically boast ample forested areas, they are increasingly dominated by intensively managed monocultures, closely associated with clear-cut zones and artificially cultivated saplings. Will access to a living, diverse forest soon become the privilege of a select few, much like the appreciation of high art, such as ballet, appears to be today?” the artist asks.

Desire. Juried Exhibition from the Latgale Region

Each spring, the Rothko Museum presents the latest instalment of its annual juried exhibition conceived specifically as a platform for local talent. This time, the exhibition theme explores “Desire”. In Latvian, the word is almost perfectly homonymous with ‘election’, identical in all but one small diacritic. This linguistic nuance ties desire to political action – an apt association, given that every election involves an active interplay between our individual expectations and collective choices.

“In Latvian (and many other languages), the meanings of certain words will shift with the presence of diacritic marks. This playful duality inspired the Rothko Museum’s challenge to the artists of Latgale for the 2025 edition of its annual juried exhibition. The theme invites the artists to engage with present-day concerns in the language of art while staying mindful of our personal and collective hopes and visions for the future,” sums up Tatjana Černova, the exhibition’s curator.

The exhibition jury reviewed 87 applications and selected 49 artists whose creativity unfolds in different media – from painting, printmaking, and ceramics to textile, multimedia art, and installation. Their work paints a compelling panorama of the region’s art today.

Selection. Latvian Graphics in the Rothko Museum Collection

From its inception, the Rothko Museum has been committed to expanding its Contemporary Graphic Art Collection, with a dedicated focus on Latvian artists. This collection has evolved through the museum’s annual graphic art symposium and generous donations or strategic purchases after successful solo exhibitions by graphic artists.

The exhibition celebrates eighteen distinguished figures in domestic graphic art, bringing together established masters and the younger cohort of the medium’s practitioners. In this, it throws a metaphoric bridge from past to present, with each selected piece a testament to the enduring power of artistic expression. The concept of selection is compellingly articulated by Māris Čačka, the Rothko Museum Director: “More than a simple compilation, this carefully curated set is both an intellectual statement and emotional decision highlighting the unmistakable creative voice of every featured artist while inviting viewers to explore the rich and stunningly diverse collective landscape of Latvian graphic art. In doing so, we shine a spotlight on the Rothko Museum’s collection and celebrate the individual creative spark of every featured artist.”

Silvija Šmidkena & Leons Lukšo. Constructive Dialogue

Showcasing works from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art, the exhibition invites the viewer into the shared creative world of Silvija Šmidkena (1935–2024) and Leons Lukšo (1930–1984) – two major figures in Latvian professional ceramics since the 1960s, partners in art and life. Their collaborative pieces, created between 1965 and 1984, reflect a unique artistic dialogue shaped during Lukšo’s years at the iconic Ķīpsala Ceramics Studio, a legendary hub of ground-breaking creative innovation for some of Latvia’s finest ceramic artists. In the couple’s creative interchange, Šmidkena’s sensitivity to nature and pursuit of emotional depth blends seamlessly with Lukšo’s minimalist approach to structured geometric form to produce striking artworks that emphasise the intricate dynamic between the artist and the viewer.

On view at the Rothko Museum’s Martinsons House, the exhibition draws parallels between the legacy of the distinguished Latvian ceramicist Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013) and the artistic explorations of his colleagues and contemporaries.

Exhibition Dates and Opening Night

The Rothko Museum’s spring season runs from 7 March to 18 May 2025. Two exhibitions – “Selection: Latvian Graphics in the Rothko Museum Collection” and “Constructive Dialogue” by Šmidkena and Lukšo – will close a week earlier, on 11 May.

Admission is free on opening night.

The Rothko Museum’s spring exhibition season was prepared in partnership with the Latvian National Museum of Art and the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics. The season’s programme is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Daugavpils City Council, the Basil Alkazzi Acquisitions Fund, Devona, and Caparol.

Publicity images:

• Ritums Ivanovs. “Temple. Rothko. Pink”. Acrylic on canvas. 200 x 170 cm, 2024/5 (detail). Photo by Jānis Deinats.
• Basil Alkazzi. “Transmigration II”. Gouache on paper. 58 x 79 cm. 2016.
• Iveta Šmita. “Piece I” from the “Forest” series. Author’s original technique: calligraphy ink on silk and linen. 70 x 50 cm (detail). 2025.
• Nele Zirnīte. “Autumn Shadows”. Etching and linocut on paper. 50 x 65 cm. 2015.
• Silvija Šmidkena & Leons Lukšo. From the “Constructive Shapes” series. H – 29 cm (detail). Clay, glaze. 1973.
• “Desire”. Publicity banner.

Information:
Inga Gedžūne, Rothko museum
inga.gedzune@daugavpils.lv
+371 26070651

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The largest bus transportation company in the Baltic region, Lux Express, transported more than 200 000 passengers on domestic routes in Latvia last year, the company reported.

Since May, SIA “Lux Express Latvija” has been operating commercial routes between Liepāja–Rīga–Daugavpils, attracting an increasing number of regular passengers. From May until the end of the year, the company transported more than 10 000 foreign visitors, mainly from Estonia and Germany. Nearly 2 000 passengers traveled the entire route from Liepāja to Daugavpils.

Due to increasing demand, Lux Express has expanded services to Liepāja and Daugavpils, introducing express routes between Liepāja and Rīga. The company is proud of its positive impact on the market, contributing to industry development and competition.

All routes between Rīga–Liepāja and Liepāja–Daugavpils are operated using 2023-built “Irizar i6s Efficient” buses, which offer one of the highest comfort levels in the industry. These buses are nearly 15% more fuel-efficient than the previous Lux Express modern and economical models.

All buses feature free Wi-Fi and personal multimedia screens. Passengers can enjoy complimentary hot drinks, including coffee, tea, and cocoa. The buses are also equipped with toilets, air conditioning, and power outlets for device charging.

For domestic routes in Latvia, Lux Express offers regular discounts for various passenger groups:

Children up to 16 years old – 40% discount

Youth up to 26 years old – 26% discount

Seniors from 60 years old – 40% discount

Traveling with a pet – 40% discount

For more information about discounts, click here.

For more information and ticket purchases, visit luxexpress.lv or the mobile app.

Information:

Ketija Pētersone
Marketing Specialist
Lux Express Latvia

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Daugavpils will celebrate its 750th anniversary from 29 May to 1 June. Daugavpils city has already started intensive work on the city’s celebration programme, which highlights not only the city’s significant anniversary, but also the 85th anniversary of the first Latgale Song Festival at the Stropu Stage.

This year, the cultural and entertainment programme of the City Festival will be extensive and diverse. The city’s cultural institutions will offer events with a strong focus on exploring the history of Daugavpils.

The celebrations will start on Thursday, 29 May, at the Daugavpils Fortress, where visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a musical programme in the courtyard of the Rothko Museum.

On Friday, 30 May, three stages will be set up in the city centre for concerts offering a varied musical programme. Visitors will be able to enjoy attractions, a wide range of festive market stalls and outdoor cafés starting on Friday.

On Saturday 31 May, the city centre will become the epicentre of the festivities. Music, entertainment and activities will take place throughout the day. There will also be a colourful parade with the participation of both residents and visitors. At the end of the day, a grand concert will take place at the Unity Square, which promises to be one of the highlights of the festival. For the second time, the Daugavpils City Festival will feature a “Tourism Street”, where representatives of the Baltic tourism industry will offer their best tips and advice for an unforgettable holiday here in Daugavpils and in other places.

There will be a variety of events attracting sports enthusiasts, amateurs and others on Sunday, 1 June.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Latgale tradition of communal singing and 85 years since the first Latgale Song Festival was held in Daugavpils. To celebrate this jubilee, the Latgale Song Festival will take place on 1 June at the Stropu Stage, featuring the most beautiful Latgalian folk songs and contemporary compositions. This festival is an important cultural event that celebrates Latvian singing culture, strengthens the identity of Latgale and promotes the development of local music and folk art. The Latgale Song Festival will include a number of cultural events, culminating in a large concert that will bring together local and regional artists, as well as guests from other parts of Latvia.

The programme of events will follow.

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The international passenger carrier “FlixBus” offers affordable long-distance bus services between Latvia (including Daugavpils), Estonia and Lithuania, via Poland and Germany, connecting the Baltic States with the most extensive bus network in Europe.

Come to Daugavpils from various destinations, direct and connecting routes are offered from Polish cities such as Warsaw, Krakow and Białystok; from Ljubljana and Maribor (Slovenia); Szekesfehérvár and Siofok (Hungary), Dolni Kubin (Slovakia) as well as from Riga, Jelgava and Bauska.

Tickets for “FlixBus”  routes in the Baltic States, as well as direct routes to various European countries, can be purchased online at www.flixbus.lv or via the “FlixBus” mobile app.

Baggage is free of charge and there is no need to print tickets – you can check in with your smartphone by scanning the QR code.

“FlixBus” is a German company owned by “FlixMobility GmbH”. “FlixBus” offers 2,500 destinations in 29 European countries.

Information: www.flixbus.lv

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 23th December at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

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1. Daugavpils has one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in Latvia
The Christmas season is the most magical and enchanting time of the year. A stately and magnificently decorated Christmas tree in Unity Square complements the festive atmosphere in Daugavpils every year.

This year, the Christmas tree in Daugavpils is decorated with Latvian symbols of strength. The mountain ash brings blessings and protects against bad energy. Red mountain ash is a source of vitamins for people and an excellent source of food for birds in the high season. Red-breasted woodpeckers, or redbreasts as they are popularly called, are winterers and willingly stay and spend the winter in coniferous forests. This year they have flown to Daugavpils to spend the winter. This is a great honour for the city, because redbreasts symbolize family values ​​and resilience. In turn, the “Auseklītis” (Morning star) in the decoration patterns is a sign of protection, symbolizing the struggle of light with darkness and protecting people.

Santa’s’ residence has opened in Daugavpils Fortress

2. From December 14 to 29, you can visit Santa’s’ residence in the yard of the Daugavpils Technical and Industrial Design Centre “Engineering Arsenal”. It hosts various activities and master classes, and Santa’s’ mailbox is also located there.

The yard of the “Engineering Arsenal” is opened for visitors from Wednesday to Sunday. Participation in activities and entrance to the yard is free.

3. The Rothko Museum has opened its Winter Exhibition Season

This Winter Exhibition Season, the Rothko Museum is hosting six Latvian and foreign exhibition projects. Among the most notable are the exhibition “Beginning and Light” by Italian artist Ernesto Morales and the emotionally profound message “I am at home” by Jekaterina Griškjāne.

Foto: Didzis Grodzs

4. You can visit Christmas markets in Daugavpils
December is the right time to capture the Christmas spirit and get gifts for your loved ones. During the pre-holiday period, from December 4th to 29th, charity fairs are held in the House of Unity and the Daugavpils Palace of Culture to support seniors and people with disabilities. At the fairs, you can buy handicrafts made by seniors and people with disabilities. A wide range of textile products are offered at the fairs – knitted and crocheted gloves, as well as socks and hats, costume jewellery and accessories.

On 21 December, from 10 am to 4 pm, a fair on Rigas Street will take place in Daugavpils. Visitors will be able to buy products from local producers and craftsmen, and other interesting things.

5. Stropi active rest and sports track – a great place for active recreation in winter
Rent skis, put them on your car roof and go enjoy the beautiful nature. Every year, ski slopes are created in the Stropu forest, where you can leisurely glide forward, enjoying the landscapes of the snowy forests.

You can indulge in the joy of cross-country skiing on the Stropi active rest and sports track. The track is fully illuminated, so you can ski during both daylight and dark hours. The track is designed for freestyle skiers, and its length is just under three kilometres.

6. Only in Daugavpils can you take a ride on a tram manufactured at the Riga Wagon Factory at the end of the last century

Dodoties braucienā ar retro tramvaju, ikvienam ir iespēja redzēt ne tikai pilsētas vēsturiskās vietas, bet arī ikdienas dzīvi Daugavpilī. No retro tramvaja logiem pavērsies brīnišķīgi skati uz nozīmīgākajiem pilsētas objektiem, ļaujot izbaudīt pilsētas arhitektūru un kultūru.

The retro tram tour is available by prior arrangement only. To book, please contact SIA “Daugavpils satiksme” by phone +371 20012140 or e-mail: reklama@dsatiksme.lv.

7. Daugavpils is easily accessible by public transport

All roads lead to Daugavpils! When traveling to Daugavpils, you have the opportunity to choose the most convenient form of public transport for yourself:

• With the new Lux Express bus route, Daugavpils is easily accessible even from Liepāja.
• Daugavpils is reachable by Flixbus buses from Vilnius, Warsaw, Tallinn, Prague and other European cities.
• On December 15, 2 new train routs to/from Daugavpils will be introduced, increasing the total number of train services to Daugavpils.

8. In Daugavpils, you can spend an unforgettable New Year’s Eve and enjoy a concert by the band “Citi zēni”

New Year’s Eve in Daugavpils will be bright and exciting. On December 31, from 23:00, a New Year’s Eve event will begin with dance music at Unity Square,
at 24:00 – New Year’s Eve, at 00:15 – a concert by the group “Citi zēni” and from 01:15 to 03:00 dance music will be played. At the culmination of the festivities, New Year’s fireworks will sparkle joyfully on Daugavpils.

9. At the Daugavpils Ice hall, you can enjoy the joy of skating with your family or friends.

Daugavpils Ice hall offers everyone the opportunity to improve your skating skills. Skating enthusiasts have the opportunity to enjoy skating with the stick.

10. Daugavpils invites you to enjoy an extensive holiday program that will delight both adults and children!

Until January 16, 2025, Daugavpils will mark the time of waiting and celebrating Christmas with various events and activities: from the lighting of the Advent wreath and the main holiday tree to Christmas and New Year, the celebrations of which, in anticipation of the 750th anniversary of Daugavpils, promise to be especially joyful and fun this time.

Information prepared by:
Department of Public Relations and Tourism of Daugavpils City Municipality
Tourist Service Centre
Phone: +371 65422818:
Mobile phone: +371 26444810
E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv
Web: www.visitdaugavpils.lv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.travel
www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.Events
Instagram: www.instagram.com/daugavpils.travel

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On December 5, event “Export and Innovation Award 2024” was held at Riga Castle, organized for the 19th time by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) to motivate the growth of companies, state and municipal institutions. This year`s award in nomination “The most export-capable new tourism product in a group of associations, foundations, planning regions or municipal institutions” travels to Latgale – Centre of Technics and Industrial design “Engineering arsenal” becomes the winner in this category!

Appliance for award in category “Most export-capable new tourism product” was open for entrepreneurs, associations, foundations, planning regions or municipal institutions that has introduced a new tourism product to the market in the last two years that is sustainable, innovative, high-quality and has high added value, providing the opportunity for tourist involvement, and is suitable for the needs of foreign tourists.

Centre of Technics and Industrial design “Engineering arsenal” participated in this prestigious competition for the second time. Expert jury, seeing the institution’s stable work and efforts to occupy an important niche in the field of technical tourism, decided to award the applicant from Daugavpils. At the award ceremony center was represented by exhibition curators Ainārs Pankjāns and Anna Nariškina. Head of the institution, Raitis Ķikusts, considers this impressive success as an important step in promoting the city of Daugavpils:

“This award is a recognition of great teamwork – contribution of each involved employee and our partners, who gave their energy for developing “Engineering arsenal”. We are happy that Daugavpils tourism offer is becoming increasingly recognizable and that a new “anchor object” is operating and developing in our region. I am pleased and honored to be part of this team.”

Centre of Technics and Industrial design “Engineering arsenal” opened its doors in May 2023 and is currently considered the largest exhibition of motorized vehicles in Latgale region. In the same year, institution became the laureate of the Latgale Tourism Association’s “Latgale Tourism Annual Award 2023” and began to attract thousands of tourists and technology enthusiasts from Latgale, Latvia and abroad.

Information: 
Centre of Technics and Industrial design “Engineering arsenal”
Daugavpils, Imperatora iela, 8
(+371) 28 033 133

www.facebook.com/Inzenieru.arsenals
www.instagram.com/inzenieru_arsenals
www.tiktok.com/@inzenieru_arsenals

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 29 November, the Rothko Museum will launch its winter season, closing the year with six profoundly moving exhibitions. The season’s international dimension comes from “The Beginning and the Light”, a metaphysically oriented solo exhibition by the Italian-Argentine artist Ernesto Morales. Also on show are five domestic projects – the sombre and expressive “Wind Breaker” by Gustavs Filipsons, the enigmatic “Islands” by Mārtiņš Zitmanis, the spiritual and luminous “Eternal Child” by Ruta Štelmahere, the tenderly reminiscent “I’m in the House” by Jekaterina Griškjāne, and the gently comforting “Warm Light” by Inese Margēviča.

“The Beginning and the Light” by Ernesto Morales

The winter season introduces to the local public Ernesto Morales, an Argentinian whose creativity unfolds in Italy since 2006. More recently, Morales has anchored his creative practice in the themes of origin and light. The artist’s interest transcends the purely metaphysical realm. His radiant yet clouded compositions help him trace how space, in dialogue with the viewer’s movement, can alter how the painting is perceived depending on its interaction with the ambient light.

“The exhibition title is about awakening and triumph, a source of strength that fuels growth, renewal, betterment, and new creation. A thinking and perceptive viewer will notice how Morales paints the essence of the universe’s origins, his clouds absorbing and reflecting light in an eternal cycle: spilling into lakes, rivers, and seas before returning, rising up again, reflected in the oceanic mirror, to form new clouds and thereby signal a perpetual rebirth and an interminable new beginning,” comments Māris Čačka, Morales’s curator for the current show.

“Wind Breaker” by Gustavs Filipsons

The latest solo exhibition by Gustavs Filipsons outlines his personal progression through almost fully black and monochrome abstraction. The artist’s famously expressive style draws its dynamic energy from the robust, wind-beaten shores of Kurzeme, the western coastal region of his native Latvia. The vastness that unfolds within the black in Filipsons’s paintings defies all spatial boundaries and dimensions. What happens in the dark is both irrational and mesmerising, and the layered textures seem to be suggesting an experience, a dream, a vision.

“The images appearing in my work are beacons that guide my soul on its unfolding journey through the dark – a voyage that will ultimately bring me home. We all seek inner peace and balance, but without us diving deep into our souls, without profound purification that will cleanse us from our fears, malevolence, and selfish greed, we’ll never find true happiness or freedom. All our experiences are active forces that move us towards freedom and help us to keep changing for the better. But it will only happen if we truly want it,” the artist opens up about what underpins his work.

“Islands” by Mārtiņš Zitmanis

The “islands” that the artist Mārtiņš Zitmanis refers to in his exhibition title are painted objects that appear in almost everything he paints. The exhibition leans towards abstraction, but the “island objects” invariably take centre stage. From realism to abstraction, the viewer is continuously invited to reflect on the specific lens and properties of Zitmanis’s mental archipelago and to consider where we all are drifting in humanity’s vast ocean of ideas.

“For me, an observation sparks association, which, in turn, suggests an image. The latter I develop, discarding anything that feels excessive, into a geometrically structured graphic composition, with its distinctive lines and planes, metallic surface properties, and rhythmic textures. I’m drawn to mediaeval iconography and modern sculpture – their way of representing things that isn’t literal or strictly realistic but can be likened in its impact to an ornamental sign,” the artist says.

For Zitmanis, who spent the first thirteen years of his long, itinerant career in Daugavpils, the exhibition is a homecoming – a return to the earliest in a line of memorable “islands” that have anchored him in his creative voyage.

“Eternal Child” by Ruta Štelmahere

Ruta Štelmahere, Latvian artist, poet and art educator, draws from defining moments of her life – embracing faith in God, the birth of her two children and the passing of her parents. These moments have been her sacred, enigmatic glimpses of eternity when she has brushed the curtain that separates us from the great beyond. This final frontier is where we all come face to face with our eternal child, so vulnerable and genuine.

“A shining image flashes in the cloud of light that is my childhood – my first awareness of eternity and time, infinity and space. Immediately, ageless archetypal questions are storming through my fledgling mind. I’m wondering what existed before I came to be and what will happen once I am gone. What does it mean to be and never end? And how can something have no end? Our inner child is growing and maturing as we live, yet it remains a child, holding the hand of God the Father, our eternal origin and destination,” Štelmahere says.

The artist navigates these timeless questions in her painting with depth and reverence for the sacred, endlessly reaching for the edge of light and bearing faithful witness to its revelations.

“I’m in the House” by Jekaterina Griškjāne

Jekaterina Griškjāne, artist and children’s book illustrator, adds to the winter season with her moving solo exhibition, deeply rooted in a painful loss and journey of acceptance – a young mind trying to make sense of the departure of someone dear. The artist was only nine years old when her secure and happy world was shaken by the passing of her grandfather, who’d been her closest friend. Not fully understanding what exactly death entailed, she felt it had to be a kind of final passage. The exhibition traces such a journey between two worlds and draws from a first-hand experience of facing death and navigating the rugged path towards acceptance.

“My message is that death need not be feared because our loved ones remain within us, living forever in our hearts, their final home,” sums up the artist.

“Warm Light” by Inese Margēviča

On view in the Rothko Museum’s Martinsons House, the latest solo show by Inese Margēviča, a noted Latvian ceramicist, explores the two-way interaction between humans and plants by diving into our reciprocity and energy exchange, which gives us inspiration, solace and support. The exhibits all feature a recurring image – wild cyclamen, seen by the artist in the wild in an abandoned garden in off-season France.

“I wonder what wild cyclamen is doing, cocooned in velvety, protective dark, and if it feels the gardener’s caring hands when gently nestled in a bank of soil. Or maybe it is sound asleep, and the unsightly wood-like bulb is destined to remain forever dormant in its unappealing form? What is this force that changes everything and coaxes from the humble root a tender shoot that starts unfurling, reaching up towards the sun, then grows into a delicate rosette, develops leaves, and ultimately blossoms into soft pink blooms? Slowly, the plant transforms and starts to breathe anew….” the artist opens up about her inspiration.

The Rothko Museum’s winter season runs from 29 November 2024 to 23 February 2025. Still on view from the autumn season through 16 February 2025 is “Disegno Interno: Surrender to Your Obsessions” – a sweeping tribute exhibition celebrating the iconic surrealist filmmaker Jan Švankmajer and Eva Švankmajerová, his wife and co-creator (Czechia).

Admission to the new exhibitions is free on opening night.

Supporters: State Culture Capital Foundation, Daugavpils City Council, Italian Embassy in Latvia, Devona, Caparol.

Information: Rotko muzejs

Publicity photo: Gustavs Filipsons, Wind Breaker, oil on plywood, 120 x 160 cm, 2021

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Christmas season in Daugavpils will begin soon! On November 30th the first candle in the big Advent wreath will be lit, and on December 1st the main Christmas tree will be illuminated with colourful lights on the main square.

Various surprises await those who visit Daugavpils in December. The city will be lit up with Christmas lights! The city’s decorations this year will be dominated by bullfinches, rowan trees, traditional Latvian signs, glowing branches, as well as red, green and gold colour combinations that symbolise comfort, safety, strength and happiness.

On the eve of Advent, on November 30th, at 4 pm near St. Peter’s Catholic Church, a candle-lighting event on the big Advent wreath will take place.

On December 1st at 5 pm on Unity Square, the lights on the city’s main festive tree will be lit and Christmas songs will be played. Also, this year, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy festive attractions, a cityscape on the observation wheel, as well as taste gingerbread and other festive treats offered by local entrepreneurs in Unity Square.

The Christmas and New Year period until January 16th in Daugavpils will be filled with various events – concerts, creative workshops and master classes, thematic excursions, plays, fairs, exhibitions and various events.

Information: Department of Public Relations of Daugavpils City Municipality

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 17th november at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

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The Rothko Museum invites artists to apply to its 2025 symposium programme, which will feature four major international events in painting, graphics, and ceramics.

The first event in the 2025 line-up, the 13th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium, will run from 10 to 22 March 2025. This vibrant creative forum remains the most significant international printmaking event in Latvia’s Latgale Region. Co-produced with the SIVIA Association, it aims to revitalise the graphic medium in Daugavpils and boost Latgale’s international profile by drawing artists to this dynamic space where creativity can thrive. Applications are welcome till 25 January 2025.

From 28 April to 16 May 2025, the Rothko Museum will host the 13th International Ceramic Laboratory Symposium. Organised in a close partnership with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, this open platform for contemporary experiments in the ceramic medium attracts the world’s leading ceramic artists, who spend almost three weeks in a shared studio space exploring different firing techniques – from electric and wood firing to more innovative, experimental technologies. Applications are welcome till 31 January 2025.

From 21 to 31 July 2025, the Rothko Museum will partner with the Balvi Municipality to organise the 9th Valdis Bušs International Painting Plein Air. Taking place in Viļaka, a scenic town in eastern Latvia, it commemorates Valdis Bušs, a renowned Latvian landscapist who was born there, and promotes Viļaka as an excellent destination for artists with a focus on quality, professionalism and sustainable growth. Applications are welcome till 30 April 2025.

Finally, from 12 to 27 September, the Rothko Museum will host the twenty-first instalment of its signature creative forum – the Mark Rothko International Painting Symposium. Mark Rothko’s name and unmistakable iconic style remain intensely relevant today, and the two-week tribute symposium held in his birthplace attracts worldwide attention, especially from the artists who resonate with Rothko’s visual language and profound philosophy. Applications are welcome till 1 June 2025.

For application details, please visit the Rothko Museum’s website: https://rothkomuseum.com/en/museum/catalogues/symposia/.

Contact details:

Inga Gedžūne
+371 65430279
inga.gedzune@daugavpils.lv

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Discover the autumnal mood and take part in a variety of exciting events for families and groups of friends. From cultural delights to sporting activities, there’s something for everyone. Join your friends and family for unforgettable autumn moments!

