The long-term priority “Development of entrepreneurship” of the Sustainable Development Strategy of Daugavpils local government and Augšdaugava municipality until 2030 covers the possibilities of the Daugavpils to promote business development and cooperation both between entrepreneurs and the municipality The development of the tourism environment and wider cooperation in this field play an important role Daugavpils' potential in the fields of business and education multinational society and geographical location as well as its special role in promoting East-West cooperation is a precondition for the growth of Daugavpils as a multicultural cross-border economic development and service center The significance of Daugavpils goes beyond the borders of the region and the country giving Daugavpils the role of a crossroads of transit directions of international significance (Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030) Dimension “Economic growth and accessibility” of the CITY VISION 2030 The territory is the propulsion of the Latgale region Daugavpils is a driving force for the economic development of the Eastern Baltic promoting the economic growth of the region together with Augšdaugava municipality which is an important functional area of the city and a strong rural area The area in the future is characterized by an integrated cooperation area with modern industrial qualitative living environment both in the city and in the countryside attractive natural and cultural recreation Citizens have unrestricted access to various modes of transport of which public transport plays an important role Alternatives for sustainable mobility have been gradually developed - pedestrian traffic for which appropriate infrastructure is being developed The area has developed environmentally friendly and integrated mobility which is easily and quickly accessible at the regional and international level Daugavpils is an important business logistics and tourism center in Eastern Europe with a high level of mobility at the regional Daugavpils is the second largest city in Latvia and an important economic centre in the Latgale region The advantageous geographical location of Daugavpils is still one of the most important factors for the city's development The city is intersected by five railway lines and many national and TEN-T (European transport network) roads All this allows the city to develop into an important cross-border region – an industrial there were 4,035 economically active enterprises in Daugavpils the largest number of enterprises was in the trade and motor vehicle repair sector – 32% of the city's economically companies 11% of all enterprises registered in Daugavpils operated in the transport and storage sector. 9% of economically active enterprises were operating in the manufacturing industry scientific and technical services accounted for 8% of the city's active enterprises while construction accounted for 7% of enterprises registered in Daugavpils approximately 363 enterprises or 9.0% of economically active enterprises in Daugavpils were manufacturing enterprises The most important business sectors in the manufacturing industry by the number of industrial enterprises in 2024 in Daugavpils are: The companies in these sectors mostly export their products abroad The largest commercial companies in Daugavpils export their products to more than 40 countries The most important manufacturing industry of the Daugavpils City Government is the manufacturing of fabricated metal products and mechanical engineering where in 2023 the city's largest companies have produced around 31.9% of the total output of the largest manufacturing companies of Daugavpils which amounted to around EUR 451.3 million in the year under review the manufacturing industry continued to be affected by weak external demand and geopolitical uncertainty the total net turnover of the largest metalworking and mechanical engineering companies decreased by 4.7% companies continued to look for new supply opportunities and market outlets One of the rapidly growing industries in the city in the last two years (compared to 2021 the production volume has increased more than twice) is the computer The food and beverage production sector also achieved positive results in the year under review compared to the results of the previous year there was a decrease in the production volume in the production of ready-mixed concrete by 0.4% in the sector of textile and garment manufacturing by 0.3% the biggest drop in turnover by 5.0% was observed in the sector of chemicals and chemical products manufacturing There is a large enough number of industrial zones manufacturing areas and unused buildings in Daugavpils that can be offered to potential investors For the promotion and development of entrepreneurship there are several industrial zones in Daugavpils which can be used for the location of new manufacturing companies In 2024 the Daugavpils State City Municipality and its capital companies continued to implement the tasks planned in the Daugavpils State City and Augšdaugava District Development Programme for 2022-2027 to achieve the set objectives actively attracting European Union (EU) and other foreign funding. In 2024 work continued mainly on the preparation of the EU funds project documentation as well as the implementation of the EU funds co-financed projects aimed at modernising the city's infrastructure the energy efficiency of municipal buildings improving the public open space and developing the health care system. In 2024 ambitious construction works were launched for the ALTOP Industrial Park of national importance at Lidostas iela 4 which will result in the creation of one of the largest modern industrial parks in Latvia focused on the development of smart technologies.  