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Everyone is invited to take part in the vibrant and exciting events taking place in Daugavpils from 18 to 24 October!
Whether you are a culture, music or sports lover, this week in Daugavpils offers something for everyone!

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From 11 October to 17 October, Daugavpils will host exciting cultural events offering a variety of activities for every visitor and resident of the city.
We invite you to join us for an unforgettable week of art, music, folk traditions and entertainment.

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From 11 October to 3 November, Daugavpils Central Park will become the mysterious “Horror Park”, which promises to be the most ambitious and spectacular event of this autumn. Every evening from 3 pm to 10 pm, the park will open its doors to all those who are willing to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of mysticism and fear.

Last year, the “Horror Park” in the city of Bauska attracted thousands of tourists from all over Latvia. And this year, the hosts have decided to bring the Horror Park to Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia! In Daugavpils, guests will be greeted by terrifying scenery, scary sculptures and interactive zones. The park will feature more than 200 objects – pumpkin and spider web mazes, “live” zombies ready to scare even the bravest visitors. Special attention has been paid to the design and lighting to make every corner of the park look even scarier in the evening hours.

What can you expect at the “Horror Park” in Daugavpils?

– A witch’s house on hen’s legs: children can take part in magic rituals and the witch will give them unusual advice.

-Magic labyrinths: mysterious corridors of spider webs and lanterns where you can test your courage.

-Photo zones: specially designed areas for taking terrifying and colourful photos to remember this event for a lifetime.

Whether you are an adult or a child, whether you like edgy sensations or are simply looking for unusual entertainment, the Horror Park in Daugavpils offers something for everyone.

Entrance fee:
– Adult ticket – 10 euro
– Children’s ticket (6-12 years) – 5 euros
– Senior ticket – 5 euros
– Children under 6 and people with disabilities – free.

The organisers invite everyone to follow the Horror Park’s news and competition announcements on Facebook and TikTok to find out about all the surprises that await visitors to the park.

“The organisers of the Horror Park also invite catering companies to join the event.
Contacts: Facebook or e-mail: shausmu_parks_daugavpils@inbox.lv.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this most exciting autumn event!

Information: Horror Park 

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From 20th September to 26th September, Daugavpils will host exciting cultural events offering a variety of activities for every visitor and resident of the city.
We invite you to join us and enjoy an unforgettable week of art, music, folk traditions and entertainment.

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Everyone is invited to the events from 13th September to 19th September. The week will be packed with interesting events for all ages and interests. Follow the programme and don’t miss out on exciting events.

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From 6th to 12th September, Daugavpils will host a variety of exciting events. We invite everyone to join us and enjoy this wealth of cultural, artistic and sporting activities.

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 8th September at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

To apply, please call +371 26444810.

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From 23 to 29 August, all residents and visitors of Daugavpils are invited to enjoy the city’s diverse events!
Don’t miss the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends, enjoying the cultural and sporting life of Daugavpils.

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New and exciting events are expected every day, suitable for families and groups of friends.
Don’t miss your chance to experience something special this week!

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 25th August at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

To apply, please call +371 26444810.

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The Baltic Way, a demonstration of unity in which two million people joined hands to form a chain across the Baltic Sea, turns 35 this year!

To mark the anniversary of this landmark event, 48 airBaltic aircraft will be named after Baltic cities. Each of the three Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – will be honoured with 16 aircraft.

At the end of the month, airBaltic will announce the final results and the cities after which the aircraft will be named. The citizens of Daugavpils are encouraged to continue to show their support for the city, which will help to boost the city’s chances of winning, thus ensuring that the name of Daugavpils is heard on a wider scale.

This is a unique opportunity for our city to become visible around the world as the name of Daugavpils takes to the skies, launching flights to various destinations.

Vote here!

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If you are planning a holiday in Daugavpils from 9th August to 15th August, take a look at the cultural and sports events on offer.

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On 17 August, the first “Beer Festival” will be held in Daugavpils. From 6 pm to 10:30 pm visitors will be able to taste a variety of beers, enjoy energetic rhythms of music, get an insight into culinary heritage and enjoy being together in A. Pumpura Square.

August is traditionally the month of harvesting grain throughout Latvia. It has long been a tradition for farmers to set aside some of the grain from the harvest to brew beer, which was put on the festive table with great honour. Every region of Latvia has different methods and tools for brewing beer, because beer, like bread, carries centuries-old traditions and unites people.

The programme of the festival:

– from 6 pm – the offer of breweries and cafes;

– from 6 pm to 8 pm – Juris Ostrovskis will perform famous and popular songs;

– from 6 pm – Daugavpils Latvian Society will participate in the festival and will present a variety of events specially prepared for this festival;

– from 6 pm to 9 pm – the Latgalian Culinary Heritage Centre “Šmakovka” invites everyone to visit its exhibition at a special discounted price, as well as to get an insight into the exhibition of beer glasses;
Visitors will be able to watch demonstrations of making “strong” drinks and take part in creative masterclasses in A. Pumpur Square.

– From 8 pm to 10:30 pm the group “Dabasu durovys” will present the best dance music.

Breweries from different parts of Latvia will take part in the festival.

Please be informed that drinking alcohol has negative impacts. It is forbidden to sell, buy or pass drinks to the under-age persons.

Information:
Department of Public Relations and Tourism of Daugavpils City Municipality
Phone: +371 65422818, +371 26444810
E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv

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From July 29 to August 3, the municipality of Visaginas will celebrate its 49th birthday. This neighbouring Lithuanian city invites Latvian friends to experience an impressive city festival program!

Distinguished artists from various European countries will grace Visaginas with their talents, culminating on August 3 with NOIZE MC, now residing in Vilnius and freshly back from a musical tour across Europe and the USA, presenting an unforgettable performance featuring the program “Swan Lake”!

Visaginas 49th City Festival Program:

July 29, Monday

6:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Greentrials (Latvia) / Greentrials Bike Tour (Extreme bicycle show)

7:00 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Visaginas Ballet / Vitalij Grabov / Laura Geraščenko (Visaginas / Klaipėda) / You Are Beautiful, My Beloved, You Are Beautiful

And Rima Pipoyan / Voicech Žuromskas (Armenia / Lithuania) / Me, My non-Self and I (Contemporary Ballet)

7:45 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Alexsandre Vassiliev Fund (Lithuania) / The Show Must Go On (Exhibition opening / Costume exhibition)

10:00 PM | VKC cinema theater “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (Ireland, UK, USA) / Scanorama Summer Night Cinema: Poor things (N-18) (Cinema)

July 30, Tuesday

3:00 PM | VKC “Sedulina”, exhibition space, Vilties g. 5 / Young Artists Club “Palette” / Scent of August (Exhibition opening)

5:00 PM | Visaginas Public Library branch (Sedulinos al. 14/3) / Visaginas Public Library

Home Is Where the Heart Is (Creative meeting with Margarita Simonova)

7:00 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Henri Herbert (USA) / Blues Piano Grooves / Paid(Music)

9:00 PM | VKC “Banga” terrace, Parko g. 16 / Alina Orlova with a group

10:30 PM | VKC cinema theater “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Dir. Luca Guadagnino (Italy, USA)

Scanorama Summer Night Cinema: Bones and All (N-18) (Cinema)

July 31, Wednesday

11:00 AM | Vilties g. 1 / Visaginas Social Services Center / Hug Your City (Seniors’ hike)

12:00 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Klaipėda Puppet Theater / The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane / Paid (For children)

6:30 PM | VKC “Banga”, Parko g. 16 / Šeiko Dance Theater / The Four Seasons / Paid (Dance Theater)

8:00 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Open Circle (Vilnius) / Will Pass / Paid (Theater)

10:00 PM | VKC cinema theater “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Dir. Valdimar Johannsson (Iceland, Sweden, Poland) / Scanorama Summer Night Cinema: Lamb (N-16) (Cinema)

August 1, Thursday

6:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Klaipėda Puppet Theater / About Fish and People (Puppet/Object Theater)

7:00 PM | Amphitheater near VKC “Sedulina”, Vilties g. 5 / Vilnius Dance Theater “Low Air”

Just the Two of Us (Urban Dance)

8:00 PM | VKC “Sedulina”, near Skatepark, Vilties g. 5 / Open Visaginas Wall (Opening)

9:00 PM | VKC cinema theater “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7

Dir. Kristoffer Borgli (Norway, Sweden)

Scanorama Summer Night Cinema: Sick of Myself (95’, N-16)

Cinema

August 2, Friday

11:00 AM | VKC “Sedulina”, Vilties g. 5 / Solemn session of Visaginas Municipal Council

1:00 PM | Vilties g. 1 / Visaginas Social Services Center / Exhibition of archival photographs (City Builders)

3:00 PM | St. Apostle Paul Church, Santarvės g. 1 / Service for Visaginas

4:30 PM | Visaginas City Museum, Tarybų g. 23 / Museum opening

6:00 PM | “Atgimimo” Gymnasium Amphitheater, near Tarybų g. 23 / Rhizome (France)

Bleu Tenace / Circus/Physical Theater

7:00 PM | VKC “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Kauri Honkakoski Company (Finland/Sweden) / The Desk / Paid (Physical Theater)

9:00 PM | VKC “Banga” terrace, Parko g. 16 / Jazz Trio Elpo (Latvia) / Quiet Treasures (Jazz)

10:30 PM | VKC cinema theater “Draugystė”, Parko g. 7 / Dir. Julia Ducournau (France)

Scanorama Summer Night Cinema: Titane (N-18) (Cinema)

August 3, Saturday

10:00 AM | Santarves aikste / Fair

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Sedulinos al. (outdoor, near Visaginas Public Library branch) / Visaginas Public Library / Cookie Truck / Digital education in the little train

3:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Made in Visaginas (Fair)

3:00 PM | VKC “Banga”, Parko g. 16 / Children’s program (For children)

4:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Discovery Meadow

6:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Community Stage (Multidisciplinary event)

7:30 PM | Santarves aikste / Inga Briazkalovaitė (Klaipėda) / Flight (Vertical Dance)

8:00 PM | Santarves aikste / Noize MC / Swan Lake (Music)

10:00 PM | VKC “Banga” terrace, Parko g. 16 / DJ Class Party (Disco)

12:00 AM | VKC “Banga” terrace, Parko g. 16 / DJ SKAI (Denmark/Lithuania) / Night Disco(Disco)

Organizer: Visaginas Cultural Center

Sponsors: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Visaginas Municipality, Kogus, American Corner Visaginas, Viada, Visagino linija

Partners: Christopher Summer Festival, Tytuvėnai Festival, Scanorama, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT), ConTempo Festival, Alexsandre Vassiliev Fund, Meno Avilys, Art Residency “Taškas”, Visaginas Academy of Arts and Creativity, Visaginas Social Services Center, Visaginas Public Library

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The 7th International Living History Festival “Dinaburga 1812” will be held in Daugavpils Fortress on July 13^th.

On Saturday, July 13th, from 10:00 AM, there will be a flea market, a market of homemade products, and cafes on Mihaila and Nikolaja Streets. There will be a children’s attraction area and an exhibition of military equipment and weapons from the National Guard and Latvian Riflemen near “Martinsons House”. In additional, the inner courtyard of the Engineers’ Arsenal will be open for visitors until 7:00 PM. Free entrance.

At 11:30 AM, the ceremonial opening of the Nicholas Gate will begin.

At 12:00 PM, the noon shot will sound, and the march of historical reenactment clubs will start towards the Commandant’s Garden, where flowers will be laid at the monument-fountain dedicated to the construction of the fortress.

From 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM, a workshop “Try Ancient Hand Tools” will take place in the courtyard of the Engineers’ Arsenal.

At 1:00 PM, the folklore ensemble “Rusiči” (Daugavpils Russian Culture Centre) will perform near the Nicholas Gate.

At 2:00 PM, a duel – reenactment performance will take place in the fortress moat.

At 3:00 PM, the main event of the day will take place: the reenactment of the battle of the fortress defence.

At 4:00 PM, living history clubs will be honoured, and a commemoration will take place near the stage in the courtyard of the Rothko Museum.

At 5:00 PM, in the premises of the gunpowder storage in the 8th bastion on Nikolaja Street 15, the opening of the photo exhibition “Forts: Invasion of Colours” (Lithuania) will take place.

At 6:00 PM, on the wooden deck behind the Daugavpils Fortress Visitor Centre, an Empire Ball will take place, and the folklore ensemble “Rusiči” will perform historical romances.

At 10:00 PM, on the stage in the courtyard of the Rothko Museum, there will be a concert by the post-folklore group “Rikši”.

The festival is organised by the Daugavpils City Municipality and the Daugavpils City Municipal Institution, “Daugavpils Fortress and Museum Administration”.

Photography and filming will take place during the event.

For more information: phone 28686331, e-mail: cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv

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From 12 to 14 July Daugavpils will host the biggest motorsport event of the season for the 11th time – Daugavpils Drift Festival 2024.

On 12 July, there will be practice sessions at the kart track, a parade race and the opening parade at the Vienības Square, on 13 July the official practice sessions and qualifying races, and on 14 July the tandem battles or the main competition day with the grand opening and the intense tandem battles.

Tickets are available for pre-sale at www.bilesuserviss.lv and at “Circle K” petrol stations, as well as on the day of the event.

For more information about the event, stay tuned:
Facebook: Latvian Drift page
www.driftlatvia.com

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During the summer, we invite you to take part in a wide variety of events and festivals that will be organised at the Daugavpils reservoirs. Plan your trip to Daugavpils early!

June

On 29 June at 10.00 am on the central beach of Daugavpils city by the Stropu Lake, we invite all sports enthusiasts and beach volleyball fans to an exciting event – the Open Beach Volleyball Championship! REGULATIONS.

This year, on 28-30 June, for the 37th time, the biggest orienteering festival in the Baltics will take place –  “Kāpa 2024”. Every year the competition is held in a different part of Latvia and this year it will take place in Latgale, in Daugavpils Rugeļi water reservoir. The competition will be held not only in classical orienteering, but also in trail orienteering and orienteering on bicycles or MTBO. To register or for more information, visit the race website 2024.kapa.lv

July

On 13 July, at 12.00 pm, Daugavpils Stropu Lake Rowing Base (Stropu Street 40) will host – “Daugavpils Cup in kayaking and canoe rowing 2024”. Applications can be sent to dinaburg.dragon@inbox.lv until 9 July, 17:00.

On 20 July at 10.00 am on the central beach of Daugavpils city by the Stropu Lake, we invite all sports enthusiasts and beach volleyball fans to an exciting event – the Open Beach Volleyball Championship! REGULATIONS.

On 20 July, at 10.00 am., Daugavpils will host the International “Dragon Boat” Festival for the sixth time. The competition will take place in Stropu lake near the rowing base (Stropu street 40). Pre-registration is required (team name, participation group, list of participants, uniform colour, captain’s name, contact details). The application must be sent by e-mail to dinaburg.dragon@inbox.lv by 19 July. 23:59.

On 20 July, at 10.00 am., in the surroundings of the Rugeļi Reservoir, a popular adventure and hardship race – “Courage Race 2024” – is organised, which is held outdoors and attracts participants of different fitness levels – both professional athletes and beginners. The race will test your physical and mental abilities on courses of different lengths, overcoming both natural and man-made obstacles, performing various tasks, as well as enjoying the scenery and the splendour of the city. Registration and details here.

August

For the second year in a row, the youth and sports festival “Artišoks” will take place at its new home, the central beach of the Big Stropu Lake, on 3 August, starting at 10.00. The festival programme is planned to be wide and varied with various sports activities – table tennis, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, orienteering, beach volleyball, Mamanet tournament, speedway, motocross, archery, water fights, video games, basketball. Many opportunities for young people to explore career options and projects.

On 3 August, at 10.00, there will also be the opportunity to take part in the “Summer of Youth” competition (3rd stage). It will take place on the beach of the Big Stropu Lake. Teams must register in advance by filling in the APPLICATION FORM and sending it to ivars.caune@daugavpils.lv. For more information please contact 29226783.

See you in Daugavpils!

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 30th June at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils. Registration by calling +371 26444810

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Since 8 September 2023, the 7th bastion casemate of the Daugavpils Fortress is officially available in its new function – as an open-storage chamber for contemporary ceramics from the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre (soon-to-be museum) collection.

Open storage is still underused in Latvian museum practice – so far, only a few heritage institutions enable the public to see their treasures beyond the normally closed repository setting. Open-storage facilities aim to give maximum access to museum collections that would otherwise stay behind closed repository doors and be mostly unavailable to the general public. The idea to bring the closely guarded museum collections out into the public eye originated in Canada in the 1970s and 80s. At the start, the new approach was called a radical shift and embodied an early attempt to move beyond the habitual museum practice. Today, this is no longer a new and surprising development. After all, the new museum definition has expanded its functions, lifting into the foreground accessibility to an increasingly broader spectrum of social groups along with diversified communication through tangible and intangible heritage tools.

The Rothko Museum’s open-storage facility displays a significant part of a vast contemporary ceramics collection steadily and purposefully acquired for no less than a decade. Its origins date back to 2013 when the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre held its first International Ceramic Laboratory Symposium, which became an annual tradition. From then on, the collection has been expanding yearly with the latest symposium output. Other acquisition sources are the Latvia Ceramics Biennale with its Martinsons Award and an eponymous international juried exhibition instituted in 2016, as well as some other juried exhibitions and a few targeted purchases. Professional curators have been attracting domestically and internationally renowned ceramic artists and achieving their representation in the Rothko Museum collection. At this point, the museum’s Contemporary Ceramics Collection has grown to more than 500 artworks, which makes it Latvia’s largest and most valuable repository of contemporary ceramic art.

The new open-storage chamber displays over a hundred artworks by artists from 40 countries. The open-access solution enables the public to explore the diversity of ceramic art and appreciate the artists’ creativity and professionalism in dealing with different earthen materials (from clay and chamotte to stoneware and porcelain) and multiple firing techniques.

The open-storage chamber is available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The 7th bastion of the Daugavpils Fortress was restored in an EU-funded project “Cross-Border Loyalty Programme for Culture and Tourism” under the European Neighbourhood Instrument.

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With the onset of warm weather, Daugavpils offers trips along the Daugava on the boat “Sikspārnis” and the boat “Dina”. During the trip, you will be pleased with the beautiful views of the Daugava and the opportunity to enjoy views of the city from the water. It is also a great way to spend time with family and friends.

Trips with a boat “Sikspārnis” are organised at certain times from the “Restime pier” (Lielā Street 55, from the Grīva side). During the boat trip, passengers have the opportunity to see the Unity Bridge, the outskirts of Daugavpils, the Daugavpils Fortress and be acquainted with the biological diversity of the river. Passengers can have a picnic on the water, taking food or hot drinks with them, and admire the beauty of the Daugava. The name “Sikspārnis” (“Bat”) is given to the boat in honour of bats that live in the territory of the fortress and are one of the symbols of Daugavpils Fortress. The boat “Sikspārnis” is decorated with various woodcarvings, the bat as a symbol, there are shields on one side of the ship, the inscription “I love Daugavpils” is inside, as well as a Viking is depicted in woodcarving.

Maximum number of passengers on the boat “Sikspārnis” is 13. By prior request, you can book boat trips in groups for celebrations, hen and stag parties. Working time: Monday – Saturday: by request. Individual orders are possible – excursions, parties and wedding trips. Price: adults – 8 euro, children (from 4 to 12 years old) – 5 euro, children under 3 – the trip is free. Price for individual orders – by agreement. Telephone numbers for additional information: +371 29839631, +371 23110001.

In Daugavpils, you can also take trips along the Daugava on the boat “Dina”. The route starts from the “Centrs pier” (the coast of the Daugava next to the arch, located near the beginning of Rīgas Street). During the boat trip, passengers have the opportunity to see the Unity Bridge, the promenade of Bruģu Street, the Daugavpils Fortress, the protective dam, and the outskirts of the city and admire beautiful views of nature. Those who are interested can take a trip on the “Dina” boat according to the water transport schedule.

Maximum number of passengers on the boat “Dina” is 15, the trip will bring joy to both children and adults. The duration of the trip and the route can be changed depending on wishes of the passengers. Working time: Monday-Friday: 4pm to 8pm or by prior agreement; Saturday/Sunday: 12pm to 8pm or by prior agreement. Price: 1 h trip: 8 EUR for adults, 5 EUR for children; 30 min. trip: 5 EUR for adults, 3 EUR for children. Phone numbers for additional information: +371 26920349, +371 26833538, +371 29493121.

Photo: Daugavpils City Municipality

Information prepared by:

Department of Public Relations and Tourism of Daugavpils City Municipality

Tourist Service Centre

Phone: +371 65422818:

Mobile phone: +371 26444810

E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv

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This year, Latvia’s second largest city – Daugavpils – celebrates its 749th anniversary. To celebrate this event and to offer a varied programme of festivities to the citizens and visitors of Daugavpils, the Daugavpils State Municipality has started work on the development of the City Festival programme. The main events of the Daugavpils City Festival will take place from 31 May to 2 June.

As usual, residents and visitors will enjoy a varied programme of festivities with concerts by different artists, as well as performances by local collectives and artists. The Family Park will invite young visitors to enjoy unforgettable adventures and thrilling attractions. Outdoor cafés and the Festive Market on Rigas Street will delight you with special tastes. Sports enthusiasts will be able to watch athletes in action and take part in various activities.

For the first time in the history of Daugavpils City Festival “Tūrisma iela” (Tourism street) will take place. In this event, everyone will be able to get new ideas for vacation right here in Daugavpils, elsewhere in Latvia, as well as in Lithuania and Estonia. For two days- on May 31 and June 1, representatives of the tourism industry of the Baltic States will gather at Gimnazijas Street to give the best advices and recommendations for your vacation.

On June 1, in celebration of International Children’s Day, activities for children, youth and families will take place in Dubrovin Park.

One of the biggest and most magnificent events of City’s Festival celebration is traditional march of Daugavpils companies, organizations, educational institutions and other collectives that will take place on June 1, at 13.00 from the Rail Station.

Special music surprises are expected on the evenings of May 31 and June 1, when the biggest musical guests of the Festival will take the big festive stage in Unity Square.

Special thought has also been given to sports activities. On June 1 in the Esplanade Park, little champions will be able to test their athletic straight at the “Get to know athletics”. On June 2, the Youth and Sports Festival will take place near to the Daugavpils Olympic Centre.

The Daugavpils City Festival will end on June 2 with historical atmosphere of Daugavpils Fortress. Visitors of the Festival will be able to rediscover pages of the history of the Fortress and participate in the ceremonial opening of the Nicholas Gate, and raising of the Fortress flag.

This year’s City Festival promises to be especially colorful and unforgettable!

DAUGAVPILS CITY FESTIVAL 2024 PROGRAMME

The post DAUGAVPILS CITY FESTIVAL 2024 (programme) appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

European Museum Night is an international museum events which has been held in many European countries since 2005. In addition to regular exhibitions, many museums also organize special events – creative workshops, concerts, theatrical performances etc. The event is usually held on Saturday.

15 objects will be open in Daugavpils, awaiting Museum Night 2024 visitors!

The post Night of Museums 2024 appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 28th April at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

The post Welcome to Daugavpils! appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

On 1 March, the Rothko Museum will open its all-Latvian spring exhibition season featuring four exciting visual projects. The leading contemporary Latvian painter Frančeska Kirke will present her solo show “Bastion”. Romāns Korovins, known for his work in painting and photography, will offer his one-man show “Let’s Die Together”. Six Latvian artists will come together in a joint project “ROTKHO. Made in Latvia”, based on the famous play by the Dailes Theatre. Finally, “When the Cannons Are Silent” will bring together a large and diverse group of artists associated with the Latgale Region into the museum’s annual juried exhibition. The spring exhibition season will be on show through 19 May.

“Bastion” by Frančeska Kirke – taking a stand against ignorance and prejudice

In her latest solo show called “Bastion”, Frančeska Kirke draws from the history of the Daugavpils Fortress and the current war in Ukraine to talk about art as a form of creative activism for social causes. Her “Bastion” is also a compelling metaphor for every artist’s inner struggle with themselves, their inner doubts, their triumphs and defeats. In visual terms, the exhibition has developed from a single artefact – a flaming cannonball became the one creative spark for the entire series.

To quote from the artist Frančeska Kirke: “My Bastion is about defence and safeguarding. In humanity’s ongoing battle with Darkness, the Rothko Museum is an enduring Bastion of light, a stronghold in a line of many other cultural beacons that guard the flame of free creative spirit while standing up to ignorance and prejudice. Seen through this lens, the Bastion is an appropriate umbrella term for the historical significance and function of the Daugavpils Fortress as well as for the current warfare raging right next door and the associated standpoint of a caring activist-creator whose only form of personal resistance is through art. The exhibition narrative unfolds in three thematic lines across three correlated and successive spaces: the Hall of Fame is all about victorious triumph; the Hospital is both a reference to a former military medical facility and a compelling archetype for our essential fragility and being ever-vulnerable to defeat; lastly, the Wounded Landscapes deal with the inevitable consequences of aggression.”

“Let’s Die Together” by Romāns Korovins – a visual reflection on time and married life

Romāns Korovins first showed his work at the Rothko Museum in 2018 alongside other artists in an intriguing group show, “Looking Out, Looking In”. Today, the artist returns to Daugavpils with a solo exhibition titled “Let’s Die Together”, where he offers his latest paintings, a spatial installation and writings on the recurrent issues of existence – such as the course of life and the passage of time – as well as on the painting medium itself and its capacity for abstraction.

“Let’s Die Together” is emblematic of the author’s method – Korovins delves into his hallmark themes of life, time and relationships. “My focus is on couples and family ties. My subjects are two individuals after a lifetime together, who shared special occasions as well as countless little tasks and ordinary routines in the prosaic day-to-day. Their common past has episodes of work and hope, the heights of joy and depths of disappointment. These are ostensibly the same experiences, all faithfully encountered hand in hand – home renovations, children’s graduations and restful summers out of town. But are they really all effectively the same? After all, one and the same thing can be experienced very differently and trigger vastly different feelings and emotions. And even dying together – the final act whereafter no one has the dubious advantage to revise the shared past – can well turn out to be beyond compare. Yes, there will be some overlapping and resemblance, but never all the way through,” explains the author.

From theatre to museum – “ROTKHO. Made in Latvia”

“Rotkho. Made in Latvia” is an intriguing exhibition project inspired by the famous half-eponymous production “ROTKHO” at the Dailes Theatre, which has earned broad recognition in Latvia and beyond. This extraordinary exhibition project is the collective effort of six heavyweights in Latvian painting – Frančeska Kirke, Aleksejs Naumovs, Sandra Strēle, Helēna Heinrihsone, Ritums Ivanovs and Kaspars Zariņš. The exhibition takes the drama off the stage and way beyond the theatre walls into an art museum setting with multiple shifts in perspective – from a digital image to its creative representation in a new hard copy and back to the original artwork.

To quote from the exhibition curator, Aivars Baranovskis: “Just like the play that sparked it, the exhibition is at once an imitation of world-famous artworks and an exciting visual parade of authentic creative output by eminent Latvian artists, who have produced a deeply stirring and evocative body of work. Its greatest asset – to borrow from the play that was the project’s inspiration – is the capacity to build a strong emotional connection with the viewer. Each artist took months to replicate one original Rothko. Until the project ended and the latest showcase of originals opened to the public in the Rothko Museum’s exhibition space, the only way to encounter the painting each artist was working from was through a digital copy. While this was clearly a considerable challenge, the situation also offered some interpretative leeway – rather than merely producing a replica, the artists had room for manoeuvre and ample scope to demonstrate their own creative touch.”

“When the Cannons Are Silent” – when the cannons speak, the muses are silent; when the cannons are silent, the muses can be heard

This spring, the Rothko Museum’s annual juried exhibition featuring artists associated with the Latgale Region received 199 submissions. A jury picked 47 artists to appear in a sweeping museum display covering different visual mediums.

Curator Aivars Baranovskis applauds the artists’ civic engagement in the shaping of public opinion through their art. With this exhibition, the Rothko Museum appeals to the world to keep creating and building a robust society armed with critical thinking regarding both domestic issues and more global, international concerns.

““When the cannons are heard, the muses are silent.” Way too often in the past couple of decades, people have had the reason to bring up this phrase. Way too often, muses have had to keep silent and step aside simply because there were more important things on the current agenda. Fortunately, today’s ideology has liberated art from having to serve the decorative needs of whatever regime happens to be in power. And in societies that honour such artistic freedom, the mouths of cannons remain tightly shut. Their cannons have taken their rightful place in museum courtyards, and the actual horrors of war stay firmly on screen,” says Baranovskis.

The Rothko Museum’s new exhibitions have been supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Daugavpils City Council, Devona and Caparol.

For more information, please visit the Rothko Museum website: https://rothkomuseum.com/

Additional information:

Sintija Priedeslaipa

media coordinator

sintija@repute.lv

29456053

The post Come March, the Rothko Museum will open its spring exhibition season with exhibitions addressing the themes of war, existence, and values appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 25th February at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

If you would like to apply, please call +371 26444810.

The post Discover Daugavpils with a free walking tour and an unforgettable local guide appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 28th January at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

If you would like to apply, please call +371 26444810.

The post Discover Daugavpils with a free walking tour and an unforgettable local guide appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

The hen party is an old and beautiful tradition before the wedding. Exciting, fun and original ideas for the hen party will make it unforgettable. Here are some ideas for a party scenario in Daugavpils.

Painting masterclass under the guidance of a professional artist
Painting masterclasses are organised in the “Albrecht Art&Wine” Gallery. Painting classes are an opportunity to acquire basic knowledge and skills in painting in order to further develop yourself in one of the painting techniques and styles.
For more information and to apply, call +371 26627031.

A visit to the Shmakovka Museum and shmakovka tasting experience
The Shmakovka Museum offers a fascinating story about the process of making shmakovka and the features of the drink. You will see the authentic and impressive production equipment and taste the drink during the tour.
For more information and to book a visit, please call +371 25666201.

Enjoy the thrill of the quest
“Escape room” – a quest in reality. Intellectual entertainment for teams. At the beginning of the game, participants will be locked in rooms from which they will have to get out within 60 minutes. Here you can celebrate birthdays, corporate events or even bachelor/bachelorette parties.
For more information and to register call: +371 20337130.

Visit a unique exposition dedicated to the history of medicine
The medical exhibition with an exposition of birth control items invites you to familiarise yourself with the medical history of Daugavpils, the most outstanding doctors, and medical institutions that used to be in Daugavpils.
For more information and to apply call: +371 28872898.

Enjoy a bright and interesting adventure at the Daugavpils Innovation Centre
The Innovation Centre offers to get to know the magic of the kitchen in the kitchen laboratory. It offers to learn how to cook: NAAN – Indian bread, Palak paneer – spinach main course, pea flour sweets (candies). Groups up to 25 people are accepted.
For more information and to apply call: +371 29 411 895.

Apply for educational, active and creative master classes
The House of Traditions in Daugavpils offers various kinds of master classes.
For more information and to apply call: +371 29118992.

Enjoy delicious and exciting entertainment at the “Orange Bowling”
The entertainment and leisure complex “Orange Bowling” in Daugavpils offers bowling – with 10 lanes and equipment from the world-famous bowling company “Brunswick”. There is an opportunity to play air hockey, billiards, and non-gambling games. The complex has four pool tables certified by the European Billiards Federation.
For more information and to apply call: +371 65427102.

The Clay Art Centre is always inquisitive and creative!
Daugavpils Clay Art Centre invites everyone to creative ceramic workshops. The Daugavpils Clay Art Centre has a Folk Applied Art Studio “Latgale”, and the participants have their own creative workshops where the working process takes place – shaping, turning, glazing and firing.
For more information and to apply call:  +371 65425302.

Horseback riding is a way to enjoy peace and see the world from a different perspective!
The horse stable in Mezciems offers horse riding, a chance to get to know and cuddle a stately animal and go for a nice ride with an instructor.
For more information and to apply call +371 28480332.

An exciting cruise on the Daugava River on the boat “Sikspārnis”
During the trip, passengers have the opportunity to see the Vienibas Bridge, Daugavpils residential districts, Daugavpils Fortress and get to know the biodiversity of the river and its banks. Passengers can enjoy a picnic on the water, take food or a hot drink and admire the beauty of the Daugava River.
For more information and to apply, call +371 29839631, +371 29965098.

Cocktail masterclasses at the “IGGI” Bar to learn new skills
The cocktail masterclass is an opportunity to make cocktails in a fun and friendly atmosphere, accompanied by a professional bartender, and enjoy them in the company of friends. It’s a great addition to a celebration or just a good start to a fun evening.
For more information and to book call +371 25428500.

Come and paint at the Rothko Museum!
Let your imagination run wild, learn painting techniques under the guidance of an artist and create your own painting in one masterclass!
For more information and to apply call +371 22471925, +371 26564817.

Creativity in cocktail making at the “D.O.M.bar” Cocktail Bar
The masterclass will teach you step by step the basics of cocktail making, the history of cocktails and, of course, how to enjoy your drinks at the end.
For more information and to register, call +371 26178575.

Want to learn the secrets of sushi making?
Book a sushi making masterclass at “VĒSMA” Gastrobar, learn about the sushi culture and get the sushi-making skills.
For more information and to register, call +371 22009991, +371 29298093.

The city has a wide range of caterers and a varied food offer – there is something to suit everyone’s taste. Check the website for more information: https://ieej.lv/ZPcKa

After a long and emotional day, stay overnight in one of Daugavpils’ accommodation options. For a more extensive list of accommodation, please visit the website: https://ieej.lv/7z1eI

The post Amazing hen party ideas in Daugavpils appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

December is one of the most beautiful months of the year: a blanket of soft, white snow covers the ground, awakening the bright feeling of happiness in everyone’s heart, that, just like in childhood, makes you look forward for the favourite holiday of the year – Christmas.

This year, in Daugavpils, Latvia’s second largest city, a real Christmas miracle can be experienced. When the festive season comes, the city shines in lights and becomes a real fairy tale that is about the Christmas train that is traveling from Daugavpils station to the lighting of the city’s main Christmas tree that has left gifts, sweets and even a small Christmas tree behind.

The whole Rigas Street and Unity Square will be “covered” with the glittering surprises. The main Christmas tree in Unity Square will be dressed in a colourful bow. In addition, the residence of Santa Claus will open its doors to visitors in the Daugavpils Fortress, where the gnomes and Santa Claus will have many surprises for everyone.

Daugavpils is a city where the joy of winter comes with the first snowflakes in November and does not melt away with the first rays of spring sunshine, so that residents and guests can enjoy the variety of winter sports and the range of tourist attractions on offer. More information at www.visitdaugavpils.lv.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

The post A winter fairy tale in Daugavpils! appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 26th december at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– Guide services are FREE, but entrance fees and public transport to the tourist sites are at the expense of the participants.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

The post Welcome to Daugavpils! appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Ideas for what to do at a bachelor party to surprise the bachelor and have a great time in Daugavpils. Here are some examples of bachelor party ideas:

Enjoy the thrill of the quest

“Escape room” – a quest in reality. Intellectual entertainment for teams. At the beginning of the game, participants will be locked in rooms from which they will have to get out within 60 minutes. Here you can celebrate birthdays, corporate events or even bachelor/bachelorette parties.

For more information and to register call: +371 20337130.

Cocktail masterclasses at the “IGGI” Bar to learn new skills

The cocktail masterclass is an opportunity to make cocktails in a fun and friendly atmosphere, accompanied by a professional bartender, and enjoy them in the company of friends. It’s a great addition to a celebration or just a good start to a fun evening.

For more information and to book call: +371 25428500.

Visit the historical exposition of the Lead Shot Factory and climb the unique lead shot tower

The factory is the oldest ammunition production factory in Northern Europe. The only factory of its kind in the Baltics and one of the oldest objects of industrial heritage in Latvia. The factory houses the only working lead casting tower in Europe. After visiting the factory, everyone has the opportunity to try the manufactured products in the factory’s shooting range.

For more information and to register call: +371 29974604.

Enjoy delicious and exciting entertainment at the “Orange Bowling”

The entertainment and leisure complex “Orange Bowling” in Daugavpils offers bowling – with 10 lanes and equipment from the world-famous bowling company “Brunswick”. There is an opportunity to play air hockey, billiards, and non-gambling games. The complex has four pool tables certified by the European Billiards Federation.

For more information and to apply call: +371 65427102.

MoExhibition of retro cars “RetroGaraž-D”

Visit the collection of retro cars of the Soviet era. “Moskvich”, “Volga”, “Zhiguli” and “Mercedes” cars can be viewed at the retro car exhibition. This is probably the largest Moskvich collection in the Baltic States.

For more information and to register call: +371 29494061, +371 27716222.

An unforgettable virtual reality experience

The virtual reality club “VrTime” invites you to immerse yourself in an unforgettable adventure where you can:

become an archer and try to save your village from the evil orcs;

visit the ocean and get to know its inhabitants;

resist the horde of zombies with your friends;

go skiing or climb to the 80th floor of a skyscraper.

The club has 4 VR stations, 2 PS consoles and a car simulator. Club “VrTime” offers to rent the entire club for the party.

More information by phone: +371 24840005.

Fun shooting with real combat weapons

The shooting range offers a wide range of weapons. There are experienced instructors at place who will give safety briefings and conduct practical shooting experience. You will get advice on shooting and aiming.

For more information and to register, call +371 26033296.

A visit to the Shmakovka Museum and shmakovka tasting experience

The Shmakovka Museum offers a fascinating story about the process of making shmakovka and the features of the drink. You will see the authentic and impressive production equipment and taste the drink during the tour.

For more information and to book a visit, please call +371 25666201.

Tour at the “Engineering Arsenal” in Daugavpils Fortress

Take an educational tour at the Centre of Technics and Industrial Design “Engineering Arsenal” which is the largest exhibition of motorised vehicles in the whole Latgale Region. It is a unique exhibition space of retro technology and applied design, which is located in the historic 19th-century building of the Daugavpils Fortress.

Please contact the museum for more information: +371 28033133.

Boat trip on Daugava river with a  “Siksparnis” boat

During the trip, passengers can see the Unity Bridge, Daugavpils districts, Daugavpils Fortress and get to know the biological diversity of the river and its coasts. Passengers can enjoy a picnic on the water with food or a hot drink and admire the beauty of the Daugava River.

Please contact the museum for more information: +371 29839631, +371 29965098.

Horseback riding is a way to enjoy peace and see the world from a different perspective!

The horse stable in Mezciems offers horse riding, a chance to get to know and cuddle a stately animal and go for a nice ride with an instructor.

For more information and to apply call +371 28480332.

Creativity in cocktail making at the “D.O.M.bar” Cocktail Bar

The masterclass will teach you step by step the basics of cocktail making, the history of cocktails and, of course, how to enjoy your drinks at the end.

For more information and to register, call +371 26178575.

The city has a wide range of caterers and a varied food offer – there is something to suit everyone’s taste. Check the website for more information: https://ieej.lv/TLdyx

After a long and emotional day, stay overnight in one of Daugavpils’ accommodation options. For a more extensive list of accommodation, please visit the website: https://ieej.lv/sVjRS

The post Celebrate a bachelor party in Daugavpils appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Winter has arrived! It’s the perfect time to warm up, relax and unwind your body with warming spa treatments.

Daugavpils will have something to offer on cold winter evenings!

The “SanMari” SPA Centre is an oasis of peace and relaxation in the heart of Daugavpils. It is a modern SPA centre that offers a wide range of relaxation options, making you forget about everyday worries. The spa area is equipped with a swimming pool, sauna and Turkish steam bath. The spa centre offers a spa body massage.

Spa opening hours are daily from 12 pm to 10 pm.
Visits must be booked by phone: +371 27072727, +371 27757873.
Address: Stacijas iela 46, Daugavpils.
www.sanmari.lv
https://www.facebook.com/SanMariDaugavpils 

The Daugavpils Olympic Centre offers a large 25-metre pool with 6 lanes and a small pool for children. You can also combine a visit to the pool with a visit to the Turkish bath or sauna. The Olympic Centre also offers a salt room. Its walls are covered with Iranian blue and red salt and it maintains the required temperature and humidity percentage. During the session, visitors sit in the salt room for 45 minutes, sit in armchairs and breathe in the ionised salt air.

The sports complex is open daily from 9 am to 10 pm.
You must book a visit to the salt room in advance by phone +371 65475140.
Address: Stacijas iela 1, Daugavpils.
www.daugavpilsoc.lv
https://www.facebook.com/ocdaugavpils

The “Olimpija” Sports Complex offers a relaxing holiday in a pleasant atmosphere. The swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam baths, sauna, infrared cabin, salt and ice bath – all this will give you an unforgettable experience.

The sports complex is open daily from 9 am to 10 pm.
Address: Valkas iela 2u, Daugavpils.
Phone for additional information: +371 26800108.
https://www.facebook.com/OlimpijaSpaHotel

After a busy day, “Park Hotel Latgola” offers you the chance to relax in the sauna and the bubbling jacuzzi. The lounge is designed for groups of up to 20 people and can be used for birthday parties and other less formal events. The view of Daugavpils from the 10th floor of the hotel will complement the relaxed atmosphere of the evening.

Reservations are required by phone: +371 65404900.
Address: Ģimnāzijas iela 46, Daugavpils.
www.hotellatgola.lv
https://www.facebook.com/hotellatgola.lv

A visit to the SPA complex of “Dinaburg SPA Hotel” will be a great gift for those looking for a relaxing holiday! After a long day at work, you can enjoy a relaxing break in the leisure complex with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath.

Phone for reservations: +371 22484329.
Address: Dobeles iela 39, Daugavpils.
https://www.facebook.com/HotelDinaburg

Sauna with swimming pool “Erfolg” – a great place for a party or celebration with family, friends or colleagues. The sauna, swimming pool, party room, changing rooms and free internet are available. Groups of up to 15 people are accepted. Additional services: bathrobes, sauna accessories.

Phone for reservations: +371 25912250.
Address: Mihoelsa iela 7, Daugavpils.

Guest house “Real Paradīze” offers a sauna and a lounge. Visits can be booked by individuals or groups of up to 15 people.

Phone for reservations: +371 28106463.
Address: 18. novembra iela 193c, Daugavpils.

The post Finest spa and wellness experiences in Daugavpils appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

Here are 13 great corporate event ideas!

Experience the festive atmosphere at the Shmakovka Museum
Start your Christmas celebrations with a corporate event at the Shmakovka Museum, where visitors are invited to a festive adventure that includes a guided tour and a “shmakovka” tasting.
For more information and to register, call +371 25666201.

An exciting and interesting guided tour in Daugavpils Fortress
Daugavpils Fortress that was founded in the 19th century is a unique cultural and historical monument of national importance. Walk along the main rampart of the fortress, and see Nicholas Gates, the first coastal lunette and other historical buildings during the tour.
For more information and to register, call +371 65424043.

Tour at the “Engineering Arsenal” in Daugavpils Fortress
Take an educational tour at the Centre of Technics and Industrial Design “Engineering Arsenal” which is the largest exhibition of motorised vehicles in the whole Latgale Region. It is a unique exhibition space of retro technology and applied design, which is located in the historic 19th-century building of the Daugavpils Fortress.
Please contact the museum for more information: +371 28033133.

An unforgettable virtual reality experience
The virtual reality club “VrTime” invites you to immerse yourself in an unforgettable adventure where you can:

• become an archer and try to save your village from the evil orcs;
• visit the ocean and get to know its inhabitants;
• resist the horde of zombies with your friends;
• go skiing or climb to the 80th floor of a skyscraper.

The club has 4 VR stations, 2 PS consoles and a car simulator. Club “VrTime” offers to rent the entire club for the party.
More information by phone: +371 24840005.

Enjoy the thrill of the quest
“Escape room” – a quest in reality. Intellectual entertainment for teams. At the beginning of the game, participants will be locked in rooms from which they will have to get out within 60 minutes. Here you can celebrate birthdays, corporate events or even bachelor/bachelorette parties.
For more information and to register call: +371 20337130.

Visit the historical exposition of the Lead Shot Factory and climb the unique lead shot tower
The factory is the oldest ammunition production factory in Northern Europe. The only factory of its kind in the Baltics and one of the oldest objects of industrial heritage in Latvia. The factory houses the only working lead casting tower in Europe. After visiting the factory, everyone has the opportunity to try the manufactured products in the factory’s shooting range.
More information by phone: + 371 29974604.

Exhibition of retro cars “RetroGaraž-D”
Visit the collection of retro cars of the Soviet era. “Moskvich”, “Volga”, “Zhiguli” and “Mercedes” cars can be viewed at the retro car exhibition. This is probably the largest Moskvich collection in the Baltic States.
For more information and to register call: +371 29494061, +371 27716222.

Visit a unique exposition dedicated to the history of medicine
The medical exhibition with an exposition of birth control items invites you to familiarise yourself with the medical history of Daugavpils, the most outstanding doctors, and medical institutions that used to be in Daugavpils.
For more information and to apply call: +371 28872898.

Enjoy a bright and interesting adventure at the Daugavpils Innovation Centre
The Innovation Centre offers to get to know the magic of the kitchen in the kitchen laboratory. It offers to learn how to cook: NAAN – Indian bread, Palak paneer – spinach main course, pea flour sweets (candies). Groups up to 25 people are accepted.
For more information and to apply call: +371 29 411 895.

Apply for educational, active and creative master classes
The House of Traditions in Daugavpils offers various kinds of master classes.
For more information and to apply call: +371 29118992.

Enjoy delicious and exciting entertainment at the “Orange Bowling”
The entertainment and leisure complex “Orange Bowling” in Daugavpils offers bowling – with 10 lanes and equipment from the world-famous bowling company “Brunswick”. There is an opportunity to play air hockey, billiards, and non-gambling games. The complex has four pool tables certified by the European Billiards Federation.
For more information and to apply call: +371 65427102.

Look at the exhibition of the World War I Museum
World War I Museum “Pie Komandanta” is the only museum of its kind in Latgale. The exposition is located in a historical building built in 1860. The museum houses a collection of original objects and documents that reflect the daily life of the First World War. The museum displays old photographs depicting the period of the First World War and the events that took place in Daugavpils and its surroundings.
For more information and to apply call: +371 29244651, +371 26888122.

The Clay Art Centre is always inquisitive and creative!
Daugavpils Clay Art Centre invites everyone to creative ceramic workshops. The Daugavpils Clay Art Centre has a Folk Applied Art Studio “Latgale”, and the participants have their own creative workshops where the working process takes place – shaping, turning, glazing and firing.
For more information and to apply call:  +371 65425302.

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Christmas was a difficult and controversial time during the First World War. The fronts were on the move and soldiers were on long front lines, often far from family and home. However, there were occasions during the First World War when the opposing sides showed mutual respect and even peace in the run-up to Christmas. The most famous example is the ‘Christmas Truce’ in 1914, when a few German and French soldiers in the countryside stopped the war to celebrate Christmas by giving presents and even playing football. It was a brief and emotional moment that allowed some soldiers to relax for a moment and express their humanity in the midst of a devastating war. However, the brutal realities of the First World War continued after that moment, and hostilities resumed.

From 20 December this year, the First World War Museum in Medumi will be hosting the newly created exhibition “Christmas in the Trenches” by Juris Stikāns. This exhibition will be made up mostly of objects found in the Medumi area, suggesting that despite the war, soldiers celebrated Christmas here. Museum guide Miropija Petkune will talk about the traditions that were preserved and introduced while living in the trenches. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch a moving video about the famous Christmas Truce of 1914

The museum has a war post “office”, so everyone will have the opportunity to send a postcard from the front line. You can order the porridge made in the military field by prior arrangement and experience being a soldier while enjoying a “festive feast” in the trenches.

Museum events of this kind allow you to get closer to the historical context and experience the reality of wartime, recalling important events and people’s experiences at the time, as well as spending time with your family or friends.

The collection of Juris Stikāns is on display until 20 January 2024 at the First World War Museum in Medumi, located at Alejas iela 20, Medumi, Augšdaugava County
Opening hours (W., T., F., S. 12.00-17.00)
Ticket price: 3.50 EUR for adults, 1.40 EUR for children, seniors and persons with special needs
Tel. +371 26274123

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As December begins, the countdown to the New Year starts. This year, the city’s decorations and lights will bring a new spirit, while events and festive activity will take place not only in cultural institutions, but all over the city. 

In the run-up to Christmas, Daugavpils city invites both big and small Daugavpils residents and visitors to indulge in the joys of winter. To fill every day of December with an activity and use it as a source of inspiration in your everyday life, take a look at the calendar where we have written down ideas for a fulfilled December!

The festive spirit in Daugavpils

This year, in Latvia’s second largest city, Daugavpils, you can experience a real Christmas miracle! When the festive season comes, it will be lit up with the tale of a Christmas train, which has left behind scattered presents, sweets and even a small Christmas tree as it makes its way from Daugavpils train station to the city’s main festive tree. Riga Street will be filled with these glittering surprises, as will the centre of the Unity Square, where the big Christmas tree will be dressed in colourful Christmas bow. Events, a market and creative workshops will held in Unity Square throughout December.

 For the first time at Daugavpils Fortress, the Santa Claus Residence will open its gates to visitors, where the elves and Santa Claus will have prepared many surprises for visitors big and small. On Advent Sundays, 3rd, 10th and 17th December, the Santa’s Residence will host Christmas readings, creative workshops and activities for adults and children. In addition, on 25th December, Santa invites everyone to a disco under the stars. 

Winter’s offer at tourist and leisure attractions

Don’t miss the opening of the Winter Exhibition Season in Rothko Museum’s on 8th December, which will complement the previously opened projects – the exhibition of the international contemporary ceramics competition “Martinsons Award” and the solo exhibition of Lithuanian ceramicist Agnes Šemberaitė “Fear whispering. A journey within”. Also visit the Centre of Technics and Industrial Design “Engineering Arsenal”, where a new unique car has just been added to the retro technical and industrial design exhibition. In the same fortress, visit the exhibition “Medical exhibition with an exposition of birth control items”, dedicated to the history of medicine. In the Salon Antique “Housevintage” showroom, you can see and buy historic furniture and other interior elements from the late 19th and 20th centuries. The World War I Museum “Pie Komendanta” offers to see the objects and documents reflecting everyday military life in the First World War. The “RetroGaraž-D” exhibition will enrich your horizons with a private collection of retro cars and Soviet-era objects. In addition, the fortress will look back into the past with the exhibition “Nicholas Gate – Door to the Past”, a small historical exhibition with a large number of artefacts. 

In the city centre, visit the Latgale Zoo, home to tropical and various other animals. At the Daugavpils Innovation Centre, located near the zoo, you can learn about different technologies, attend classes and watch experiments that will help you explore the world around you in a fascinating way. In the museum “Jews in Daugavpils and Latgale”, accompanied by local guide and local historian Josifs Rocko, you can learn about Jewish culture, Jewish life and traditions in Latgale and Daugavpils since 1935. Discover the hospitality and culinary traditions of Latgale at the Latgale Culinary Heritage Centre “Šmakovka” in Daugavpils. The Daugavpils Museum of Regional History and Art offers an insight into the history, culture, art and nature of Daugavpils and the region. The museum houses permanent exhibitions of history, nature and an art hall. The Daugavpils Clay Art Centre offers information about the cultural heritage of Latgale – the traditions of ceramics and pottery, and the works of potters.