the Daugavpils city government grant programme "Impulss" has been implemented to support young entrepreneurs 100 companies working in various manufacturing and service sectors – mainly tourism The total amount of the municipal grant is around EUR 565,000 A variety of new products and services have emerged in Daugavpils having received co-financing from the Latgale Planning Region (hereinafter - LPR) competition "Remigration Support Measure - Entrepreneurship Support" Daugavpils municipality implemented the competition of the grant programme "Impulss" for the promotion of remigration out of which 4 business ideas were supported health care and restaurant and mobile catering services The total amount of the grant is EUR 54,000 (including 50% LPR funding) The Latgale Special Economic Zone (LSEZ) is operating in the territory of the Daugavpils City Government including an area of 2,500 ha of production areas where the city's manufacturing companies can qualify for support in the form of direct tax incentives there were already 17 (seventeen) capital companies operating in the LSEZ which carry out their commercial activities in the State city of Daugavpils Krišjāņa Valdemāra ielā 1, Daugavpils, LV-5401 Information bureau: +371 65404344, +371 65404399 E-mail: info@daugavpils.lv, pasts@daugavpils.lv E-adrese Created Loyaty Daugavpils valstspilsētas pašvaldība neuzņemas atbildību par tulkojuma precizitāti More Residents are concerned about the noise and traffic Cracks are also emerging in the relationship between the two municipalities - Daugavpils and Augšdaugava - one that will implement the project and the other on whose territory it will be implemented Most of the 200-seat hall of the Naujene Culture House in Lociki Residents were interested in the Daugavpils City Council's plan to build a new platform for an airfield in Lociki where an airport and runways already existed in Soviet times or East Latvian Smart Technology and Research Centre The City Council has already acquired land here "It is worrying that there will be an airport nearby "My land is directly adjacent to the airfield area but now we are worried that there is so much building going on and an airfield is planned The concern is that there will be abnormal noises "The concern is that there will be big noises I remember those days and the old airfield when the children were small and everything was shaking when those supersonic planes flew right over the village there have been promises that there will be an airport here and I won't like it if something happens here with a military link Concerns about airport noise and interest in the possibilities to fly and develop the area alternate in residents' opinions and the opinions of the residents are diverse "I thought that there would be more "against" opinions but in fact there are very different opinions.  Why not especially those who live in apartment buildings they think it will have a negative impact on their daily lives The public consultation will not change anything And we cannot stop the process," said Ināra Miglāne the idea of the Lociki airfield project is creating a rift in relations between the Daugavpils municipality and the Augšdaugava municipality "This is an environmental impact assessment of the airfield in Lociki and how Daugavpils municipality intends to implement this airfield and how it will affect the residents of the Augšdaugava municipality," the executive director of the Augšdaugava municipal council Peteris Dzalbe (Daugavpils Municipal Party) the designer is trying to sneak out of the boundaries and out of the local planning development and put airport lighting fixtures which are meant to be approach lights when planes take off or land during the dark hours of the day This is contrary to what has been confirmed in the past that Lociki airfield is only being developed as a daytime airport," Dzalbe pointed out Residents of the area are also worried that their land next to the planned development will be expropriated.  Residents have until 22 April to express their views on the Lociki airfield project The actual construction time of the Lociki airfield is not yet known nor are the sources of funding for its construction Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor The 13th International CERAMIC LABORATORY Symposium kicks off in Daugavpils at 1.00 p.m with a group exhibition featuring artists from seven countries at the outdoor gallery 4METRI Since its establishment in 2013 by the Rothko Museum and the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics the Ceramic Laboratory symposium has grown into a globally recognised platform it continues to bring together artists from around the world to push the limits of ceramic art exploring clay as a medium for deeply personal expression shared cultural narratives and timeless artistic themes The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics provides an exceptional working environment open to a range of technologies from traditional wood firing to cutting-edge experimental techniques attracting the world’s leading ceramic artists The programme is enriched by artist presentations and a concluding showcase at the Rothko Museum fifteen artists from seven countries are taking part The team includes Viktória Maróti (Hungary) with a group exhibition showcasing the artists’ earlier works at the outdoor gallery 4METRI located at 8 Hospitāļa Street in the Daugavpils Fortress the Rothko Museum will host a public meeting with the symposium artists where they will present their creative portfolios The symposium will conclude with an exhibition of new pieces created during the residency to be unveiled at the Rothko Museum at 4 p.m All events are free and open to the public CERAMIC LABORATORY has redefined the traditional ceramics symposium set-up Breaking away from conventional boundaries and event formats its very first instalment transformed Daugavpils Fortress into a vibrant experimental space where historic architecture and local material traditions inspire bold new approaches it has become a place of creative discovery; for local artists The symposium is supported by the Daugavpils City Council and the State Culture Capital Foundation’s target programme towards historical Latvian lands Publicity images: Ceramic Laboratory Symposium photographed by Didzis Grodzs a two-storey house on the bank of the Šuņezers lake in Daugavpils