Active recreation

If you are a fan of active recreation, visit the Stropu Active Recreation and Sports Track, where you can rent the necessary equipment for winter activities and enjoy the winter delights. Meanwhile, the Daugavpils Ice Hall offers ice-skating sessions throughout the year. Enjoy winter walks by visiting Daugavpils squares, parks and promenades, which in the evenings are lit up with festive decorations.

Get in the festive spirit by attending performances and events

Exciting productions, premieres and masterful acting characterise Daugavpils Theatre, where every performance is emotionally charged. If you want to spend your evenings in an entertaining way, head to the Daugavpils Palace of Culture or the concert hall of The Unity House, where a wide variety of musical concerts and performances take place.

Experience the variety of tastes

Daugavpils restaurants and cafés offer a wide variety of food, and of course, in winter you can’t do without a warm cup of tea or coffee to warm you up after a stroll around the city. Restaurants and cafés offer music nights during the holidays and at weekends, so book early to enjoy an evening in great company. 

 Take care of your health and well-being

 As the thermometer dips below zero in winter, you’ll want to enjoy spa treatments and the warmth that restores energy and inner balance. Take a look at the range of offers in the Beauty and Health section of our website and treat yourself!

Calendar of ideas for December

It’s easy! This December 2023 calendar can be downloaded kids calendar, adult calendar printed (or saved in digital format only) and used as a source of inspiration throughout the month.

You can find out more about the December events organised in Daugavpils on the visitdaugavpils.lv website and follow the news on the Daugavpils.Events Facebook page.  

See you in Daugavpils 

Happy holidays in Daugavpils! The above are just a few of the ideas for things to do in Daugavpils. Get more inspiration at www.visitdaugavpils.lv.  We will be happy if you share this year’s winter photos taken in Daugavpils on social media with the hashtag #visitdaugavpils and #winterindaugavpils, so we can enjoy the magic of winter together! If you have any further questions about recreational opportunities in Daugavpils and the region, please do not hesitate to contact us: 

Information was written by:

Daugavpils State Municipality 

Department of Public Relations and Tourism 

Tourism Department

E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv

Tel. 26444810

www.visitdaugavpils.lv

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The First World War Museum in Medumi unveiled the art installation “Remember and Do Not Repeat” on November 17.

Back on November 11, 1918, representatives from opposing sides signed a ceasefire pact in France. On November 11 of this year, Latvia, like the rest of the world, marks the 105th anniversary of the First World War. While the conflict resulted in numerous casualties, it also paved the way for Latvia’s independence. This year, on November 11, the museum invited everyone to contribute to an art project. Local enthusiasts played a pivotal role in creating an intriguing piece that captivates passersby.

During the opening ceremony, the individuals who aided in establishing the First World War Museum in Medumi were honored. Some generously donated to the museum, while others shared their invaluable historical knowledge. All these contributors received gratitude for their efforts.

Attendees at the event got a taste of wartime cuisine and had the chance to test their marksmanship.

This event stands as a commemoration of significant historical moments, preserving Latvia’s history post-First World War and supporting its cultural heritage.

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If you want to learn more about Daugavpils, the best way to do it is to visit a guided city tour, which will take you through the most important sights and their history. Your guide will tell you interesting and fascinating stories about our city.

– The tour starts on 19 November at 12.00 in Unity Square;

– Duration: three to three and a half hours;

– The tour is FREE.

*The guided tour is free of charge, but the cost of entrance tickets and public transport is at the participants’ own expense.

No matter if you are a local citizen or a visitor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and personalities of Daugavpils.

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Today, on 15 September, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre starts the International Mark Rothko Painting Symposium 2023.

Each year, the Mark Rothko Symposium attracts the artist’s followers and admirers – painters who continue to embody his ideas in their own artistic practice, filtering them through their individual stylistic prism. The artists spend two weeks away from their regular setting, mingling and interacting, finding inspiration and creating new artworks for the symposium exhibition and the Rothko Centre collection.

The symposium always brings together a mixed group of participants from multiple countries. This year, the jury panel selected nine artists: Sue Beyer (Australia), Kevork George Kassabian (Armenia), Ruth Philo (UK), Zbigniew Olszyna (Poland), Ann Tarantino (US/Italy), Ritums Ivanovs (Latvia), Krista Autio (Belgium), Agata Borowa (Poland) and Inguna Liepa (Latvia).

The 20203 symposium is a tribute to Mark Rothko on his 120th birthday. It will be accompanied by other satellite events tied to the artist’s name and creative philosophy.

For two days, at 3 p.m. on 21 and 22 September, the Rothko Centre will host public artist presentations. The symposium will conclude at 4 p.m. on 29 September with the opening of an exhibition displaying the participants’ latest output.

Admission to artist presentations and the symposium exhibition opening is free of charge.

Supporters: Caparol, Devona. The symposium is produced with REACT-EU funding and support from the Daugavpils City Council.

Publicity photo:

• International painting symposium

Contacts:

Aivars Baranovskis

aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv

+371 654 30279

Follow us online:

WWW.ROTKOCENTRS.LV

FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

DRAUGIEM / Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs

TWITTER @rotkocentre

INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 8 September, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will launch its autumn exhibition season with the awards ceremony for the Martinsons Award 2023 International Juried Exhibition.

This year, the tone of the autumn season at the Rothko Centre, the Daugavpils Fortress, the city of Daugavpils and elsewhere in the country is set by the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale, bringing together world-class artists and tracing the latest tendencies in contemporary ceramics worldwide.

The star event of the autumn exhibition season and the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale is the Martinsons Award 2023 International Juried Exhibition. This year, the award received a record 685 applications from artists representing 71 countries, including 68 submissions from Latvia – the largest number to date and a solid testament to the platform’s global outreach and eminence. The prize fund of 20,000 EUR will be split among Gold, Silver and Bronze Prize winners in National and International categories. All the artworks on display will be featured in the exhibition catalogue, and all participant artists will be welcome to all the events in the biennale programme.

The autumn season at the Rothko Centre also includes “Fear Whispering” – the new solo exhibition by the distinguished Lithuanian ceramicist Agnė Šemberaitė, Gold Prize winner of the Martinsons Award 2021 at the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale. Her work represents an ongoing exploration into human nature through a bold re-imagining of fairy-tale and sci-fi themes and characters, ritual practices, mythical beliefs and archaeological totems. Another highlight in the autumn season’s offer is “Elements” – a memorial solo show of Kaspars Geiduks, Bronze Prize winner of the Martinsons Award 2018. The artist’s work covers acute social issues and questions about the body, its structural setup and self-awareness, along with instinctively shaped objects through which he contemplates the diversity of natural forms, creating his individual interpretation of the microcosm, space and its structure.

Besides ceramics, the autumn season at the Rothko Centre offers an exciting solo project in Latvian contemporary painting – “The Grounded Moment” by Uldis Čamans. In his approach to the medium, the artist draws from messy, visceral sensations and juxtaposes dynamic episodes that capture his imagination. Although it is no easy task to isolate the most distinctive features of his art, one thing stands out above all else – the finely balanced pastel lustre of the morning that softly gleams in nearly all his work.

The grand launch of the Rothko Centre’s autumn season on 8 September is only one episode in a long day of events within the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale. At 2 p.m. near the open-air 4METRES Gallery, 8 Hospitāļa Street, Elīna Titāne and Una Gura will open their duo exhibition “3+4”. At 3 p.m., an open-storage chamber for contemporary ceramics will be unveiled at the Daugavpils Fortress 7th Bastion Casemate. Martinsons House will host “Visualising Gravity”, a public performance by the internationally renowned Latvian artist Dainis Pundurs, two-times winner of the Martinsons Award, and open a memorial catalogue on Pēteris Martinsons.

Admission to all the events is free of charge.

The autumn exhibition season will be on show through 19 November 2023.

The autumn season at the Rothko Centre still includes the Ceramic Laboratory International Symposium Exhibition along with “Doors of Perception” by the British painter John Hoyland and Mark Rothko’s originals. On top of that, from the end of September, visitors will be able to see the Mark Rothko 2023 International Painting Symposium output.

 The exhibitions are produced with REACT-EU funding towards Europe’s post-pandemic recovery. The autumn exhibition season is supported by the Daugavpils City Council, Caparol.

The Latvia Ceramics Biennale and the Martinsons Award 2023 are supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation, Development Programme for Latvia’s Historical Lands and the Latgale Region Development Agency, Keramserviss Ltd., Lighton International Artist Exchange Program and Daugavpils City Council. Some biennale activities are supported by the European Union through Project No. LVIII-060, Heritage.lv.

Additional information and exhibition details:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/

Publicity photo:

• Agnė Šemberaitė (LT) “Nightmare”, stoneware, porcelain, engobes, glazes, pigments, 40x37x16 cm, 2023;
• Exhibition “Martinsons Award 2021” at the Rothko Centre.

Contacts:

Inita Paegle

+371 654 30273

inita.paegle@daugavpils.lv

Follow us online:

WWW.ROTKOCENTRS.LV

FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

DRAUGIEM / Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs

TWITTER @rotkocentre

INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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Do you want to know all the secrets of Engineering Arsenal? Explore what is hidden from the eyes of other visitors? To inspect closed eastern building?

Center of Technics and Industrial Design invites you to participate in the pilot guided tours “Secrets of the Engineering Arsenal” on 15 July (13:00, Latvian language) and 16 July (13:00, Russian language). On both dates groups of max 25 people are formed. Together with the guide, you will see:

– casemates, which are still waiting for their restoration;
– preserved old elements of the building;
– 10-meter-long artifact from the 19th century;
– exhibition of industrial posters.

! After guided tour (approx. 40 min) group members can freely visit all four exhibition areas in the Center of Technics and Industrial Design!

Price – 10 EUR.

Application for a tour by phone (+371) 28033133 or by e-mail inzenieruarsenals@daugavpils.lv until 14 July (including).

* Taking into account the specifics of excursion, we do not recommend participation for people with movement disorders and children under 7 years old.

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The traditional festival “GOSTŪS LATGOLĀ” will be held for the third time in Daugavpils on 29^th July.  “GOSTŪS LATGOLĀ” is a festival of Latgale’s hospitality, culture and traditions.

From 10 am to 9 pm in the very centre of Daugavpils city everyone will be able to taste, feel, enjoy and discover eastern part of Latvia – Latgale Region. Vienības Square (Unity Square) will host various events, culinary master classes from national societies of Daugavpils, a fair of Latgale artisans and home producers, a mini zoo, creative workshops of artisans and musical performances. Ritvars Gailums, a well-known actor and showman in Latvia, will take care of the cheerful mood of the festival. The main guests of the festival will be the musicians of the “Augusti” youth group.

The festival “GOSTŪS LATGOLĀ” is organised by Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency together with the Shmakovka Museum.

Let’s meet on 29^th July at Daugavpils Vienības Square and enjoy the hospitality of Latgale together!

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The central event of the festival – a re-enactment of the historical battle.  Re-enactment clubs’ parade, Empire-style Ball, musical concerts, craftsmen and home-made products’ markets will be arranged during the festival. Many other surprises are also expected.

THE PROGRAM

More information:
Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre
cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv 

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Latgale is proud not only of its craft traditions, but also of its culinary heritage. In the very heart of Daugavpils, in the Vienibas Nams, one can get acquainted with the wide and comprehensive history of the traditions of Smakovka. Come to the Smakovka museum! Use the Go4Bonus spring offer to visit it for free (normal price for an adult – 5 euros)!

What to do? Follow the instruction:

• Download the Go4Bonus mobile app, register, visit tourist attractions and scan QR codes.
• Enjoy Daugavpils’ diverse tourism offer and receive bonuses!

To get your bonus, you must visit 4 tourist attractions in Daugavpils:

Daugavpils Innovation Center (Vienības iela 30)

Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Center (Nikolaja iela 5)

Nicholas Gates a door to the past, the historical exposition in Daugavpils Fortress (Nikolaja iela 3a)

Daugavpils Art and Regional and Art Museum (Rīgas iela 8)

After visiting all the indicated tourist attractions, come to the Smakovka Museum! (Rīgas iela 22a) and receive a free entrance ticket for visiting the centre!

The offer is valid from 12.06.2023. until 31.08.2023.

Information: go4bonus.daugavpils.lv

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On June 1st, the representatives of the Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency participated in an experience exchange trip to the Lithuanian city of Rokiški. The purpose of the trip was to get to know the new tourism offer ”Paragauk paslapties”, which includes a visit to three manors – Ilzenberg, Rokiški (regional museum) and Salu Manor, to establish new contacts and create cooperation between the cities of Rokiški and Daugavpils, as well as to exchange tourism materials, so that the residents of the Rokiški neighbourhood are more informed about the tourism offer of the city of Daugavpils.

During the trip, there was a meeting of Latvian and Lithuanian tourism specialists with the administration and chairman of the city of Rokiški, as well as the head of the Rokiškis Tourist Information Centre. Apart from that, the knowledge about tourist attractions in the vicinity of Rokiškis was gained, and new tourism information materials and booklets were brought, which now will be available for Daugavpils Tourist information Centre visitors.

The idea of the project ”Paragauk paslapties” was to create a multi-day tourist route around Rokiški, offering travellers a single ticket for visiting tourist attractions. A traveller who purchases this ticket gets great deals on accommodation, entertainment and dining. A single ticket can be purchased online –   www.biletai.lt. The offer is valid until October 31, 2023. The manors can be visited in any chosen sequence. After visiting the first object, the ticket is activated and is valid for three days. Additional information about this campaign can be found at the Rokiški Tourist and Business Centre (Nepriklausomybės a. 8-3, LT-42115, Rokišķis). Contacts: tel.: +370 458 51044, +370 610 00610, info@rokiskiotic.lt,  www.rokiskiotic.lt.

Rokiški is a city in north-eastern Lithuania, located approximately 83 kilometres from Daugavpils. It was founded in 1499. There are 99 lakes in the vicinity of Rokišķi, as well as one of the beautiful lakes – Sartai Lake. In Rokišķi province, there are more than three hundred historical and cultural monuments, sacred heritage buildings and unique manor cultural heritage. The number of inhabitants in the neighbourhood is approximately 36,000, of which 13,000 are residents of the city of Rokišķi. The city of Rokišķi offers a wide range of events, for example, Organ Festival, Summer Rally, City Festival, Bath Day, annual markets, theatre festivals and other events that take place here. More information:  www.rokiskiotic.lt.

Information published by:
Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency

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The season of active tourism will be opened in Daugavpils with a bicycle ride at the end of April. On April 29 at 11 a.m. a bike ride along the city streets and promenades with a city guide will begin. Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency invites everyone who loves active lifestyle to participate in this event, that is organised in cooperation with the tourist club “Sniegpulkstenīte”.

At 11 a.m. the participants of the trip will gather at Vienības Square and will start the ride along the city’s streets and promenades to Daugavpils Fortress. There will be a short bicycle excursion with a tourist guide, who will also participate in a bike ride. Also, on this day, the traditional flea market will take place in the Daugavpils Fortress. The journey will continue along the marked bicycle route No. 35 till Stropi Active Recreation and Sports Track. Then the participants will reach the Large Stropu Lake where they can enjoy the beauty of the lake by riding along the cycle paths for a few kilometres. The trip will continue to the Rugeļi reservoir, which is an artificial water body that was created in preparation for the construction of the Daugavpils Hydropower Station. Then the participants of the trip will reach the promenade of Bruģu Street and end the ride at Vienības Square. The cyclists will be accompanied by a certified guide who will talk about the history and present day of the city of Daugavpils. The approximate length of the route is 35 km.

A coffee and tea break, as well as other surprises, are planned during the trip.

Participation at the event is free of charge.

Important: participants of bike ride must use a protective helmet. The law states that a helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years of age. Children can participate in the trip only when accompanied by parents or other adults, who confirm their responsibility with a signature.

Registration will be open untill April 25 by filling out the registration form online.

The online registration form is available HERE

Photos and video taken during the event will be published on www.visitdaugavpils.lv and on social networks.

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On the Palm Sunday of 2nd April, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.50 EUR.

On April 2nd, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials. The Museum offers audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

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From 22 to 28 April, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will celebrate its tenth anniversary with concerts, exhibitions and a new display of original paintings by the world-renowned artist Mark Rothko.

In April, it will be ten years since an ambitious cultural project was completed in the former artillery arsenal of Daugavpils Fortress – the historical structure built for army needs in 1833 was repurposed into a home for the newly established Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre – a multifunctional hub for art, culture and education and a strategic landmark on Latvia’s regional cultural map.

The Rothko Centre was officially opened on 24 April 2013, but it took a massive group effort from multiple stakeholders to make it happen and materialise the idea first voiced in the distant 2002 about a unique tribute to the world-renowned artist Mark Rothko, perhaps the greatest native of Daugavpils. This milestone event opened new opportunities for the Latvian viewer to see Mark Rothko’s original paintings worth millions of dollars, which remains possible due to strong cooperation ties with the artist’s family. The display is updated every few years, so the past decade has already given the viewers a total of seventeen Rothko originals.

Besides Rothko, the centre offers up to 30 exceptional exhibition projects per annum in solo and group show formats, tracing current trends and developments in the work of regionally, domestically and internationally based artists. The centre hosts international symposiums and residencies, maintaining a growing network of friendships, partnerships and connections with creators, institutions and venues in Europe and beyond. All these efforts contribute to a strong international profile for Daugavpils and Latvia, giving the city and the country broad visibility and a solid competitive edge on the global cultural scene.

In the first decade since its establishment, the Rothko Centre has acquired an impressive art collection of great material and immaterial value on national and international scales. The acquisitions are due to the centre’s dynamic cultural programme, targeted donations from individual artists and generous support from patrons of the arts. Choice artworks from the collection are featured in permanent displays on the Rothko Centre’s premises and frequently shown in other cultural venues in Daugavpils, Latvia and beyond.

The anniversary programme will start on 22 April with the piano concert “Allusions” by AnNo – a creative duo of Normuds and Antra Vīksne, laureates of the Latvian National Grand Prix for Music. The day will continue with a focus on ceramics. Visitors can look forward to the opening of several exhibitions and open-air objects of contemporary ceramics and the unveiling of a new open-access storage facility for the Rothko Centre’s contemporary ceramics collection in the freshly renovated 7th Bastion casemates of Daugavpils Fortress. All these events will mark the first anniversary of the latest structural addition to the Rothko Centre – the Martinsons House for contemporary ceramics, which opened its doors to the public in April 2022.

On 23 April, the chamber hall of the Rothko Centre will keep reverberating with piano music. Andrejs Osokins, one of Latvia’s most popular piano virtuosos with broad international fame, will give a recital of the 19th-century star composer Frédéric Chopin. Meanwhile, in Rīga, Dailes Theatre will receive a customised exhibition project with an intriguing title – “Rothko, made in Latvia”.

On 26 April, the anniversary celebration will spill outside the Rothko Centre’s walls, bringing exhibitions from its collection into other cultural venues of Daugavpils.

On 27 April, the Rothko Centre’s chamber hall will receive the solo recital of the opera singer Ilona Bagele.

The anniversary week will culminate on 28 April with its central event – the formal opening of a new display with Mark Rothko’s originals with guests of honour from the artist’s family.

The day will conclude in the Rothko Centre courtyard on the grand open-air stage with a Latvian premiere of SPLEEN MACHINE LIVE – a conceptual audio-visual show by the Italian multimedia artist Alex Braga. Braga will also mint in real time special limited edition NFTs of the show. The first will be donated to the Rothko Centre, while the other ones from the series will be available for sale right after the show for collectors.

On the anniversary day, 28 April, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will be open to visitors free of charge from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The other events in the anniversary programme will also be available free of charge.

ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME:

22 April MARTINSONS HOUSE TURNS ONE

3 p.m. Chamber Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street (entry by invitation)

“Allusions” by AnNo (creative duo of Antra and Normunds Vīksne): a piano recital for four hands

4 p.m. near the Martinsons House, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

– “Rita Einberga /1921–1979/”: exhibition opening

– “Meteorite” by Solveiga Vasiļjeva: art object opening

– Elīna Titāne: ceramic sculpture opening

– Open-access storage for the Rothko Centre’s contemporary ceramics collection: unveiling of the facility and the ceramics display

– “Safe Insecurity” by the Panevėžys International Ceramics Symposium: exhibition opening

6 p.m. near the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, Daugavpils, 8 Hospitāļa Street

“Études” by Sanita Ābelīte: exhibition opening

23 April

2 p.m. Dailes Theatre, Rīga, 75 Brīvības Street

“ROTKHO, made in Latvia”: exhibition opening

4 p.m. Chamber Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street (entry by invitation)

“OSOKINS – FOR CHOPIN”: a concert by Andrejs Osokins

26 April

2 p.m. Saules School (New Campus), Daugavpils, 8 Saules Street

“PERSON. GENIUS. Daugavpils”: exhibition opening

4 p.m. Daugavpils Local History and Art Museum, Daugavpils, 8 Rīgas Street

“Rothko spring”: exhibition opening (featuring works from the Mark Rothko International Painting Plein Air, 2005–2012, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre Collection)

27 April VIP PREVIEW

4 p.m. Conference Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

Press conference

5 p.m. Sector A of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

Press tour

6 p.m. Chamber Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street (entry by invitation)

Solo recital by Ilona Bagele

28 April ROTHKO’S ORIGINALS

11 a.m. Video room of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

– How to assess the Rothko Chapel in the light of the 21st century – a public talk by Annie Cohen Solal (France)

– Rooted and routed: The art of John Hoyland – a conversation between Philip Dodd and Sam Cornish (UK)

2 p.m. Conference Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

The Rothko Centre on its tenth-anniversary threshold: Opportunities and challenges – a round-table discussion moderated by Toms Treibergs

5 p.m. Conference Hall of the Rothko Centre, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

– Opening the new display of Mark Rothko’s originals

– Opening the exhibition “Doors of Perception: The Paintings of John Hoyland” (UK)

7 p.m. Rothko Centre courtyard, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

SPLEEN MACHINE LIVE – an experimental audio-vidual programme by the multimedia artist Alex Braga (Italy)

8 p.m. Rothko Centre courtyard, Daugavpils, 3 Mihaila Street

Music performance by the artist Gatha (France)

Cooperation partners and supporters: Italian Embassy to Latvia, US Embassy to Latvia, Polish Embassy to Latvia, the French Institute, Daugavpils City Council, Dailes Theatre, Latvian National Museum of Art, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Daugavpils Local History and Art Museum, Saules Skola, Axon Cable, Caparol, NEMO, Mea Via foundation, Ulma, Valmiermuiža Brewery. Media support by TVNET.

Contacts:
Inita Paegle
maris.cacka@daugavpils.lv
+371 29114596

Follow us online:
WWW.ROTHKOCENTER.COM
FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre
DRAUGIEM / Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs
TWITTER @rotkocentre
INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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The International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium will run in Daugavpils from 10 to 24 March in its eleventh iteration. So far, this creative forum has brought together more than a hundred graphic artists from thirty-five countries. This year, the list of participants includes nine artists from five countries: Robert Rabiej (Poland), Kamil Adamus (Poland), Zenon Balcer (Poland), Inara Petrusevich (Latvia), Liena Bondare (Latvia), Siddharth Pathak (the Netherlands), Ineke Domke (Germany), Gianluca Arienti (Italy) and Marco Poma (Italy).

By continuously drawing new visiting artists to the region, the symposium keeps revitalising the graphic medium in Daugavpils and raising the international visibility of Latgale. Its latest group of participants will spend the next two weeks in intense creative work, drawing inspiration from the Latgale landscape and the urban environment of Daugavpils, informal talks and discussions, creative workshops and artist presentations.

Like the year before, the symposium will be opened at the Daugavpils Culture Palace exhibition hall, this time with the exhibition “Permanence” featuring Vitolds Svirskis /1919–1991/, who was a native of Daugavpils and a prolific graphic artist.

The artist, Vitolds Svirskis, was born in Daugavpils in 1919. The boy grew up in a family of railway workers, and his parents wanted their son to follow in their footsteps and commit his life to the railway. However, the young man was more inclined towards the humanities, so independently and without his parents’ knowledge, he decided to study in a gymnasium. It was during his years at the gymnasium that he took his first steps in the world of art.

Svirskis’ professional path began in 1941 with his admission into the Art Academy of Latvia. In 1944, he was mobilised into the Latvian Legion and was forced to cut his artistic activities short, though he would continue to draw while in the military. Svirskis didn’t receive his graduate diploma until 1953. His creative work was focused mainly on portrait making. In total, he would create more than 8000 portraits. Svirskis worked in monotypes and linocuts, though ink drawing, using pen or brush, was the main distinguishing feature in his creative style.

As Prof. Jānis Stradiņš noted, “This gallery of scientists, artists and cultural figures is worthy of permanence, as is this great native of Daugavpils”.

The symposium will close at 4 p.m. on 24 March at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre with the opening of an exhibition featuring the participants’ newly made artworks. The exhibition will add to the Rothko Centre’s 10th-anniversary programme.

The symposium is produced with REACT-EU funding and support from the Daugavpils City Council.

Contacts:

Māris Čačka

maris.cacka@daugavpils.lv

+371 29114596

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 3 March, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will open its spring exhibition season, featuring works by the world-renowned native of Daugavpils, Jacques Chapiro, alongside five other impressive projects.

The air is alive with sprouting green, and the sun feels perceptibly warmer – spring appears to be on the way, although winter refuses to give up its ground and still rules supreme in the Latvian landscape. Eager to speed up the change, the Rothko Centre offers its visitors the spring exhibition season.

Painter Jacques Chapiro, né Yakov Chapiro, was born in Dünaburg, Vitebsk Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Daugavpils, Latvia). He moved to France in 1925, settling in “La Ruche”, the famed Parisian artist colony, home to geniuses like Modigliani, Picasso, Chagall and Leger throughout the 1920s and 30s. Together, they developed the so-called Parisian school, while Chapiro evolved a clearly individual approach that helped him create a distinct artistic world. Rich in unusual shapes and bright colours, it keeps drawing the attention of art lovers, collectors and galleries to this day. The Rothko Centre’s new exhibition, “Coming Home: Jacques Chapiro”, is produced in cooperation with art collector Shmuel Tatz (NYC, USA) as a testament to Chapiro’s immense historical role on the global art scene and a nod to his local roots.

The Rothko centre’s curatorial interest in Jacques Chapiro dates back to the acquisition of two his original paintings a few years ago, one of which was immediately displayed in the exhibition “Found in the Collection”, which cast the spotlight on the most prized artworks in the Rothko Centre’s possession. The spring exhibition season brings a new select display in this line – “Rational Creature”, made to highlight other pearls in the institution’s growing collection.

New artistic gems are regularly seen in the annual Juried Exhibition of Artists from the Latgale Region. This year, it runs with the title “Hit the Ten”, marking the tenth iteration of this ongoing project and kicking off the Rothko Centre’s tenth-anniversary programme. Artistically, “hitting the ten” hinges on the artist’s ability to reach such a degree of freedom in creative expression that the artwork becomes a new point of reference, a spark to trigger discussion, disagreement, imagination, satisfaction, fury or any other emotional reaction. This year, the jury selected 48 artists who proved they are free from the bonds of external or self-inflicted censorship and can simply be who they are – prophets of their time “hitting home” with all their intellectual impulses.

“Interferences” by Polish artist Piotr Skowron is composed of graphic works the artist calls an abstract form of representation and invites the viewer to reflect on how one event can impact on another; how even minor disruptions can interfere with an entire image or situation.

The artist isn’t confined to traditional print forms and often explores space with his graphic objects. These spatial experiments largely stem from his earlier education in engineering.

Australian artist and photographer Ralph Kerle joins the spring exhibition season with his solo show “The Intermediate Sublime”, where he argues that abstraction is not an unconscious act of visualisation by an artist, as some might suggest. Rather, it forms as the result of an artist’s subconscious observation, with the image being the creator’s manifestation of what their brain has perceived. Kerle’s medium is photography, and his primary subject is the waterways of Sydney Harbour. His focus is on capturing images created by and in nature and conceptualising those into fine art abstract photographic artworks. Studying these over time, the visual language shifts and changes from the purely abstract to one where elements of the tangible world are brought squarely to mind.

An interest in abstraction and architecture fuels the work of the French photographer Ouriel Morgensztern. He is deeply fascinated by the use of light in the art of two creative geniuses, Mark Rothko and Pierre Soulages, and the profound properties of black as a reflective colour. His exhibition at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, “On Rothko and Soulages: The Colour of Silence”, is the result of the encounter between and with the two artistic greats. From New York to the Chapel in Houston (Rothko), to Rodez and the Abbey in Conques (Soulages), and through photos of more personal places in Los Angeles, Tel-Aviv, the French countryside – where Morgensztern is from – and Daugavpils, it emerges a force nourished by the power of the image in its raw state, where the work of Ouriel Morgensztern becomes the link between these two great contemporary artists.

The spring exhibition season will be available through 21 May 2023.

On opening day, starting at 4 p.m., the new season’s exhibitions will be available free of charge.

The exhibitions are produced with REACT-EU funding towards Europe’s post-pandemic recovery. The spring exhibition season is supported by the Daugavpils City Council, Caparol and Devona.

Additional information and exhibition details:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/

Publicity photo:

Jacques Chapiro “Wedding” (fragment), gouache on paper, 1920s-1930s.

Contacts:

Inita Paegle

+371 654 30273

inita.paegle@daugavpils.lv

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Daugavpils City will participate in the “Balttour” international travel trade fair from February 3 to 5. The specialists of Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency will present Daugavpils’ tourism offer and tell the visitors of the tourism novelties.

This year Daugavpils will be represented at its own stand and everyone is welcome to visit it at the largest tourism exhibition in the Baltics. The professionals of the Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre (TIC) will present a new tourist guide, as well as a leaflet of Daugavpils’ biggest events and the offer for families with children. Daugavpils Fortress, Shmakovka Museum, Daugavpils Innovation Centre, Clay Art Centre and Daugavpils Regional Study and Art Museum will also present their tourism offer at the Daugavpils stand. On Saturday and Sunday a fun and informative quiz will be held at the Daugavpils stand, where everyone will be able to win valuable and tasty prizes from Daugavpils tourist objects and enterpreneurs.

Come to the travel trade fair “Balttour 2023” and visit the stand of the city of Daugavpils. Here the specialists of Daugavpils TIC will help you to plan your trip to Daugavpils, recommend the best places and create an individual route.

Follow the information on social networks! @Daugavpils.Travel and @Daugavpils.Events

#Daugavpils #VisitDaugavpils #DaugavpilsTravel

Photo: www.balttour.lv

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Less than a month short of Christmas, the year’s most beautiful holiday season, we are looking for special gifts for our most special people. The Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art offers an excellent opportunity to purchase an annual admission ticket in the form of an ANNUAL CARD – for private use or as a gift to colleagues, family or friends.

The ANNUAL CARD of the Rothko Centre gives unlimited access to all its permanent and temporary exhibitions throughout one calendar year. In any given year, visitors are offered up to fifty exhibition projects by prominent Latvian and international artists. The annual card grants unlimited access to all exhibitions at the centre and entitles cardholders to several special offers, which they will be notified of individually.

The annual card can be purchased at the centre or online (on the art centre’s website) after filling out an application form. The full cost of the card is EUR 36.00. Pupils, students and seniors can purchase it at a discount for EUR 18.00, presenting a valid ID that confirms their status. The card is available in two versions – Latvian and English.

For more information, please visit www.rothkocenter.com, send your questions via email gadakarte@rothkocenter.com or call the centre’s landline +371 654 30250.

The ANNUAL CARD means unlimited access to art, inspiration and discovery throughout the year!

Contacts
Žanna Jemeļjanova
zanna.jemeljanova@daugavpils.lv
+371 654 30250

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On the first Sunday of December, December 4, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On December 4, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

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On December 3rd, at 10 o’clock everyone is welcome to the opening of the winter season at the ski resort “Egļukalns”!

It is a very important and long-awaited event, which will delight all those who enjoy winter pleasures and those who support an active lifestyle. All, adults and children, are invited. At the start of the active winter season, the “Family track”, “Blue – slalom track” and “Tubing track” will be opened at the ski resort.

Speaking about this year’s price policy, Jevgenij Kartasov, the director of the ski resort “Egļukalns”, answered that no significant price increase is expected. It is planned that the equipment rental prices will remain, the price for the use of the lift will probably increase a little bit, for 10-15%, but the exact information will follow soon. Information about the working hours of the ski resort this season will also be updated.

The ski resort “Egļukalns” is located in Latvia’s highest Augszeme highland, which offers an incredibly beautiful view of the surrounding landscape and mosaic of forests.

The skiing and snowboarding paradise of Augsdaugava district – the ski resort “Egļukalns” will welcome everyone with well-maintained and illuminated ski tracks, where you can enjoy the beautiful moments of winter. All visitors will have the possibility to warm up in the cafe of the resort, drinking hot tea, and having something delicious to eat.

Follow the information on: www.visitdaugavpils.lv, www.eglukalns.lv

Information:
Inna Bebre
Augsdaugava District Institution “TAKA”
Tourism organizator
+371 65424147

E-mail: inna.bebre@augsdaugavasnovads.lv
turisms@augsdaugavasnovads.lv
Facebook: Augšdaugavas novads.Travel
www.visitdaugavpils.lv

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At 4 p.m. on Thursday, 10 November, Martinsons House in Daugavpils will open an anniversary exhibition “Breakout Light” by the internationally renowned Latvian ceramicist Ilona Romule and hold a public meeting with the artist.

During a prolific artistic career spanning three decades, Romule’s creative record has swelled to 28 solo shows, over 50 international juried competitions, over 30 group exhibitions and 10 awards, including Grand Prix at the 6th International Small Teapot Competition in California, USA (2014) and Gold Prize at the 1st World Ceramic Teapot Art Competition in China (2019).

Ilona Romule was born in Rīga, Latvia, in a family of artists and has worked in the field of ceramics since graduation from the Art Academy of Latvia in 1985. She works as a freelance artist at her studio in Rīga, in the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary, and in China, mostly with high-temperature porcelain.

Her artworks are represented in numerous public and private collections in Latvia and internationally. To date, Romule has given over 60 lectures and presentations and led numerous plaster mould-making, lithophane and porcelain-painting workshops at universities and art centres worldwide.

Romule has been a member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, Switzerland, since 2001 and its board member from 2016 until 2022.

Ilona Romule’s exhibition “Breakout Light” will remain on show at the Martinsons House through 20 April 2023.

Publicity photo:

• Artist Ilona Romule;
• Ilona Romule’s lithophanes;

Contacts:

Valentīns Petjko

+371 654 30279

valentins.petjko@daugavpils.lv

Follow us online:

WWW.ROTKOCENTRS.LV

FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

DRAUGIEM / Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs

TWITTER @rotkocentre

INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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On the first Sunday of 6th November, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On November 6, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

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At 4 p.m. on Friday, 28 October, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will launch its new exhibition season with five bold, bright and expressive projects that promise to quench the thirst of every visitor for light and colour in the gloomy months of autumn and approaching winter.

For all their apparent differences, the five new exhibition projects outline some shared contemporary tendencies in the Eastern European art space. The highly original project by Ukrainian artist Kolya Novikov is a sweeping retrospective that uncovers the lesser-known pages in the life book of this talented rebel artist, whose work demonstrates a strong folkloric presence and profound awareness of ancient cultures and myths.

Mysticism and numerous references to cultural history in contemporary form through a minimalist approach to material illuminate – quite literally – the solo exhibition of Jarosław Perszko (Poland). “Titans Dancing” is his latest experiment with the ephemeral subject of neon lights. The matter of his art, dynamically circulating in the tube-like lamps, resembles pulsating blood and is associated with life and creative drive. The project is ably curated by the Polish art critic and curator Eulalia Domanowska.

Her other project in this season’s exhibition offer is a joint effort by eleven artists on “New Spirituality” and the meaning of sacred experiences in creative practice, understood as something personal and intimate and referring to the power residing within. This perspective on spirituality emphasises the role of sensations and psycho-spiritual exercises. It treats the human body as filled with inner, spiritual meaning and a manifestation of the creative power of the spirit.

In “Afterlife: Dying to Get There”, Estonian artist Sander Raudsepp is looking for “answers” to humanity’s eternal questions about the otherworld, summing up his thoughts on the inevitable certainty of death.

Meanwhile, “Toponyms” by Aleksejs Naumovs (Latvia) emphasise colour and brilliance as the two constant hallmarks of the artist’s style, invariably present in every piece he creates, whatever the geography of each particular site he has visited and captured in his preferred alla prima technique.

Besides the new season’s projects, visitors can still enjoy the Mark Rothko 2022 Painting Symposium group show featuring ten international artists.

The new exhibition season at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will remain on show through 19 February 2023.

The exhibitions are supported by the Daugavpils City Council and produced with REACT-EU funding towards Europe’s post-pandemic recovery.

Publicity photo:

• Aleksejs Naumovs “Canee” (fragment) acrylic on canvas / 70 x 100 cm, 2021;
• Sander Raudsepp “It’s a Dog Eat Dog World”, 2020;
• Jarosław Perszko “Titans Dancing”.

Contacts:

Inita Paegle

+371 654 30279

inita.paegle@daugavpils.lv

 Follow us online:

WWW.ROTKOCENTRS.LV

FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

DRAUGIEM / Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs

TWITTER @rotkocentre

INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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On the first Sunday of October, October 2, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On October 2, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

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Traditional flea market held in Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre (Nikolaja ielā 5) will be held on 23 April, from 10.00 a.m to 3.00 p.m. Everyone who is willing is invited to take part in the market, and is interested to share their story in an exciting haggling event with various antique and not so antique, but interesting items from their closets, purgatories, sheds, garages, country and city houses.

All vendors must apply for advance and pay the municipal fee for the right to trade in public places. Please contact for further information: cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv or call +371 65424043; +371 28686331 by 4:00 pm on 21 April.

Please note that participants and visitors must be responsible for their own safety and the safety of others.

Information:

Sandra Misjūne

Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre

Tel.: +371 65424043; +371 28686331

E-mail: cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv

Web: www.daugavpilscietoksnis.lv

www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.cietoksnis

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The boat rental “Beibuki” offers to go on a boat trip on the Daugava River in summer season. Trips are available on a motorized raft “Sola” and a boat “Dina” on the river. There are beautiful Latvian landscapes on the shore of the Daugava. In turn, a boat trip along the river is a great way to get to know the city, and a great idea for a romantic evening for two or a family adventure.

Boat trips are available from Monday to Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. You can also go for a walk along the river at other times by calling +371 26920349 and +371 26833538 in advance. In case of strong wind or adverse weather conditions, boat trips are not available.

During the boat trip passengers will be able to see Unity of  the bridge, the promenade of Bruģu street, Daugavpils Fortress, protective dam and promenade along the river, the neighborhoods, as well as enjoy the beautiful views of nature. The starting point of the route is the pier “Centrs” (on the bank of the river Daugava, under the arch at the dam, opposite to the beginning of Rīgas street).

Trips of different duration are offered – 30 minutes or 1 hour. The cost of a long hour trip is 8 EUR (adults) and 4 EUR (children, students, seniors). The cost of a 30-minute trip is 5 EUR (adults) and 3 EUR (children, students, seniors). The raft and boat can accommodate 15 passengers at a time. The duration and route of the trip can be changed according to the client’s request. Call and additional information by phone: +371 26920349, +371 26833538.

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Tourist brochures “From Kaunas to Daugavpils along the old postal route” are available at Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre (TIC). They introduce readers to the historical tourist route and invite to take a trip along the old postal route connecting Daugavpils and Kaunas.

The brochure describes the historical tourist route which invites travellers to travel along the St. Petersburg – Warsaw sevtion of the post route. This section connects the second largest cities of Latvia and Lithuania,  there are two hundred kilometers of stories, adventures and discoveries between them. The route includes Latvian and Lithuanian cities such as Daugavpils, Zarasai, Deguchai, Utena, Ukmerge, Jonava and Kaunas. Everyone can visit and see the historical post at stations along the route. Brochures are available in Latvian, English, German and Lithuanian.

The brochure has been produced within the project “Cross-border Increase in Regional Cultural Heritage Tourism Expansion (CIRCUIT)” No LLI-326 and was funded under the Interreg V-A Latvia-Lithuania Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. The aim of the project is to promote cross-border tourism in Lithuania and Latvia by preserving cultural heritage and promoting tourism services.

The brochures are available at Daugavpils TIC, Rīgas ielā 22a, which is open to visitors every day from 10.00 a.m to 6:00 p.m (Sundays until 4:00 p.m).

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From 2 to 16 September, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will host the 18th International Mark Rothko Painting Symposium 2022.

September is ‘The Rothko Month’ at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, invariably marked by the artist’s birthday and an international symposium that attracts painters and Rothko’s admirers from all over the world.

The International Mark Rothko Painting Symposium is the most popular event in the Rothko Centre’s symposium programme. Dozens of applications come in each year, and the limited number of places makes the international jury assess each submission with extra care and attention.

This year, the panel has selected Paul Lozano (Mexico), Siddharth Pathak (India), Biljana Milenkovic (Serbia), Lihi Turjeman (Israel), Amit Kalla (India), Agata Żychlińska (Poland), Agata Magdalena Sulikowska (Poland), André Rigatti (Brasil), Mika Vesalahti (Finland), Aleksejs Naumovs (Latvia) and Bence Kala (Hungary).

All these artists continue to develop Mark Rothko’s ideas through their individual creative prism. Their symposium output will be on show in a group exhibition to be formally opened at 4 p.m. on Friday, 16 September.

Before that, everyone will be able to meet the symposium participants and ask them questions during publicly held artist presentations at the Rothko Centre’s video room at 3 p.m. on 8 and 9 September.

Contacts:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 654 30279

Information: Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

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On the first Sunday of September, September 4, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On September 4, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

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The race, which started in 1966 and carries a lot of history, events and sports, will be held this year for the 57th time on September 24 in Daugavpils Vienibas Square.

About 700 participants take part in the run every year. Among the runners are babies and children, adults and seniors. Latvian elite runners – Dmitrijs Seryogins, Dmitrijs Jurkevičs, Ilona Marhele – also liked the run. Among the participants are not only Daugavpils, but also representatives of various Latvian cities, runners from nearby countries, Lithuanians and Estonians.

This year, for the first time, the Mežciems race will be held as the Latvian Championship in the 5km highway race. As usual, there will also be a start in the 10km distance and the 5km Nordic walking. Each participant will receive a special race medal at the finish line. The winners of the first 3 places in the 5 km and 10 km distances will receive cash prizes in the overall ranking – 1st place – 100 EUR, 2nd place – 75 EUR, 3rd place – 50 EUR.

This year special attention is paid to children’s sports. As part of the Mežciema run, there will be a Children’s Morning from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. As part of the children’s morning, it will be possible to run 200m, 700m and 2000m distances, participate in a drawing competition and special master classes, watch a special concert program.

Registration for participation in the race is underway – www.sportlat.lv – https://www.sportlat.lv/sacensibas/1597/57-daugavpils-skrejiens-daugavpils-mezciems/registracija

Pre-registration until 22.09.2022. If you register in advance for the 5 km distance the participation fee is 3 EUR. Participation in children’s races is free (200m, 700m, 2km). For a distance of 10 km, registration fee is EUR 7.

See you on September 24 in Daugavpils!

The run is organized by the Daugavpils Sports Administration in cooperation with the Latvian Athletics Union. The race is supported by Amber Studios, Speedway Club “Lokomotive”, Dion Sportlab, Radio Alice Plus, EHR Media Group.

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On August 13, the beach for people with disabilities was opened at the Lielais Stropu Lake. For several years, many Daugavpils residents with limited mobility and visual impairments have been waiting for this moment: now they can enjoy summer swimming in a well-equipped and safe environment.

The idea of ​​creating such a place for swimming in our city was born more than 5 years ago, and thanks to the attraction of funding from the local government, it has finally came to life. As part of the construction project, a changing booth for people with mobility problems, an automated elevator for people with mobility problems to get into and out of the water, as well as a slope with handrails for the visually impaired and the blind were installed near the building of the former lifeguard station. This is especially important because near the Central Beach there is a neighborhood “Society for the Blind”, where many people with visual impairments live.

Currently there are more than 8,000 people with disabilities in Daugavpils. Those who have had first-hand experience of all the hardships of life for people with disabilities appreciate the social value of this project.

Improvement of Stropi recreation area and adaptation of the beach infrastructure for the needs of different categories of vacationers this year was highly appreciated by the committee for the awarding of the “Blue Flag” mark of quality. The bathroom adapted to the needs of people in wheelchairs was opened in the building of the former lifeguard station this season. The beach created for them will continue to be improved with new elements.

Summer continues to pamper the hot weather, and Daugavpils kindly invites both locals and residents of all Latvia to enjoy outdoor recreation.

Information was prepared by the Communication Department of  Daugavpils City Municipality.
https://www.daugavpils.lv/

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On the first Sunday of August, August 7, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On August 7, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

See you at the Shmakovka Museum!

Information prepared by

Raivis Malnacs

Director

of exposition “Shmakovka Museum”

Tel.: +371 65422818; +371 26444810

Email: info@smakovka.lv

Web: www.smakovka.lv

www.facebook.com/SmakovkasMuzejs

www.instagram.com/smakovkas_muzejs

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On June 22, 2022, a meeting of the Board of the Society of Museums of Latvia was held, during which the acceptance of the exposition of the Šmakovka Museum into the society was confirmed.

The Society of Museums of Latvia is a non-governmental organization that unites private, autonomous and municipal museums from 120 countries on a voluntary basis to achieve common goals and protect interests. It is the largest organization of its kind in Latvia.

The mission of the Society of Museums of Latvia is to promote the development of museums in Latvia in order to raise the level of this industry, improve the image, competitiveness and activities at the national and international level.

Daugavpils Museum of Shmakovka is the largest exposition in Latvia dedicated to Latgale hospitality, cuisine, traditions, as well as a strong alcoholic drink – shmakovka, which is included in the list of Latgalian culinary heritage. In the expositions of the museum, with the help of the latest technologies, you can interactively get acquainted with the process of making shmakovka, as well as see authentic and impressive devices for the production of the drink.

Since the opening of the exposition, the number of visitors has continued to increase, even during the pandemic, the museum was visited by a significant number of tourists (from June 1 to September 30, compared to the corresponding period last year, the number of tourists increased by 60%). If last year most of the museum visitors were residents of Latvia, this year the museum is visited by tourists from neighboring countries, as well as America and Asia.

Participation in the Association of Museums of Latvia is very important in order to develop brand awareness of the Shmakovka Museum in Latvia and in the world, because, as mentioned earlier, this is the largest organization of this type in Latvia!

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On July 23, the summer charity festival “Metal over Fortress” will be held in Daugavpils Fortress. The event is dedicated to the 210th anniversary of the baptism by fire of Daugavpils Fortress.

210 years ago the unfinished Daugavpils (at that time Dinaburg) fortress repelled the attack of the 10th Corps of the Grand Army under the command of Marshal Oudinot.

The event is an unusual experiment for our fortress. This year, the walls made of stones will be tested for adhesion to “heavy metal”.

Remembering the wars of the fortress and the whole Daugavpils city, and the destruction caused by them for many centuries, this time the festival is organized precisely as a charity event. During the concerts, everyone will have the opportunity to donate the desired amount. The collected funds will be used to help people injured during the hostilities.

The festival day will begin as early as noon. Throughout Mihaila Street, from 12 noon to 6 pm there will be a traditional flea market, where everyone can find something interesting and unique for themselves. In addition, on Emperor Street, food stalls and entertainment for children will be located.

From noon to midnight, there will be an opportunity to visit the powder cellar of the 8th bastion, in which the photo exhibition “Dinaburg 1812” will be available. The exhibition is dedicated to the festival of historical reconstruction in the fortress.

In the evening, from 6 pm to midnight, the fortress will be shaken by heavy music. Five different bands will perform during the concert: Varang Nord, Deodium, Preternatural, Úkanose, and Mórkvarg.

We invite everyone to take part in this unique event!

The festival is organized by the Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency.

More information:
Daugavpils fortress culture and information centre
Tel.: +371 65424043, +371 28686331
cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv
https://www.facebook.com/daugavpils.cietoksnis

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On the first Sunday of July, July 3, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On July 3, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

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At 4 p.m. on 8 July, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will launch its summer season with new exhibitions in painting, ceramics and photography. Each medium is represented with two shows, resulting in a balanced artistic experience for all types of visitors, from seasoned art critics to casual explorers touring the city.

“Tender is the Night: The Art of Kang Haitao” is a large retrospective and the artist’s first display on Latvian soil, introducing the local public to one of the most important artists of the 70s Generation in China. The artist’s work radiates tension – a yearning for a world beyond the everyday one, but, paradoxically, the lexicon used to explore this spiritual world is largely in his earlier paintings, the world of everyday provincial life: old factories, old schools, walls, isolated trees. More recently, the lexicon of the paintings has shifted, and there is now a complex interplay between inner and outer, between light and shadow, substance and reflection, and the colour palette is higher. From the Rothko Centre, the exhibition will travel to Cromwell Place, London.

“Chambers of Tales. Lithuanian Ceramic Art of the 21st Century” is the Rothko Centre’s most comprehensive exhibition of Lithuanian ceramics to date, featuring 65 artists in a symbolic digest of the trends and developments in the country’s ceramic art across the past two decades. The collection reveals unexpected, sometimes paradoxical juxtapositions between different ceramic works, ranging from the idea of a decorative vessel to sculptural objects incorporating conceptual and action-based art forms. The exhibition is structured to offer a personal stroll through eight chambers, with the interconnected narrative of the works on display rooted in Lithuanian folk tales. On the one hand, the tales emphasise the archaic beginnings of Lithuanian ceramic art, highlighting the “natural” properties of clay and its versatility. On the other hand, the genre of folk tales is usually perceived as reflecting the primordial Lithuanian mythical worldview. In a sense, it is still going strong today, with historical facts, fantastical elements in personal interpretative accounts of actual events, and universal human experiences meshed in a single complex reality.

The major solo exhibition by the Australian-born Paris-based artist Anthony White, “Mobilising Material”, is another first appearance on Latvian soil. It contains previously featured artworks that formed the inaugural exhibition “The Curious Eye Never Runs Dry” of the United Kingdom-based gallery “Informality” in 2019. The 30 works across 380 square metres of the Rothko Centre exhibition space see the artist reflect upon the effects of Western capitalist civilisation on our modern environment by revisiting themes of involuntary detention, injustice and migration. White’s artistic work revolves around the notion of reclaiming the act of dissent through the production of cultural objects.

Photographer Eduards Kapša is a true master of motion photography, blessed with a keen and perceptive eye and a generous heart that gladly shares the frozen moments with the viewers. To quote the artist: “I photograph creators, and I work on an equal footing with my models, aiming for freedom of expression and giving them space to really build a character and step into its shoes. When my model works in front of a camera, does all the jumps and exercises and forgets the photographer is even there… Now that is my moment because that’s when the person is true and unaffected. Motion photography is also an intricate technical process. The model can’t simply fake it or strike a pose just for the camera.” The artist’s work is seen in his solo show “Movement. Ballet”.

The “Moments” photography series by Norwegian artist Anja Carr was created over an extended period, from 2013 to 2017, and each image documents a single moment from one of Carr’s different performances where the artist has wittily challenged the toy industry by transforming its colourful characters. She is aware of the impossibility of documenting a performance with a single image but reminds us that this is how processes of identity construction work in social networks – through fragmented image “feeds”. The toy industry stereotypes involving a strict division of roles between children and adults, girls and boys, are twisted in these performances, featuring original costumes and scenography made by the artist.

The solo show of Rūdis Pētersons, aka Del Ruden, “You Are Welcome to My Garden of Love”, has a title carefully chosen to bring together all the exhibits, in this case – paintings and ceramics. When the author was getting ready with the concept and the works, his thoughts revolved around nature and its almighty power on the one hand and porcelain on the other – this delicate, sophisticated and often highly demanding material. The first works were made three years ago, before the concept was fully developed. It clicked as the artist was working and listening to some background music – the moment he heard the lyrics “You’re welcome, you’re welcome. To my garden, my garden of love”, he felt they were a perfect fit for his vases. As the creative process was nearing the end, the war broke out in Ukraine. It had a strong impact on the artist’s creativity and gave a new poignancy to the concept – the flowers growing from porcelain vases as a silent cry for a seemingly utopian Garden of Eden where everyone is welcome to sow their seeds of love.

The new season’s exhibitions are on show through 16 October 2022.

About the organiser:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre

https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Exhibition details:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions

Supporters:

Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation, Caparol.

Opening hours:

Monday: closed

Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Publicity photos:

Anja Carr, From the “Moments” series (Act 14), 2016, photographic capture;

1. Rūdis Pētersons, “The Tree of Life”, 2021, paper porcelain, pigment, glaze, gold, h – 49 cm.

Contacts:

Aivars Baranovskis

aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv

+371 65430273

Follow us online:

WWW.ROTKOCENTRS.LV

FACEBOOK / Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

TWITTER @rotkocentre

INSTAGRAM / markrothkoartcentre

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Every nation has its own heroes. For Americans it is the “Spider-Man” and “Chuck Norris”, for the Chinese “Jackie Chan”, and for Latgalians – Kazimir Adamovich, who once “lifted” the kolkhoz (collective farm) to the “Happy Future”. But for several years already different troubles affected our land. Covid infection, financial crisis, the change of power in the government, so Kazimir Adamovich decided to focus on Great Politics.

On June 22 and 23, Kazimir Adamovich invites everyone to his big pre-election campaign in Viski – “The pre-election jokes of Kazimir Adamovich” (“Kazimira Adamoviča prīkšvieliešonu špāses”), in honor of which he has developed his “Kazimir Adamovich’s Promise Campaign” program:

1. Funny celebration of the summer solstice is the primary goal of our party!
2. Free beer and cheese tastings for the first 1000 visitors!
3. Every participant of the Festival will have an opportunity to enjoy sauna rituals.
4. We promise a gorgeous concert program and dancing until dawn on the Midsummer night!
5. We are for family values! Funny family activities are guaranteed!
6. On the shores of Lake Lukna everyone will spend their most beautiful summer sunset and wait for the most romantic sunrise.

Everyone is invited to participate in the celebration of the summer solstice in Viski Air Stage and Field Stadium!

The program of the festival:

June 22

16.00 – 17.00 – “Solstice scrubs” – creative workshop and master class
18.00 – 19.00 – “The power of broom” – sauna broom tying creative workshop
16.00 – 22.00 – Sauna, massage and health services (for a fee)
21.00 – Concert of the vocal band “Anime Corde” (free) on the Viski beach, bonfire on the lake. A tent city will be available.

June 23

12.00 – 13.00 – “The power of broom” – sauna broom tying creative workshop
12.00 – Funny activities for families
14.00 – Sport activities. The 1st stage of Augsdaugava district “Streetball” championship (Amateur teams can also apply). Applications should be sent till 20.06.2022 on the e-mail: gunars.kucins@augsdaugavasnovads.lv
14.00 – 15.00 – “Purified, clean organism in summer – a key to health in autumn and winter”
16.00 – 17.00 – “Solstice scrubs” – creative workshop and master class
18.00 – 19.00 – “Wreath weaving” – creative workshop
12.00 – 22.00 – Sauna, massage and health services (for a fee)
19.00 – Big concert, in which will participate: Normunds Rutulis, Kristine Somase un Normunds Liepins, “Galaktika”, Juris Ostrovskis, “Bulta”, “Anime Corde”, “Līksme”
22.00 – Fire show
22.30 – Solstice bonfire and ball together with Normunds Rutulis, Kristine Somase un Normunds Liepins

Entrance fee to the event – 8.00 euro on the day of the event, purchasing tickets in advance – 6.00 euro in Augsdaugava District Institution “TAKA”, Viski District Administration, Daugavpils Tourist Information centre, the box offices of “Biļešu paradīze”  and on the website www.bilesuparadīze.lv.

Additional information: turisms@augsdaugavasnovads.lv, tel. +371 65476748, +371 29431360, websites: ligo-viskos.mozello.lv, visku-estrade-stadions.lv, www.facebook.com/agenturataka

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On the first Sunday of May, May 1, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On May 1, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

We ask visitors to be attentive to their own health and not to visit the museum if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection or during self-isolation.

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On 22 April, a new exhibition space – the MARTINSONS HOUSE – will open on 1 Nikolaja Street to commemorate ceramicist Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013) and his creative legacy.

Pēteris Martinsons was born in Daugavpils and made history as the best-known Latvian ceramicist worldwide. Consistent and outstanding creative performance made him a true credit to Latvian art and culture and a major contributing force to Latvian contemporary ceramics, which he brought to a whole new level of quality and acclaim. As a leading member of the famous Ķīpsala Ceramics group and a longstanding participant and creative director of artist symposiums in Dzintari, he was the beating heart behind two major phenomena in Latvian culture that transformed national ceramics from an applied craft into a legitimate art form and inspired generations of ceramicists in Latvia and beyond.

At the close of his most ambitious retrospective exhibition in 2013, Pēteris Martinsons donated a substantial part of his life’s work to the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre. The collection includes some of his first moulded and wheel-thrown objects, reliefs depicting literary characters, monumental figures, series of functional and stylised vessels, brittle porcelain pieces, representations of living beings such as crows, lions and dogs and tectonic structures such as towers and cages in different materials, other assorted figures and multiple sketches. The artist’s ceramic work is impressively diverse in terms of ideas and forms of creative expression, materials, techniques and places of origin. Meanwhile, his ink drawings are striking examples of artistic meditation and essential practice drills for hand and mind.

The Martinsons House is being opened with a permanent exhibition of the artist’s work called The City of Dreams. Having trained as an architect, Martinsons spent his entire creative life building his city of dreams, populated by fantastic creatures and filled with distinct architectural forms. We hope his city of dreams and its citizens can finally find a true and permanent abode that really feels like home – something the artist kept missing throughout his life.

The first display to fill the temporary exhibition zone of the Martinsons House will be Ķīpsala Ceramics from the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre collection. To quote from curator Valentīns Petjko: “Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ķīpsala Ceramics made the name of Latvia known all over Europe – its artists earned honours and awards in international exhibitions and participated in creative symposiums and other events. More than forty ceramists have worked in the Ķīpsala Ceramics Studio since its foundation. In the information vacuum of their Soviet reality, each artist, to a greater or lesser extent, focused their individual efforts on shaping the image of Latvian professional ceramics, which developed into a fully competitive field.”

In addition to the two exhibitions, the Martinsons House will offer an open stock of contemporary ceramics and several reproductions of graphical works by Pēteris

Martinsons, marking the transformation of the former gunpowder magazine at 1 Nikolaja Street, Daugavpils Fortress, into a fully functional repository for professional art. Nine years ago, a neighbouring building – the former artillery arsenal – was reborn into a premium art space that carries the name of Mark Rothko. The latest repurposed structure follows in its footsteps – from now on, it will be known as the Martinsons House, guardian to the memory and legacy of the brilliant ceramicist.

Information: www.rothkocenter.com

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On 22 April, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre launches the spring exhibition season with six new projects and a brand new exhibition space – the MARTINSONS HOUSE.

Traditionally, the spring season brings together artists from the Latgale Region into a joint exhibition of their latest work. This year is no exception, which is also the title of the show – No Exception. The latest developments worldwide have re-emphasised the global connectedness of all people on Earth. This was seen in the economy, politics and healthcare, and the art world was no exception. Naturally, the trend hasn’t bypassed the Latgale Region, where art life has continued with individual creators producing new artworks. The exhibition features 44 artists from the Latgale Region and their latest work, where they have captured their emotions and impressions from the past few years, recorded the changing reality and reflected on eternal values still keeping the world together through a common language of the arts.

Multiple layers of substance and material stand out in the installations by Valda Podkalne (Latvia) seen in her new exhibition – The Essay Arena. To quote from the artist: “I work with ‘islands of thought’. Each exhibit has its own message, vision, dream or recollection that’s been transformed into an installation reflective of my lived experience. My perception and interpretation of events are tied to the themes of past and present, privacy and publicity, intimacy, childhood and loss.” The show balances the need to be ‘here and now’ with contemplative memories of the past – a necessary condition for reclaiming the capacity for this state of being.

For Harald Hegodzienski (Latvia), creativity is an ongoing and unstoppable process, and his show, Like a Rolling Stone, addresses an active and engaged viewer – one who can work with the artist’s imagery through alteration and amplification, much like a cloud‑gazer who keeps seeing new multiforms in the creator’s original piece, above and beyond what the author may have intended. So visitors to the show should prepare for a fascinating experience not unlike an experimental music recital and come with an open heart to embrace the unknown and perceive the irrational.

The historical dimension is highlighted by the Rīga Jewish Community and the Jews in Latvia Museum in their show called Jewish Artists in the Interbellum Latvia: In Pursuit. It is both an attempt to reflect on pre-war shows by Jewish artists and to bring the work of some lesser-known creators to a broader audience. Some of them lacked even basic biographical data, so the exhibition was a joint and equal effort of curators and art historians. The title references not only the artists’ attempts to find their own identity but also the research process initiated by the curators.

The nature-inspired installation Reflections by Anne Türn and Toomas Tuul (Estonia) applies the concept of reflection to human relations. This may explain the appeal of the exhibition – the dreamlike woodland mysteries manifesting as illuminated formations, coming forth from the giant photos on the wall and from the gallery floor, create mystical, magical spaces, with darkness and light touching similar reflections in the hiddenmost places of our soul.

Martynas Gaubas and Arvydas Martinaitis (Lithuania) take the Rothko Centre by storm with their ironic show It Won’t Get Any Better than This! Brilliance, scope and an infinite symbolic vocabulary are the shared signature elements in the toolkit of both Lithuanian artists, even though they are applied to different materials. The bright, dense and grounded colours of Arvydas Martinaitis submerge the eye of the beholder into the plane of existence beyond time and space, where the line between reality and fantasy ceases to exist, where the world as we know it is turned upside down, and the impossible becomes possible. Meanwhile, Martynas Gaubas, stands out as an ironic artist. Whatever the chosen medium, his work is consistently brimming with humour through grotesque, caricature or parody.

The new season’s exhibitions are on show through 26 June 2022.

Photo: Valda Podkalne, Three Clouds, installation detail.

Information: www.rothkocenter.com

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On Sunday, 10 April, all temporary exhibitions currently on show at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will be available at a discount price.

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre enters the final preparation stage for its new exhibition season. This means ongoing week is the last chance for the public to see the current temporary exhibitions before they are gradually replaced by new projects. For this reason, the upcoming Sunday, all temporary exhibitions will be available at a discount price – 2.00 EUR for pupils, students and senior citizens and 4.00 EUR for all the other visitors.

Opening hours on discount day (10 April) – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

11 through 22 April, visitor access shall be limited to the permanent exhibition “Found in the Collection” – the finest pieces from the Rothko Centre collection.

Currently on show:

Agra Ritiņa (Latvia) “The Crown” (painting), solo show

Milena Pirštelienė (Lithuania) “Water” (ceramics), solo show

Andres Adamson (Estonia) “The Sea of a Thousand Dreams” (photography), solo show

“Mycelia” group project from a Latvian-German artist residency (installation), group show

“X: Free Space // X: EGO” international projects (Lithuania) (painting and other media), group show

Jana Machatová and Peter Machata (Slovakia) “Echo of the Mind” (jewellery art)

“In a Draught” – Ukrainian artists in the Rothko Centre collection

Publicity photo:

Didzis Grodzs

About the organiser:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre

https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Address:
3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils

Author:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 65430273

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The Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. In the digital expositions of the museum, with the help of the latest technologies, you can interactively study the process of making shmakovka, as well as examine authentic devices for its production. In addition to the story about the production of the drink, the museum has comprehensive information about the culture and history of Latgale. Museum has opened the active tourist season on April 1st and prepared some novelties for its customers.

Starting from April 1st, the Shmakovka Museum will become even more accessible and will be open to visitors seven days a week, from 11am to 7pm.

The renovated foyer of the museum is already waiting for visitors – the room is equipped with a new tasting table and decorations in the traditional Latgalian style.
Shmakovka Museum also offers new service this year – online tours in Latvian, Latgalian, Russian and English. If you want to learn more detailed information about the history of Latgale and about the production of shmakovka, but cannot visit the museum in person, the exposition can be viewed remotely, accompanied by a guide.

Besides, Shmakovka Museum will be participating in the international event “Night of Museums 2022” on May 14th. It will be possible to visit the exposition for free and participate in master classes of making shmakovka and clay cups during the event. In addition, Latgalian traditional music will be played and temporary exhibition “Family Table” that talks about the peculiarities of the culinary heritage of Latgale will be available during the event.

The staff of the museum has recently started a campaign “There is no present without the past”. In order to complement the exposition of the museum, museum is looking for various exhibits related to the history of Latgale and shmakovka production. For example, equipment for making shmakovka, household items, clothes, shoes, decorative window frames, books, tableware, curtains, rugs, bed linen, etc.

In order to continue the tradition of celebrating the birthday of the museum, the festival “GOSTŪS LATGOLĀ” will be held for the second time on July 30th. The festival will be dedicated to Latgalian hospitality and traditions, as well as to the celebration of the 6th anniversary of Shmakovka Museum. Visitors will be offered an exciting program with the participation of artists from Latgale and the members of the culinary heritage network. There will be a crafts fair where everyone will have the opportunity to try and purchase local products.

More information about the museum: +371 25666201, www.smakovka.lv

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Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency has summarised statistical data on the number of visits to tourism objects, culture and active recreation places in Daugavpils City in 2021.

The year 2021 was full of challenges and all Covid-19 restrictions significantly affected the tourism and hospitality industry, the flow of tourists has decreased due to the global situation. Therefore, the total number of visits to Daugavpils tourism, culture, active rest and sports establishments in 2021 was 199,407 people that is 39 % less than in 2020. The data was collected from 30 tourist attractions that kept a record of their visitors throughout the year.

The coronavirus pandemic has introduced new challenges and its own adjustments not only in the number of tourists, but also in geography. The flow of foreign tourists has decreased to 10 %, while domestic travellers, who make up 90 %, were quite active during the tourist season. The global pandemic created special conditions that have increased the interest of local tourists in the country’s tourism offer – Latvians are rediscovering Latvia. Most foreign tourists came from neighbouring Lithuania. Travellers also travelled from Poland, Estonia, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Belarus, the USA and Ukraine, and in general, tourists from 42 countries visited Daugavpils. The most visited tourist attractions in Daugavpils in 2021 were Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre and 1st Coast Lunette, Latgale Zoo, Shmakovka Museum, Daugavpils Regional Studies and Art Museum, Daugavpils Lead Shot Factory, Family Digital Activity Hub of Latgale Central Library, the exhibition of historical costumes “The Chest of Memory” (“Atmiņu lāde”) and the art gallery “White Horse” (“Baltais zirgs”), the exhibition of retro cars “RetroGaraž-D”. July and August were the months when objects were visited most.

The statistical data on the number of visitors of the Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre in 2021 has shown that a total number of information requests was 11 184. Compared to previous years, there is an increase in the proportion of domestic travellers – same as in all tourism-related attractions of the city, Latvian tourists occupy a dominant position – 91 % of all visitors. Local tourists, as well as foreign guests, were most interested in the tourism opportunities of the city, purchased souvenirs, as well as booked excursions.

Although the previous year was not very successful for tourism, Daugavpils has experienced many positive changes. The city has been is developing and the tourist offer has been expanding. For example, the Musical Square was set up at the Esplanade Rest Park, a new historical exhibition called “Nicholas Gate – Doors to the Past” and the promenade for walks along the Daugava River, as well as educational excursions on the electric bus was offered in Daugavpils Fortress. Besides, new conference hall “Konferenču telpa 13” was opened in Daugavpils Fortress. Fans of virtual games are invited to visit the new virtual reality space “Arcanum”, which offers more than 30 games of all genres, suitable for both adults and children. New cafes and restaurants were opened in 2021 – “Dubrovin Bar and Grill”, “Buffet”, “Testo”, “RAI”, tea house “Magic Touch”. The brightest cultural event of the summer 2021 can be considered the Latgalian Hospitality and Tradition Festival “Gostūs Latgolā”, which took place at the end of July in the very centre of the city, on Vienības Square. The aim of the event was to give its participants an idea of Latgale’s culinary heritage, traditions and history of Daugavpils and Latgale region.

Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency systematically collects and summarises information on tourism development in Daugavpils City, conducts researches and surveys related to tourists, summarises information on the number of visitors to the city’s tourism objects, as well as cultural, active recreation and sports attractions.

Photo: Andrejs Jemeljanovs

The post Tourism in Daugavpils City: results for 2021 appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

On Friday 18 March, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will open the catalogue of its exhibition “Found in the Collection”.

 “Found in the Collection” is the most ambitious exhibition from the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre collection to date. It displays art and cultural values collected in the nine years since the centre was created and confirms its active presence on the contemporary art scene. In a sense, the exhibition is a visual diary featuring stories of symposia and exhibitions, offering evidence of vibrant communication and cooperation towards exciting art projects and recording meaningful dialogues and monologues about current developments in the art world where the human touch takes centre stage – that of the artist, the curator and the collector.

The exhibition catalogue features Latvian and international artists from the Rothko Centre’s vast and excellent collection totalling almost three thousand artworks in different mediums. To reaffirm the unbreakable bond between art and its creator, the publication also outlines the artists’ creative biographies and stylistic trajectories.

“Found in the Collection” is the first publication about the jewels in the Rothko Centre collection. It highlights each artist’s special bond with the institution and the importance of each contribution to its emergence, existence and continued development. The catalogue also leaves the door open for further artistic research because the collection contains plenty more surprises and keeps growing into the largest and most significant assemblage of professional art in the Latgale region.

At 4 p.m. on Friday 18 March, the Rothko Centre is organising an official opening event for this seminal publication and invites featured artists and local and visiting art lovers to join the celebration.

The exhibition and its catalogue are another step for the city of Daugavpils towards the European Capital of Culture 2027.

#Daugavpils2027

#kopīgavaloda

#EKG2027

#ECoC2027

About the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre

https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Exhibition synopses:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/izstades

Supporters

The Slovak Republic embassy in Latvia

Other exhibitions at the Rothko Centre:

Mark Rothko’s originals

“Found in the Collection” – finest pieces from the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

Agra Ritiņa (Latvia) “The Crown” (painting), solo show

Milena Pirštelienė (Lithuania) “Water” (ceramics), solo show

Andres Adamson (Estonia) “The Sea of a Thousand Dreams” (photography), solo show

“Mycelia” group project from a Latvian-German artist residency (installation), group show

“X: Free Space // X: EGO” international projects (Lithuania) (painting and other media), group show

Jana Machatová and Peter Machata (Slovakia) “Echo of the Mind” (jewellery art)

“In a Draught” – Ukrainian artists in the Rothko Centre collection

Opening hours:

Monday: closed

Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address:

3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils

Publicity photo:

Santa Suhanova

Contacts:

Aivars Baranovskis

aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv

+371 65430273

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On the first Sunday of March, March 6, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils (22a Rigas Street) will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On March 6, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00. In accordance with the order of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Shmakovka Museum accepts visitors only by appointment with a valid Covid-19 certificate confirming the fact of vaccination or illness, observing physical distance and epidemiological safety measures. 15 people can be in the museum at the same time. The museum can only be entered with a face mask. You can sign up for a visit to the museum by phone +371 25666201 or email: info@smakovka.lv.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

We ask visitors to be attentive to their own health and not to visit the museum if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection or during self-isolation.

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On 19 February, winners of the Kilogram of Culture 2021 Award by Latvia’s public media were announced, highlighting last year’s standout achievements in the field of culture across nine nominations. The Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre earned one of the prizes as “Best Place for Culture 2021”.

The Kilogram of Culture Award by Latvia’s public media aims to assess standout achievements in Latvian culture by recruiting competent experts from the national television and radio, and other public media and holding a popular vote among TV and radio audiences.
We can enjoy culture across a broad spectrum of locations – in museums, galleries, theatres, cafes and even online, so the Best Place for Culture nomination featured both physical sites and websites. This year, a record number of nominees was proposed – 36 very different offline and online locations the Latvian public thought most inspirational throughout 2021.

The Kilogram of Culture Award has gone to Daugavpils, and we are thrilled to receive it. It embodies the high appreciation of the Rothko Centre’s activities when museum doors were closed to the public, recognises the quality of the exhibition projects shown on its premises and beyond and sets the quality bar for the year to come. “Thank you, colleagues, thank you, Daugavpils, and thank you, everyone, who visits cultural sites – the places that inspire us to reflect, connect and get going,” says Māris Čačka, the Rothko Centre director.

The award is another step for the city of Daugavpils towards the European Capital of Culture 2027.
#Daugavpils2027
#kopīgavaloda
EKG2027
#ECoC2027

Opening hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre
https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Publicity photo:
Santa Suhanova

Contacts:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 65430273

The post The Rothko Centre named Latvia’s Best Place for Culture 2021 appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

OPEN CALL: LINGUA FRANCA / DAUGAVPILS

Daugavpils 2027 (European Capital of Culture candidate city) announces LINGUA FRANCA / DAUGAVPILS open call  for photographers from all over the world.

 Daugavpils and the whole Latgale region are working on an application to participate in the final round of the competition “European Capital of Culture 2027”. The theme of the application from the region is Lingua Franca – a common language. The task of the team of program organizers is to encourage the local community to dialogue and search for a common language through art, culture, social and communicative transformations. The task of the program is not only to show our achievements and positive sides, but to activate the community to find joint solutions to local and global challenges. The need to rethink understatements, historical traumas and stigmatizations prompts us to look for representations of change and contrasts in photography. After all, it is art and culture that can create a dialogue for positive change and change in the cultural landscape of the region.

We invite photographers from all over the world to become participants of Daugavpils 2027 and show the diversity of Latgale – the contrasts, history and people of Daugavpils, to show the region from their own perspective.

The photos will be used in the Daugavpils2027 application (BidBook) as well as in the Daugavpils2027 communication materials.

Who can participate?

Professional and amateur photographers from any country can participate in the contest. The main thing is that the photo should reflect the landscape/people/events of Daugavpils or Latgale.

What kind of photos can be submitted?

Any photo that was taken and / or published not earlier than January 1,  2000  in Daugavpils or Latgale.

Why is it worth participating?

Everyone can become a part of our common goal to become the European Capital of Culture. Now

Everyone can take part in project development, programming, and promotion of the application. We have an open call for applications for photographers (professionals and amateurs) to have your work featured in the international program. Perhaps it is your photos that best reflect our mentality, nature, cities, homes, our common and different – our common language.

How to apply?

You have to fill out an application form (ej.uz/linguafranca) and send it electronically with your photos (minimum 300 dpi resolution, desired 2000×3000 px) by March 1, 2022 (23.59). Photos can be attached to the form with a link to failiem.lv/Wetransfer or other cloud system. You can submit an unlimited number of photos.

By submitting an application, the photographer agrees/disagrees that the submitted photos can be used in publications related to the Daugavpils2027 program, the author allows to edit and/or modify the submitted materials.

Daugavpils2027 will send information about selection results to applicants by April 15, 2022.

More information:
Joren Dobkiewicz, Daugavpils2027 Outreach coordinator
(+371) 20133020
daugavpils2027@daugavpils.lv
contact@neweasteurope.com

The post Daugavpils 2027 announces LINGUA FRANCA / DAUGAVPILS open call for photographers from all over the world appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

On the first Sunday of February, February 6, the ticket price for individual visitors to the Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils will be only 2.15 EUR. The Museum offers free audio guides in 6 languages – Latvian, Latgalian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and German, as well as guided tours.

On February 6, the Shmakovka Museum will be open from 11:00 to 19:00. In accordance with the order of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Shmakovka Museum accepts visitors only by appointment with a valid Covid-19 certificate confirming the fact of vaccination or illness, observing physical distance and epidemiological safety measures. 15 people can be in the museum at the same time. The museum can only be entered with a face mask. You can sign up for a visit to the museum by phone +371 25666201 or email: info@smakovka.lv.

Shmakovka Museum in Daugavpils is the largest museum in Latvia, which tells about the culinary heritage of Latgale. Museum visitors can learn about the process of making shmakovka using modern technologies, see original production equipment, get acquainted with the culture and history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as purchase various souvenirs with museum symbols and receive free information materials.

We ask visitors to be attentive to their own health and not to visit the museum if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection or during self-isolation.
See you at the Shmakovka Museum!

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On 28 January, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre launches this year’s first exhibition season with five very different projects featuring Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and German artists.

Diversity in means of expression and varying degrees of directness in address. From charming natural elements in delicate colour fields to unmistakably textual representations. From serene classical painting to impulsive installations. These different descriptions all fit the latest artistic output available at the Rothko Centre’s temporary exhibition rooms from 28 January.

Although such diversity might seem puzzling at first glance, a perceptive viewer should appreciate the latest change in scenography and the opportunity to get an almost theatrical experience, as one space prepares the visitor for entering the next, as tension switches to contemplative nostalgia, whilst expressiveness gives way to profoundly individual self-reflection.

“The X Project” is a continuous art event where creators from different fields are invited to work in pairs on a joint work of art, sharing different creative and technological experiences and ideas and being given free space to interpret the theme. This is a great challenge, but it offers an invaluable experience to creators who often come up with truly unexpected, intriguing works. Through this project, Lithuanian curator Albinas Vološkevičius brings together his country’s leading artists, lately also attracting participants from abroad. In this exhibition season, the Rothko Centre receives two latest instalments of “The X Project” – “X: Free Space” and “X: EGO”.

In “Mycelia”, five German artists teamed up with another five from Latvia to work in tandems and produce their small creative ecosystems. In the Latvian version of the title, “Micēlija”, the biological term is used in an altered, feminine form, “-a” being a typical inflexion for Latvian nouns in the feminine grammatical gender. This was a deliberate choice to highlight the feminine connotation of the project. The artists interpret the biological concept of mycelium through the prism of interpersonal interactions, communications and relationships on the broader social level. Another goal was to reference their own cooperation within the project when they were looking for common grounds and points of intersection that would bring together different views, ideas, geographical backgrounds and concerns into site-specific art made expressly for this exhibition in this particular setting.

In “The Sea of a Thousand Dreams”, Estonian photographer, illustrator and graphic designer, Andres Adamson, depicts water – the mystical primordial environment from which we all, all life on Earth, originated. In his images, the author tried to express the human desire for peace, lightness and tranquillity.

A markedly different take on water is proposed by Lithuanian ceramic artist, Milena Pirštelienė. Her work integrates diverse techniques, which makes it sculptural, graphic, ceramic and illustrative, all at the same time. The title and the principal theme of the exhibition is “Water”. It is also the central object of the artist’s reflections, featuring drowning cities, floods, anxiety and a sense of looming threat.

“The Crown” by Agra Ritiņa balances the power and softness of nature. At the start of her painting career, the artist was capturing natural processes, and she has remained faithful to nature to this day. She still goes there to seek inspiration, observe the play of light and colour, and capture moods, shapes and ideas. These impressions she then transforms into art, focusing on the essentials and producing endless studies of floating or low-hanging clouds, frequently shaped like giant tree crowns.

The new season’s exhibitions are on show through 10 April 2022.

The new season’s exhibition projects are another step for the city of Daugavpils towards the European Capital of Culture 2027.
#Daugavpils2027
#kopīgavaloda
EKG2027
#ECoC2027

About the organiser:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre
https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Exhibition details:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions

Supporters:
Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation, Caparol.

Other exhibitions on show:
Mark Rothko’s originals;
“Found in the Collection” – finest pieces from the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre;
“Talk to Me!” – group show by the Ceramic Association of Latvia at the Rothko Centre courtyard.

Opening hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Publicity photo:
Miglė Kosinskaitė, Peeter Krosmann, Gertrūda’s dream, oil on canvas, 120×180 cm, 2021
Andres Adamson, Quadrivision, giclée print on satin canvas, 100 x 180 cm, 2020;
Milena Pirštelienė, The Anxiety diptych, white clay, porcelain, pigments, glazes, metal, 1020 °C, 1250 °C, h – 117 cm, 2021;
Agra Ritiņa, Autumn palette, oil on cavas, 120 x 100 cm, 2021.

Contacts:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 65430273

The post The Rothko Centre launches its winter season with five new exhibitions appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

On Sunday, 16 January, all temporary exhibitions currently on show at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will be available at a discount price.

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre enters the final preparation stage for its new exhibition season. This means ongoing week is the last chance for the public to see the current temporary exhibitions before they are gradually replaced by new projects. For this reason, the upcoming Sunday, all temporary exhibitions will be available at a discount price – 2.00 EUR for pupils, students and senior citizens and 4.00 EUR for all the other visitors.

Opening hours on discount day (16 January) – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please be reminded that, in keeping with government stipulations, admission to the art centre shall be contingent upon the demonstration of a valid Covid-19 certificate of recovery or vaccination.

17 through 27 January, visitor access shall be limited to the permanent exhibition with Mark Rothko’s originals and “Found in the Collection” – the finest pieces from the Rothko Centre collection.

Currently on show:
Michael Kidner (UK) “Love Is a Virus from Outer Space”;
Ilze Lībiete (Latvia) “Road to the Sea”;
Jānis Kupčs (Latvia) “Cruel Romances”;
Daniel Fuchs (Germany) “Creation”;
Elissa Marchal (France) “The Space Between”;
“Mark Rothko 2021” – closing exhibition of the 17th International Painting Symposium.

Publicity photo:
Santa Suhanova

About the organiser:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DaugavpilsMarkRothkoArtCentre
https://www.instagram.com/markrothkoartcentre/

Address:
3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

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All day on Saturday 25 December and Sunday 26 December, admission to Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will be available at a discount.

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre suggests boosting your Christmas with a rich cultural experience that includes the work of brilliant Latvian artists (a graphic retrospective “Road to the Sea” from Ilze Lībiete and paintings from Jānis Kupčs) and prominent international creators (Daniel Fuchs, Germany, with his solo show “Creation” and Elissa Marchal, France, with her exhibition “The Space Between”) along with an impressive retrospective show of Michael Kidner, a classic of British 20th-century art, called “Love is a Virus from Outer Space”. And, of course, visitors can still see Mark Rothko’s originals and “Found in the Collection” – a special exhibition highlighting the Rothko Centre’s finest acquisitions over the years.

Throughout the day on 25 and 26 December, admission to the centre is available at a discount price – 6.00 EUR for regular visitors, 3.00 EUR for pupils, students and senior citizens. Besides that, everyone can enjoy a free-of-charge open-air exhibition in the Rothko Centre courtyard, “Talk to Me” by the Ceramic Association of Latvia, and several public art objects across Daugavpils Fortress.

Opening hours during the holidays:
23.12. – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
24.12. – closed
25.12. – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.*
26.12. – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.*
30.12. – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
31.12. – closed
01.01. – closed

*discount admission

Please be reminded that Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre works in the so-called “green regime”, which means visitors will need to show a Covid-19 vaccination or recovery certificate and a valid ID.

 Currently on show:

Mark Rothko’s originals;

“Found in the Collection” – finest pieces from Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre;

Michael Kidner (UK) “Love Is a Virus from Outer Space”;

Ilze Lībiete (Latvia) “Road to the Sea”;

Jānis Kupčs (Latvia) “Cruel Romances”;

Daniel Fuchs (Germany) “Creation”;

Elissa Marchal (France) “The Space Between”;

“Mark Rothko 2021” – closing exhibition of the 17th International Painting Symposium;

“Talk to Me!” – group show by the Ceramic Association of Latvia in the Rothko Centre courtyard.

Additional information and exhibition details:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

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At 3 p.m. on Tuesday 21 December, a new site-specific art project, “what can’t we just create” by Kristaps Ancāns, will be opened on 2 Nikolaja Street, Daugavpils Fortress.

Latvian-British artist Kristaps Ancāns works across multiple media, integrating sculpture, painting, photography, text, and installation. He studied painting and environmental art at the Art Academy of Latvia and holds an MFA from Central Saint Martins, London, having graduated with distinction in 2016. He has received the Cecil Lewis Sculpture Scholarship and the Helen Scott Lidgett Award in addition to having been nominated for the Clifford Chance Sculpture Prize, the Arts Foundation Fellowship, UK, and several other awards.

In “what can’t we just create” (2021–2022) – Ancāns’ first large-scale project in Daugavpils – his practice has grown both formally and conceptually. The project combines monumental banners with site-specific sculpture: texts in black font on a white background (written in Latvian, Russian and English), colour photography, and a lone palm tree sculpture. Located on and around a disused building that once housed former air pilots and war machinery, the piece addresses the city and population of Daugavpils directly – its histories of perpetual war-readiness and traumas from national self-determination, including those who still live among the vestiges of the past, in an area that’s developing quickly. Ancāns’ project in the former military fortress refers to constructions and confluences of language and context mechanisms inherited by and inherent of the site that is actively transforming into a vibrant cultural hub and administrative centre for the region.

“The written word still is one of the main triggers for our imagination in a time when digital image culture suggests the game of comparison and creation of narrative through it. The potential of imagining is always present. I hope that we are not the hostages of the structures we built and unconsciously trapping ourselves in flat worlds where only one dimension is acknowledged,” remarks Ancāns.

“Altogether, the artist’s project visualises the nexus of identity, language and geography – from integration to otherness, verbal to nonverbal, corporeal to immaterial, tone to shade. At this time in history, they offer a glimpse of the shape, complexity and “colour” of the context and affect they surround. Such witty ambiguities are key to the artist’s repertoire; transforming the site into a ludic realm of self-conscious laughter, viewers can only reflect on the realities that are portrayed, contributing to their own sense of questioning, discomfort and awe. Ancāns juxtaposes seemingly dissimilar elements that both surprise and humour our expectations and beliefs in identities and heritage. And we laugh nervously, recognising that we – collectively – face these difficult and complicated questions together,” observes project curator Corina L. Apostol.

The art project “what can’t we just create”, combining monumental banners that include both trilingual text (Latvian, Russian and English) in black letters on white background and colour photography, as well as a site-specific sculpture will be opened at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 21 December, 2 Nikolaja Street, Daugavpils Fortress. The event will be attended by the artist Kristaps Ancāns and the project curator, PhD Corina L. Apostol.

About the organiser:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/en

Publicity photo:

Kristaps Ancāns, what can’t we just create (detail) 2021/2022, site-specific installation

Contacts:

Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv

+371 65430273

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From 16 November, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre reopens to the public with five new exhibition projects available in the “green regime”.

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre resumes receiving visitors in the so-called “green regime”, which means they will need to show a Covid-19 vaccination or recovery certificate and a valid ID.

While the Rothko Centre was closed to the public, its team has prepared five new projects for this year’s final exhibition season. Late autumn has brought substantial changes to the centre’s exhibition halls that now contain the following offer:

• British artist Michael Kidner (1917–2009), a pioneer of Optical Art in the 1960s, is represented with a vast collection of paintings “Love Is a Virus from Outer Space”;
• Ilze Lībiete (Latvia) is featured with a graphic retrospective “Road to the Sea”
• Jānis Kupčs (Latvia) reveals his latest output in the painting medium in “Cruel Romances”
• Daniel Fuchs (Germany) offers fabulous woodcarvings in his show “Creation”
• Elissa Marchal (France) explores the fundamental elements of painting and the material properties of colour in “The Space Between”.

The new season’s exhibitions are on show until 16 January 2022.

Additional information and exhibition details:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/en/exhibitions

Supporters:
Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation, Caparol.

Other exhibitions on show:
Mark Rothko’s originals;
“Found in the Collection” – finest pieces from Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre;
“Mark Rothko 2021” – closing exhibition of the 17th International Painting Symposium;
“Talk to Me!” – group show by the Ceramic Association of Latvia at the Rothko Centre courtyard.

Publicity photo:
Michael Kidner (UK)

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko art centre 

The post The Rothko Centre reopens for visitors with five new exhibitions appeared first on VISITDAUGAVPILS.

8 November through 31 December 2021, the Ceramic Association of Latvia offers the public its latest exhibition, “Talk to Me!”, available at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre courtyard.

Ceramics has always been a tactile art. A way for the artist to talk to the world and engage in self-reflection. As the creator’s hands touch the still soft clay, it comes to life and starts talking, both to and about the author, and it can say a lot across all manner of surfaces – rough and rugged or velvety smooth. The material’s capacity to immortalise emotions, patience, anxiety, order, expressiveness, tender touch or fleeting impressions is inexhaustible.

“Talk to me!” is a conversation between the ceramicist and the viewer who can see the exhibition through a tactile encounter. These are experience-based stories put out there and left for the world to see across various textures – from rough and jagged to gently smoothed and glazed. The artworks displayed at the exhibition are records of these conversations in the ceramic medium, which now goes out into the open to talk to anyone ready to touch.

The exhibition features 20 Latvian ceramicists: Ilona Abdulajeva, Sanita Ābelīte, Aivars Baranovskis, Nellija Dzalba, Ilze Emse Grīnberga, Kaspars Geiduks, Katrīna Geiduka, Una Gura, Ieva Jurka, Lauris Krauze, Olga Melehina, Eleonora Pastare, Rūdis Pētersons, Ilona Romule, Līga Skariņa, Agnese Sunepa, Astra Šēnberga, Elīna Titāne, Lilija Zeiļa, Linda Zelta.

The exhibition is organised by the Ceramic Association of Latvia in cooperation with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics and Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre. The project was supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation and the Ministry of Culture through its target-programme “KultūrELPA”.

Publicity photo:
Santa Suhanova

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko art centre 

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From 3 November, ceramic artist Lilija Zeiļa offers her latest solo show, “Happenstance – Natural Order”, at the glass exhibition space of the 4METRES Gallery in Daugavpils Fortress, 8 Hospitāļa Street.

With indoor encounters once again strictly limited and the evenings growing darker, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre offers a new publicly available open-air exhibition by the Daugavpils-based ceramicist Lilija Zeiļa.

Potter, ceramicist and artist Lilija Zeiļa was born in Daugavpils in 1958. Clay and ceramics are her whole life – they set the course for her daily routines and submit to her will. Lilija became interested in ceramics as a schoolgirl, having visited the workshop of Staņislavs Vilcāns, an illustrious Latgalian potter. After graduating from the Rēzekne Secondary School of Applied Art, she became actively involved with the newly established art group of Daugavpils-based ceramicists. Lilija’s exhibition record, dating back to 1981, includes numerous solo shows in Latvia and beyond. In 1996, she took charge of the Daugavpils Ceramics Studio “Latgale”. Lilija has inspired and managed several ceramics-themed international projects, and studio work has made her a visible presence in Latvia as well as brought Latgalian ceramics to the attention of global audiences. The artist remains an active participant in exhibitions and international ceramic art symposia, where she shares her experience with countless international artists who admire Lilija’s work, happily passing her skills to the younger generation of creators.

Lilija Zeiļa’s sculpturesque ceramic objects, with their impressive folds and decorative elements inspired by natural textures, are brightened by fluid underglazes and glazes, painted in blackish-grey, bluish and reddish hues. Taken together, these features produce the effect of deep, nearly three-dimensional natural landscapes with a poetic feel. The artist’s virtuoso touch of colour emphasises the seemingly happenstance origins of her works along with their shapely expressiveness and pictorial sensuality.

The new exhibition on 8 Hospitāļa Street, Daugavpils Fortress, is available round-the-clock (excepting the current curfew hours). Its creation has been supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

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Many people love autumn for the changing colours of leaves. Trees that were once green explode into beautiful hues of gold, red, and orange. Autumn is a great time for walks and new experiences. While enjoying autumn walks in Daugavpils, it is not necessary to leave your four-legged friend at home or with neighbours. Daugavpils is a dog-friendly city. Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre invites you to combine a walk with a dog with a visit to the city’s sightseeing places. There is a list of the places presented where you can go for a walk together.

Daugavpils Fortress
Probably one of the most iconic sights in Latvia – but has your dog been there? Daugavpils Fortress (19th century monument) covers an area of almost 150 ha. To this day, 80 historical buildings have been preserved in the fortress, which are placed on 10 streets that has historical names. This place is already popular for many dog owners; dozens of friendly paws go for a walk on the streets of the fortress every day.

Dam promenade along the bank of the Daugava River
Not far away, near Daugavpils Fortress, you can go for a walk with your dog alongside the new dam promenade on the right bank of the Daugava River. The total length of the promenade is almost one kilometre.

Lielas Stropu Lake promenade
This route is for those who like longer walks. The illuminated promenade in the evenings is 3 km long; it is located in a pine forest and connects two large sandy beaches. If you feel tired, there are benches along the entire footpath where you can sit and enjoy the beautiful views of the lake and pine forest. However, maybe the walk will seem too short and will inspire you to go even further? Then we suggest taking a walk through the Stropu Forest near the Stropu stage, where there are many paths suitable for walking with a dog.

Esplanade Rest Park
This park has a large bike park for those who prefer active recreation, a children’s playground, a music square and well-maintained walking trails. There is also a special dog walking area. Here your dog can run around, train, jump over the barrier or jump through the tube, make friends with other dogs and have a great time.

Dubrovin Park
Although there is no dog-specific area in Dubrovin Park, it is a favourite place for four-legged friends to walk. This park was established in 1882 on the initiative of the mayor Pavel Dubrovin. Rare trees and shrubs were planted in the park. The park is named after Pavel Dubrovin and has a monument devoted to him and his dog – a bronze figure about two meters high is installed in a specially designed area near the fountain. Since the end of the 19th century, this park has been a popular gathering place for Daugavpils residents, as well as recreation place and place where public events are held.

The promenade on Bruģu Street
Another place to walk in Daugavpils is the promenade, which is located on the right bank of the Daugava River on Bruģu Street. It will be a great place for a leisurely autumn walk with the dog. There are drawings of the historical motifs of Gajoka district on the wall of the promenade.

Central Park
Central Park is a good choice for leg and scent training. The Alley of Benches and the Tree of Love can be seen in the park.

Shared bike ride
It is not easy to ride your bike and keep your dog on a leash at the same time, so practice a little before embarking on this adventure. Small dogs prefer to sit in a basket rather than run behind a bike. You can ride on a bicycle alongside regional cycling route No. 35 “Daugavas loki” in Daugavpils. You will see the historical centre of the city, parks, squares and art objects by passing this part of the route through the territory of Daugavpils.

Special places for a photo session
An Art Nouveau building, an environmental object, a famous statue or a quiet park bench. Capture the beautiful moments of your vacation in Daugavpils that will remain in your memory for a long time and will steal the hearts of social media users.

We remind you that dog must be led on a leash when walking in public places. The dog can only run in fenced dog parks and training areas without a leash.

Find more inspiration for autumn walks on the website www.visitdaugavpils.lv. If you have any questions, please contact:
Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre
Phone: +371 65422818; +371 26444810
E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv
Website: www.visitdaugavpils.lv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.travel

Photo: pexels.com

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Due to the end of the active tourist season, the structures of the Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency will switch to the winter working hours from November 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022:

Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre

Monday 10.00 – 18.00
Tuesday 10.00 – 18.00
Wednesday 10.00 – 18.00
Thursday 10.00 – 18.00
Friday 10.00 – 18.00
Saturday 10.00 – 18.00
Sunday 10.00 – 16.00

Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre

Monday 10.00 – 18.00
Tuesday 10.00 – 18.00
Wednesday 10.00 – 18.00
Thursday 10.00 – 18.00
Friday 10.00 – 18.00
Saturday 10.00 – 18.00
Sunday 10.00 – 18.00

Exposition “Shmakovka Museum”

Monday: closed
Tuesday 11.00 – 19.00
Wednesday 11.00 – 19.00
Thursday 11.00 – 19.00
Friday 11.00 – 19.00
Saturday 11.00 – 19.00
Sunday 11.00 – 19.00

Please be informed that taking into account the state of emergency declared in the country and the established restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID – 19, from October, 21st to November, 15th, the structural units of the Agency are closed to visitors. All structures continue to provide the necessary information remotely and answers to questions can be obtained by phone, e-mail, as well as on Facebook pages.

Contacts:
Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre
Phone: +371 26444810
E-mail: turisms@daugavpils.lv
Website: www.visitdaugavpils.lv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.travel  

Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre
Phone:  +371 28686331
E-mail: cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv
Website: www.daugavpilscietoksnis.lv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.cietoksnis

Exposition “Shmakovka Museum”
Phone: +371 25666201
E-mail:  info@smakovka.lv
Website:  www.smakovka.lv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SmakovkasMuzejs

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On Sunday, 17 October, all temporary exhibitions currently on show at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre will be available at a discount price. 

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre enters the final preparation stage for its new exhibition season. This means next week will be the last chance for the public to see the current temporary exhibitions before they are gradually replaced by new projects. For this reason, the upcoming Sunday, all temporary exhibitions will be available at a discount price – 2.00 EUR for pupils, students and senior citizens and 4.00 EUR for all the other visitors.

Opening hours on discount day (17 October) – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please be reminded that, in keeping with government stipulations, admission to the art centre shall be contingent upon the demonstration of a valid Covid-19 certificate of recovery or vaccination.

18 through 28 October, visitor access shall be limited to the permanent exhibition with Mark Rothko’s originals and “Found in the Collection” – the finest pieces from the Rothko Centre collection.

Currently on show:
“Martinsons Award 2021” – international juried exhibition within the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale featuring artists from 38 countries;
“Behind the Longing” by Vibeke Glarbo and Hjördis Haack (Denmark);
“Tea Time” – ceramics by Skaidrīte Cihovska;
“Silva Linarte 2021” – closing exhibition of the 3rd International Painting Symposium;
“Impression Fragments” by Mikhas Tsybulsky (Belarus);
“Mark Rothko 2021” – closing exhibition of the 17th International Painting Symposium.

Publicity photo:
Santa Suhanova

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre 

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Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre continues to welcome responsible visitors. However, from 11 October onwards, the admission process will be slightly adjusted – upon entering the premises, visitors will need to show a Covid-19 certificate of testing/recovery/vaccination.

Concerned for the safety of our visitors and staff, we hereby remind the public that the government-stipulated epidemiological measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 are to be followed at all times on the art centre premises. Thus, from 11 October until further notice, in keeping with government stipulations, admission to the art centre shall be contingent upon the demonstration of a valid Covid-19 certificate of testing/recovery/vaccination.

While on the art centre premises, please wear a facemask in the proper manner (fully covering nose and mouth), keep a two-metre distance from other visitors and use a credit/debit card rather than cash to pay for your ticket. Also, please postpone your visit if you experience symptoms of a respiratory infection.

Let us stay mindful of our own and other people’s physical health, and see you at the Rothko Centre, where art can raise your spirits and help build mental resilience for these trying times.

Currently on show*:

Mark Rothko’s originals’;

“Found in the collection” – the finest pieces from Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre collection;

“Martinsons Award 2021” – international juried exhibition within the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale featuring artists from 38 countries;

“Behind the Longing” by Vibeke Glarbo and Hjördis Haack (Denmark);

“Tea Time” – ceramics by Skaidrīte Cihovska;

“Silva Linarte 2021” – closing exhibition of the 3rd International Painting Symposium;

“Impression Fragments” by Mikhas Tsybulsky (Belarus);

“Mark Rothko 2021” – closing exhibition of the 17th International Painting Symposium.

*18 through 28 October, visitor access shall be limited to the permanent exhibition with Mark Rothko’s originals and “Found in the Collection” – the finest pieces from the Rothko Centre collection.

Opening hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About the organiser:
https://www.rothkocenter.com/
3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils

Author:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 65430273

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The creators of the Museum of the World War I “Pie Komendanta” offer sightseeing tours in Daugavpils Fortress on an electric bus. During the trip, guests and residents of the city will be introduced to the most interesting and significant objects of Daugavpils Fortress and their history. The route leads through the streets of Daugavpils Fortress and includes such objects as officers’ houses, soldiers’ barracks, military hospital building, fortress garden, powder magazines, memorial sites, casemates, fortress gates, fortifications, and much more. During the trip some recently restored objects in the fortress can be seen, such as Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Nicholas Gates, water lifting house, Commandant’s House etc. places. There are stops during the tour and you can go for a walk to see the fortifications of the fortress.

In total, 7 passengers can go on the tour at the same time and the duration of the trip is about 40-50 minutes. It is possible to see the places that are not usually visited by tourists. It is a very comfortable and compact car that is suitable for elderly people and people with special needs who find it difficult to get around the entire fortress on foot. It is also well suited for those travellers who have little free time, but who want to see as many places in the fortress as possible.

The price of the guided tour in Daugavpils Fortress on the electric bus is 5 EUR per person and it lasts about 40-50 min. It is also possible to visit the Museum of the World War I “Pie Komendanta” and go on a tour in Daugavpils Fortress on the electric bus. The price of this offer is 10 EUR per person (duration – 2 hours).

Tours on the electric bus are available from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, other days by prior arrangement by phone +371 29244651. The tour usually starts at the square near Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre, 5 Nikolaja Street. Tours are offered in Latvian and Russian languages.

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On September 18, within the framework of the Rigas street festival, the Hi!Story:America night orienteering game will take place in Daugavpils. Find out more about the unknown pages of Latvian and American history. About outstanding Americans born in Latvia, US traditions, interesting and unexpected facts of history and culture.

 Gather a team of 3 people, register and go out to look for history! Anyone can participate – families, seniors, children, youth. Participants will be able to plan their own route around the city and move around by any type of transport or on foot. This time, the route of the game will only be within the boundaries of the city center.Unlike classical orienteering, urban orienteering can be fun and interesting for any company – the participants themselves choose the number of tasks, plan the route themselves, and most importantly, they will learn more interesting facts about the joint history of Latvia and the United States.

When will the game be out?
September 18
20:30 – 21: 30 team registration
22:30 end of the night city game
22:40 awarding of teams

Who can participate?
Everyone can participate! If you are under 18, the team must have an adult in team! You can go play with your family, with your parents, with friends, you can even take four-legged, wet-nosed friends with you!

Both vaccinated and non-vaccinated can participate in the game. No PCR test is required before participation. All events will be held outdoors, in compliance with epidemiological safety and social distancing.

How many people should a team have?
Gather a team of 3 people, indicate the contact person in the registration.

How can you get around the city?
The competition is based on the use of typically urban means of transportation. You can go on foot, ride a bike or roller-skate route with the whole team, use public transport or a private car.

What do you need to take to the game?
Be sure to take a phone with mobile internet and PowerBank! If you go cycling or rollerblading, you should definitely have helmets. For safety and convenience, make sure you have reflectors and flashlights.

How much does participation cost?
Participation in the competition game is free.

What language will the game be played in?
Teams will be able to choose the language of the game – English, Russian or Latvian

How do I register a team?
It will take 3 minutes. Registration here: https://ej.uz/historyamerica

Registration is open until 15.09.2021.

All information about the course of the event and the place of the start of the game will be sent to the e-mail of the contact person on 17.09.2021.

Organizers:
New East
thisisneweast@gmail.com

Support:
Supported by the US Embassy in Riga

Event friends:
USA Information center Daugavpils, Daugavpils2027, Sky Cases, TECTO Bakery

Information:
New East

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For the 17th time running, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre holds the International Painting Symposium “Mark Rothko”, receiving nine artists from seven countries.

17 years ago, Daugavpils Fortress had no exhibition rooms or artist studios. The abandoned buildings were still waiting for their golden hour. But even then, this freshly demilitarised setting attracted creators who craved unconventional forms of self-expression, whether through semi-legal trance parties, clandestine treasure hunts or the first painting plein airs that bore the name of Mark Rothko.

As time went by, the space kept inspiring art whilst art kept filling the space, and now it is no longer possible to say what shaped what. But one thing is clear – the neighbourhood has changed, almost beyond recognition. Perhaps this very setting, with its exceptionally evocative ambience, once stirred artist Mark Rothko, this world-renowned native of Daugavpils, to embark on his dramatic creator’s journey. Or it may well be that Rothko’s biography can teach us to see the place through different eyes, perceiving more than just a sunset over the River Daugava or a wooded horizon. Be that as it may, the objective reality shows that Rothko’s art and the time spent in Daugavpils Fortress keep having a powerful impact on scores of present-day artists.

This is why Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, now occupying the former artillery arsenal of the fortress, is so excited to host the 17th International Painting Symposium “Mark Rothko 2021”. Grown from an outdoor plein air into an established symposium that attracts world-class artists, this annual event remains a singular time-space where art transforms the environment.

The closing exhibition of the Mark Rothko 2021 symposium will open on 17 September. On opening day, visitors will be able to see it between 4 and 7 p.m. Once the show is over, the new crop of symposium outputs will be added to the city’s growing art collection.

Symposium participants
Joanna Pottle (USA)
Amy Vensel (USA)
Kuba Janyst (Poland)
Arvid Boecker (Germany)
Barbara Nycz (Poland)
René de Rooze (the Netherlands)
Leon Phillips (Canada)
Andrew Smith (UK)
Māris Upzars (Latvia)

Supporters:
Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation, US Embassy to Latvia and Caparol Ltd.

Publicity photo:
Mark Rothko 2021 Symposium, work in progress (photo: Santa Suhanova)

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art centre

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For many years now, Daugavpils has hosted top-level international speedway forums. Daugavpils will again become the epicentre of the world speedway this year and will host the semi-finals of the “Speedway of Nations” on September 17^th and 18^th. Indeed, this race will become the most significant sports event in Daugavpils and one of the largest sports events in Latvia in 2021. On this day, the championship held in Daugavpils will be shown on television screens all over the world.

“Speedway of Nations” is a World Speedway Team Championship. The tournament consists of two semi-finals and two final races. Both semi-final races will take place in Daugavpils city, in which 14 best teams of the world will compete for 6 places in the final. Teams from Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, USA, Slovenia, and Finland will compete in the first semi-final, which will take place on September 17^th. Teams from Latvia, the motorsport federation of Russia, as well as riders from Australia, Ukraine, Italy, France, and Germany, will take part in the second semi-final on September 18^th. Only the six strongest teams will reach the final and it will be held in Manchester on October 16^th and 17^th.

Many stars of the World Series Grand Prix will perform in semi-finals, for example, the world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland) and Jason Doyle (Australia), repeated winners of “Grand Prix” races – Maciej Janowski (Poland), Artem Laguta (Russia, started his professional career at the junior age in the Daugavpils team), Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia), Leon Madsen (Denmark), Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) and Matei Zagar (Slovenia). The Latvian team will be represented by the 2017 European champion Andzejs Lebedevs, the bronze medalist of the 2020 World Junior Championships Olegs Mihailovs, the finalist of “Grand Prix Challenge” Jevgenijs Kostigovs, the finalist of this year’s Junior World Championship Daniils Kolodinskis and the 2021 European Junior Champion, the rising star of the Latvian speedway Francis Gusts.

Both semi-finals of the “Speedway of Nations” championship will be held in “Lokomotīve” Stadium, 54 Jelgavas Street, Daugavpils. Tickets can be purchased at the website www.bilesuserviss.lv.

Information:
“Optibet Lokomotīve Daugavpils” Speedway Club, www.lokomotive.lv

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Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre hosts the third international painting symposium “Silva Linarte”, conceived to commemorate the distinguished Latgale artist and long-term art educator Silva Veronika Linarte (1939–2018) and her creative legacy. This year, the symposium fortnight brings together artists from four countries.

The painting symposium in memory of Silva Linarte traces its roots to 2019, when Latvian and international artists were first invited to come together in a shared creative space to explore Linarte’s life story and legacy and paint in the unique atmosphere of Latgale and Daugavpils fortress. This year, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre teams up with Inspairum Association to host the international painting symposium “Silva Linarte” for the third time. Covering the fortnight between 20 August and 3 September, it is held to promote interest in Daugavpils as an artistically stimulating city and keep steering meaningful creative processes in the Latgale Region.

Linarte’s creative legacy resonates across space and time. Her energy keeps inspiring Latvian artists to this day. Blessed with incredible strength of character, she withstood all the hardships of her era and kept her dignity even in the most trying times, with unwavering perseverance and focus on uncompromising artistic excellence. These character traits earned Linarte broad national acclaim and became the underlying theme for the international painting symposium that bears her name. Conceived to commemorate the generation of artists who shaped the Latvian art scene, it creates a whirlwind of emotions and reflections that throw open mental doors and windows, encouraging new creative achievements and providing stimulating artistic experiences.

Over the symposium fortnight, painters from four countries will work in a shared creative space and engage through conversations and experience exchange in artist talks, lectures and workshops. The symposium will culminate with an exhibition to be available at the Rothko Centre from 4 p.m. on 3 September. After its conclusion, the symposium outputs will add to the Rothko Centre’s painting collection.

The 3rd international painting symposium “Silva Linarte” is organised within the Latgale Cultural Programme with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation, JSC Latvia’s State Forests, Association “Latgale Region Development Agency” and Daugavpils City Council.

Symposium participants:
Elga Grīnvalde (Latvia)
Eimutis Markūnas (Lithuania)
Petra Heitkötter (Germany)
Anna Szprynger (Poland)
Zigurds Poļikovs (Latvia)

Publicity photo:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre

Author:
Aivars Baranovskis
aivars.baranovskis@daugavpils.lv
+371 65430273

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Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre presents a new historical exposition. The new exposition is called “Nicholas Gates – a door to the past” and is located in Nicholas Gates in Daugavpils Fortress.

Historically four gates were built in Daugavpils Fortress but only Nicholas Gates differs from the others with their unique external appearance and the presence of side rooms. In the past, these side rooms were used as guardhouses and short-term prison rooms.  But nowadays they have also found applications. A souvenir shop and a Bat Centre have been located at the gates for several years.

The other empty rooms of the gates were turned into a small historical exhibition where a large number of artifacts can be seen. History enthusiasts will be able to find many interesting things there. The exhibition includes fortress plans, Soviet army uniforms, a collection of historic bricks and trim, historic windows and doors of civilian buildings and fortifications, and more.

The exhibition is available from 10 am to 7 pm.  In order to visit the exhibition please visit Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre (5 Nikolaja street) and purchase a ticket.

The entrance fee: 1 EUR for adults; 0,50 EUR for pupils, students, seniors, and persons with special needs.

Information is written by:
Daugavpils Fortress Cultural and Information Centre
Phone: +371 65424043; +371 28686331
Email: cietoksnis@daugavpils.lv
Web: www.daugavpilscietoksnis.lv
www.facebook.com/Daugavpils.cietoksnis

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A new conference hall called “Konferenču zāle 13” was opened in Daugavpils Fortress, one of the most popular sightseeing places in Daugavpils city, this summer. This venue is suitable for both local and international conferences, seminars and other corporate events.

Daugavpils city offers many opportunities for business travellers. The spacious, modern, comfortable and well-equipped conference rooms are ideal for meetings, conferences, trainings, seminars, exhibitions and other events. In addition, there is a wide range of accommodation options to stay during a multi-day trip to Daugavpils. Most of the conference and seminar venues are located in the city centre or nearby. This is a great advantage and opens up opportunities for sightseeing in the city, combining a business trip with a cultural program.

Conference hall “Konferenču zāle 13” is a comfortable and multifunctional space, its atmosphere will definitely inspire with new ideas and solutions. The conference room is equipped with air conditioning and a large TV for showing presentations, videos, images and other materials. Guests can have access to a fully equipped kitchen. In front of the entrance to the conference hall, there is a terrace with a seating area. The seating arrangement can be easily adapted to the needs of the event and the number of people at the conference hall. The hall will comfortably accommodate about 33 people.

Conference hall “Konferenču zāle 13” is located 3.5 km away from the historical centre of Daugavpils. There are many tourist attractions close to the conference hall such as Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre and “Nikolaja vārti (Durvis pagātnē)” Historical Exposition of the Daugavpils Fortress, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, exposition “Baltais zirgs” and “Atmiņu lāde”, Bat Centre, World War I Museum, Medical Exhibition with an Exposition of Birth Control Items, exposition no retro cars “RetroGaraž-D” and others.

The conference hall is located at 13 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils. The hall for events can be booked by phone: +371 26784773, e-mail: konferencuzale13@gmail.com or by contacting on Facebook.

More information about conference and seminar rooms in Daugavpils can be found on the page – www.visitdaugavpils.lv.

Photos: Facebook.com

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For the past week, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre received a group of experts in ceramics who convened to select the winners of Martinsons Award 2021, an international juried exhibition of ceramics with a prize fund of 20,000 EUR.

Martinsons Award 2021 is the international juried exhibition of the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale, featuring artists from 38 countries. Out of nearly five hundred applications, an international jury picked the top 120 works from Latvia and other countries worldwide. Over its three iterations, the exhibition has become a leading competitive event in the international ceramics domain with a truly global outreach and standing confirmed by the jury of experts and the great artistic quality of the featured works.

The Latvia Ceramics Biennale was instituted in 2016 and has always featured a dynamic series of events. Although it runs a little differently this year, without loud openings or vast public gatherings, the programme has retained its hallmark scale and quality. It stands a testament to the immense potential of Eastern and Northern Europe as regards contemporary ceramics and represents the ceramics domain worldwide as a field with the broadest and most incredible scope of opportunities. Alongside the habitual decorative objects and sculptural pieces, the exhibition also offers impressive spatial installations and performative works.

The experts invited to work in the jury spent two days assessing the artists’ contributions on site, debating their artistic and technical qualities and distributing a prize fund of 20,000 EUR. Whilst the Tokyo games reward the best athletes, Daugavpils celebrates art and its creators:

Gold Prize

AGNĖ ŠEMBERAITĖ (Lithuania) for “Mimicry”

DAINIS PUNDURS (Latvia) for “Plato’s Dream”

Silver Prize

MARTA PALMIERI (Italy) for “Cloud Mountain 2”

ELĪNA TITĀNE (Latvia) for “Drops”

Bronze Prize

BARNABÁS MÁDER (Hungary) for “Coronation Lace”

UNA GURA (Latvia) for “Mutual Harmony”

Commendation and special prize from Keramserviss Ltd.

LĪGA SKARIŅA (Latvia) for “Coastal Construction”

Commendation

YURIY MUSATOV (Ukraine) for “Ancient Alien”

ATIS ŠNĒVELIS (Latvia) for “Dour”

ELEONORA PASTARE (Latvia) for “Untitled”

Jury:

• Claudia Casali (Italy), art historian, director of the International Ceramics Museum in Faenza.
• Ilona Romule (Latvia), artist, board member of the International Academy of Ceramics.
• Steve Mattison (UK), artist, international coordinator at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemét, Hungary.
• Arina Ailincai (Romania), artist, curator at the Cluj International Ceramics Biennale.
• Kaspars Geiduks (Latvia), artist, MARTINSONS AWARD 2018 bronze winner.
• Irina Razumovskaya (Russia/UK), artist, teacher at the London Royal College of Art.
• Misun Rheem (South Korea), board member at Korea Craft & Culture Endowment Committee under the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; museum counsellor for the Seul Crafts Museum under Seul Metropolitan.
• Valentīns Petjko (Latvia), artist, curator, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics;
• Pille Kaleviste (Estonia), artist, curator.
• Rūta Šipalytė (Lithuania), artist, MARTINSONS AWARD 2018 bronze winner.

Supporters:

Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation, Latgale Culture Programme, Lighton International Artist Exchange Program, Keramserviss Ltd.

Organisers:

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre and Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics

Publicity photo:

Winning artworks

About the organiser:

https://www.rothkocenter.com/

3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils

For additional details, please contact:

DAUGAVPILS MARK ROTHKO ART CENTRE

https://www.rothkocenter.com/ 

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Sacensības notiks 2021. gada 7. augustā no plkst. 12:00 līdz 18:00 Daugavpils Stropu ezerā, glābšanas stacijā, Stropu ielā 40.  Sacensības organizē un vada Latgales ūdens sporta veidu centrs “Dinaburg” sadarbībā  ar Daugavpils pilsētas pašvaldības iestādi „Sporta pārvalde” un Latvijas kanoe federācijas atbalstu.

Festivāla mērķis ir attīstīt un popularizēt airēšanu Pūķu laivās Daugavpilī un Latvijā. Rosināt cilvēku interesi sportā un veselīgā dzīvesveidā.

Sacensībās piedalās Latvijas, kā arī ārzemju sportisti. Komandas sacentīsies 5 grupās:

1. Vīrieši- D20
2. Sievietes- D20
3. Jauktās grupas Mix-Sport (pieredze airēšanā vairāk nekā gads)
4. Jauktās grupas Mix- Amatieri (pieredze airēšanā līdz gadam)
5. Jauktās gupas Mix-Bērni (2007.g.dz. un jaunāki)

Papildu informācija:

• Dalības maksa par vienu sportistu katrā grupā, izņemot bērnu komandas – 3 EUR (no 20 cilv.komandas- 60 euro)

(Dalības maksu var samaksāt skaidrā nauda vai pārskaitīt uz biedrības “Latgales ūdens sporta veidu centrs “Dinaburg””, reģ. Nr. 40008283746, norēķinu kontu: A/S “Swedbank” LV57HABA0551046225699, ar atzīmi „Par piedalīšanos Pūķu laivas festivālā”.)

• Nepieciešama iepriekšēja reģistrācija (komandas nosaukums, dalības grupa, dalībnieku  saraksts, formas krāsa, kapteiņa vārds, uzvārds, kontaktinformācija).

(Pieteikums jāiesūta pa e-pastu dinaburg.dragon@inbox.lv līdz 01. augustam. Izmaiņas sacensību dienā – līdz plkst. 11.00.)

• Katram sacensību dalībniekam būs jāreģistrējas dalības anketā (tā tiks uzskatīta par akreditāciju).

(Nepilngadīgo sacensību dalībnieku anketas aizpilda un paraksta vecāki  vai likumīgais) pārstāvis.

Kontaktinformācija – galvenais sekretārs Viktors Haruns tel. +37127021774.

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On Sunday, the 1st of August, the annual Tourism Triathlon, organized by the Tourism, Recreation and Culture Agency  “TAKA”, took place in the nature park “Daugavas loki” in Naujene parish, Augšdaugava district, in the territory of Slutišķi and Dileviči villages.

This year the event was not based on the competition, but on attentiveness, ingenuity, enjoying nature and getting to know the wide range of tourism opportunities in Augšdaugava district. The aim of the event is to popularize an active lifestyle, recreation in nature, as well as to popularize one of the most beautiful sections of the river, where the Tourism Triathlon took place.

14 teams came to enjoy the exciting summer adventure, including participants not only from Daugavpils, Augšdaugava district, but also from Riga, Ventspils, Ādaži and even a guest from Germany. It is very interesting that the participants represented different age groups. The youngest participant Jegors Karpovs was 5 years old, while the oldest participant Romāns Saušs was 87 years old.

The tourist triathlon track was divided into three stages. The start was given in the picturesque camping “Daugavas lokos”, where participants who did not have their own bicycles or boats could rent them. Participants were boating, cycling and walking. The competition was not for speed, but every participant had to fit in three hours. The most interesting task was photoorientation, because during both boating and cycling, participants had to find different places and objects. There were prepared and offered 12 images or checkpoints that everyone had to find and photograph. The main task was attentiveness and ingenuity.

There was sunny weather and, despite the strong headwind, kayaking down the Daugava river, all participants did all the tasks, and all stages of the adventure were successfully overcame. Only six teams managed to find and take photos of all 12 checkpoints. The winner of these teams, in the form of a lottery, became the team “Ohaio”, consisting of Kristiāna Siliņa and Zanda Lisovska. We sincerely congratulate the girls on their honorable victory once again! The girls had received a special memorial prize – a stylized wooden clock made by the workshop “Urtawood” from Pilskalne parish. The owners of the workshop also successfully participate in the development of tourism and offer not only a shop with products, personalized master classes, but also tree recognition quizzes and tours in the workshop.

The other participants of the event had also received small prizes. In the end, in the fresh air, after an active day and adventures, every participant could enjoy a delicious porridge, prepared by the cafe “Baltais krogs”.

The most important and pleasant thing is to hear positive feedback from the participants and a great desire to participate in the Tourism Triathlon next year as well. Thank you all for the great mood, fighting spirit, perseverance and friendliness! See you next year!

Information:
Tourism, Recreation and Culture Agency “TAKA”
+371 65476748, +371 29431360.
taka@dnd.lv

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On 31 July 2021, Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency and the exhibition “Shmakovka Museum” will hold a festival “Gostūs Latgolā” dedicated to Latgale’s hospitality and traditions, as well as the 5-year anniversary of the exhibition “Shmakovka Museum”.

Daugavpils Šmakovka museum turns 5 years old and in the meantime, the museum has become a magnet for Daugavpils tourism, a center for the preservation of Latgale cultural history and culinary heritage, with the possibility for all residents and guests of the city to explore Latgale’s traditions, experience and history.

All day long from 12 pm  to 10 pm, there will be a number of activities in Daugavpils Vienības Square, for example, Latgale’s home producer market and culinary masterclasses from national associations from Daugavpils.

As part of the “Gostūs Latgolā” campaign, there will also be an orienteering game throughout the city of Daugavpils “Hi!Story: Latgola”, during which there will be an opportunity to learn more about outstanding people born in Daugavpils and Latgale, learn about the traditions of Latgale, about the culinary and cultural heritage. “Hi! Story: Latgola” is a game about knowing our hometown. Everyone can take part – families, seniors, children, and youth. Participants need to plan their route on which they can move by any type of transport or walk the route. More information about the game can be found here: https://ieej.lv/uzmh4 .

Within the framework of the festival, the meeting of the Latvian Antique Car Club (AAK) “Daugavpils inspires!” will also take place on Vienibas Square. AAK members will go to the retro car parade in Daugavpils and hold an exhibition of the Soviet car industry on Vienibas Square and Daugavpils Fortress. More information about the trip can be found here: https://ieej.lv/G4fiz

Daugavpils City Council, Daugavpils City Municipality Tourism Development and Information Agency and the Shmakovka Museum are organizing this “Gostūs Latgolā” event.

Latgale Region Development Agency, State Cultural Capital Fund, JSC Latvijas valsts meži, Antique Cars Club support this event.

Information:
exposition “Shmakovka Museum”

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From July 16, residents and guests of Daugavpils will have the opportunity to spend evenings of summer days (except Mondays) from 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm going for a walk in Dubrovin Park and Andreja Pumpura Square, where music of various genres will help to create a romantic atmosphere.

Music will sound in Andreja Pumpura Square every week on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, while in Dubrovin Park – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visitors to the parks will have the opportunity to hear different genres of music every evening. These will be the world’s most popular waltzes and pop hits, jazz rhythms, classical music and movie soundtracks, as well as songs by maestro Raimonds Pauls, instrumental and other music genres.

Andreja Pumpura Square was founded in the second half of the 19^th century. Here you can hear bubbling of the fountain “Girl with a lily”, from time to time tolling of St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox chapel bells, and rattling of passing-by trams. To this day, the square has remained popular among the residents of the city as a place for walks and an important cultural space where various outdoor events are held.

Dubrovin Park was founded in 1882 and named after Pavel Dubrovin who was mayor of the city back then. The history of the park, the memorial objects located in it, the fountain and the rare tree species, which were planted during the time of P. Dubrovin, create a special ambience of the park which have become one of the most popular people`s gathering places and a place for organizing events.

Additional information:
Culture Department of Daugavpils City Council
tel.: 654 76799
e-mail: kultura@daugavpils.lv

Information:
Daugavpils City Council

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Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, in cooperation with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, hosts the 9th international ceramic art symposium “Ceramic Laboratory”.

For the ninth time running, Daugavpils Fortress is captured by ceramicists – for an entire fortnight, symposium participants from seven countries unite forces in a single front, making ceramic artworks and experimenting with different firing techniques. Inspired by the exceptional atmosphere of Daugavpils Fortress and sheltered from the heat by the cooling walls of the Rothko Centre, they create world-class art.

On 9 July, the symposium team of 15 artists opened an exhibition at “4METRES”, the new glass gallery of the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in the courtyard of 8 Hospitāļa Street Daugavpils. This preview show is assembled from the pieces the artists brought along when they came to the symposium. That means the works were made in familiar settings, in the artists’ personal studios, with their standard equipment and habitual firing techniques.

Conversely, at the symposium, the participants enter a new, unfamiliar environment that some might even find exotic. Here, they do laboratory-style experiments – share experiences, observe their colleagues at work, test new materials and try unusual firings. Some prefer more controlled experiments, producing sample pieces from the available range of materials, whilst others put caution aside and surrender fully to the irresistible pull of the unpredictable. Taken together, they fill the symposium timeframe with new emotions, ideas and insights that may very well bring unexpected twists and turns to the artists’ individual creative journeys.

The fortnight’s work will culminate in an exhibition at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre – art lovers will be able to enjoy symposium outputs starting from 4 p.m. on 23 July. Once the show is over, the new pieces will be incorporated in the Rothko Centre ceramics collection, strengthening Latvia’s broadest assemblage of ceramics and reaffirming the symbolic status of Daugavpils as the ceramic capital of the region.

This year, the international symposium “Ceramic Laboratory” is part of the Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus cross-border cooperation project “Cross-Border Loyalty Programme for Culture and Tourism” (project acronym – “Loyal to Culture and Tourism”, No. ENI-LLB-1-021).

Symposium participants:
Sunbin Lim (South Korea)
Weronika Surma (Poland)
Joanna Opalska-Brzecka (Poland)
Mingda Du (China)
Pille Kaleviste (Estonia)
Solveiga Gutautė (Lithuania)
Rūta Šipalitė (Lithuania)
Hanna Miadzvedzeva (Belarus)
Katerina Geiduka (Belarus/ Latvia)
Ilona Abdulajeva (Latvia)
Aivars Baranovskis (Latvia)
Nellija Dzalba (Latvia)
Kaspars Geiduks (Latvia)
Una Gura (Latvia)
Lilija Zeiļa (Latvia)

Publicity photo:
Aivars Baranovskis

Information:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko art centre

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A celebration dedicated to the 209th anniversary of Daugavpils fortress will take place on July 17.

It has been already 209 years after the unfinished Fortress of Daugavpils repelled an attack of the 2nd Corp of the Great Army under Marshal Udino command. In 1812, in the beginning of July, a brave garrison of the fortress repelled the attack of the French army, who attempted to take fortifications.

The event will start at 10 am and throughout the day, until late evening, various activities will take place next to Nicholas Gate. Guests of the fortress will be able to see a solemn ceremony of raising a fortress flag and opening the Nicholas Gates, hear the traditional cannon shooting, find something unique and suitable in the market of artisans, see the representatives of military and civil re-enactment, observe a masterclass of dance collective and military re-enactment clubs. On this date a commemorative event in the Daugavpils Fortress Garden, which will commemorate the soldiers and civilians who have fallen in the War of 1812, will be held. The evening will end with a fire show with pyrotechnic elements.

Visitors are asked to assess their health, be responsible for themselves and their surrounding safety, and take care of the distance as well as to use mouth and nose covers – medical or hygienic masks.

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On St. Peter’s Day, 29 June, an augmented reality exhibition dedicated to Pēteris Martinsons opens in the courtyard of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre.

Celebrating the 90th anniversary since the birth of the world-renowned native of Daugavpils – ceramicist, architect and art educator Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013) – and looking forward to the opening of his memorial house at the former gunpowder magazine of Daugavpils Fortress, WeRock Association in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre suggests experiencing his porcelain artworks in a new format, through mobile devices.

WeRock Association came up with the idea to use WebAR (Augmented Reality experience accessed through a web browser) in an exhibition of Martinsons’ work last winter when professional art and culture were unavailable to the public. Faced with the fact that outstanding artworks remained in closed exhibitions and museum collections, creators felt urged to seek new ways and options to make art publicly accessible. Thus, the association created an online platform, www.arpus.online, which uses trending hi-tech solutions to exhibit art through Augmented Reality. With this platform, artworks are experienced via smart devices such as mobile phones or tablets. Their first project focuses on the ceramic works by Pēteris Martinsons from the Rothko Centre collection.

The exhibition programme of the Rothko Centre throughout 2021 is largely centred on Pēteris Martinsons and his creative legacy. The summer exhibition season features “Martinsons Award 2021”, a vast international juried exhibition within the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale. The end of the year is expected to bring the opening of Pēteris Martinsons Memorial Home, a new sector of the Rothko Centre that will house a permanent display of his ceramic collection. In the meantime, the new show, “Pēteris Martinsons: Augmented Reality”, offers a high-tech experience of select pieces from the great ceramicist’s creative legacy whilst they are physically unavailable to the public.

Exhibition partners:
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre and WeRock Association

Publicity photo:
Pēteris Martinsons The House of Mirth (1998). Porcelain, partly glazed, overglazes, gas firing. 46.5 x 29 x 22 cm. Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre collection