A State Police van was parked there early in the morning and an electricity distribution network car later in the afternoon As TV3's "Nekā personīga" reported criminal proceedings have allegedly been initiated for illegal electricity connection The property does not belong to Andrejs Elksniņš who is running in the municipal elections for the party "Go Latgale" told Latvian Television that he was not informed about what was happening at the address and that he had no status in the criminal proceedings various electrical appliances - washing machines car tyres and glass are brought daily to the Daugavpils waste sorting site in the Liginišķi neighbourhood But there are people who find it easier or more convenient to take their waste to a suburban forest or put it by the bins without paying for it The Daugavpils Municipal Economy Board is planning to seriously tackle this kind of behaviour by citizens and also spontaneous illegal dumps this year said that "the number of complaints and the level of pollution in what we call abandoned and environmentally degrading buildings have increased over the past year and it is time to deal with it all" "We are following an algorithm - while removing this waste from such buildings we are also asking the Real Estate Department to ensure that people do not go near these buildings and carry out further polluting activities," Laizāns said Work has already started in this area and the funds which this year amounted to double last year's "Two contracts have already been signed for the removal of waste from open areas as well as from degraded buildings owned by the municipality We are already starting to fill these budget lines," the environmental engineer said The Daugavpils Municipal Police is entrusted with controlling the occurrence of illegal waste dumps Daily raids include monitoring neglected properties "The complaints are more about garage areas where people try to dispose of various things The amount of the fine for such behaviour is not small companies - from 250 to 1,500 euros; for dumping construction waste legal entities - up to 2,800 euros," Linkevičs said In order to eliminate unauthorised waste dumps the Daugavpils municipality plans to remove nearly 300 cubic metres from open areas and around 200 cubic metres from degraded buildings owned by the municipality this year to help residents deal with last year's leaves and garden waste Daugavpils traditionally organises a biodegradable waste or "green mass" collection campaign This year's campaign will also start on Friday take place in 12 locations and run until 18 April To make winter activities accessible to all city residents the Daugavpils City Government has purchased three special sleds suitable for winter fun for people with special needs within the framework of the SnowPower project The new sleds are designed for both adults and children with mobility impairments The sleds are available at the “Dzintariņš” sports base every day from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM with prior registration by phone at 29518985 emphasizes: “Our city is becoming increasingly convenient and accessible to all its residents Thanks to projects implemented by the Daugavpils Municipality Development Department several facilities have been introduced in recent years making recreation more accessible to people with special needs These innovations are crucial for the development of a comfortable and accessible urban environment allowing all residents to actively engage in city life and enjoy leisure activities.” The total project budget is EUR 740 414.43 The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund with EUR 592 331.54 The state language tests are already in full swing at Daugavpils Opportunities High School We were warned that it would be a free-form conversation This issue should have been resolved 30 years ago the public also sees it more as a political issue; I think it has to stop." There are several schools in Daugavpils where such tests are carried out "In those schools that are implementing the national policy of transition to a single school the VVC is currently conducting national language tests A total of seven schools have been informed that there will be such tests." around 500 teachers in Daugavpils are subject to these national language tests a large number of them at Opportunities Secondary School She said she was feeling stressed and that the timing of these tests – middle of the school year – is poor it might have been better in the summer but we teachers should always be ready and we will show it." I will pass such a test for the first time in my life It's strange that Latvians will be tested on their Latvian language skills."  Another teacher has already taken the national language test and is puzzled about its necessity.  "I am Latvian - a teacher of Latvian language have to prove to the state that I am a Latvian Many teachers in Daugavpils are puzzled by this test especially since it has already been done in previous years and was taken by 25-30% of the teachers who now have to take the national language test again said teachers at the Daugavpils High School of Knowledge and the school's principal "It's not the language that is the main problem The timing of the test should have been different Azarevičs said. "If someone fails the test there will be no way to replace that teacher right then and there I now have a vacancy for a Latvian teacher in a secondary school I offered this job to eight people and nobody accepted Despite some gossip on social networks the teachers are not leaving their jobs yet "The claim that teachers are leaving their jobs en masse is untrue There are no teachers at the moment who have been suspended because they have failed a test and cannot work." Daugavpils City Council has already reacted to the current situation calling it a "mockery" of teachers and calling for the tests to be stopped The Daugavpils Fortress covers more than 150 hectares and contains about 80 buildings Some of them have been renovated and are home to the Rothko Centre the Arsenal of Engineers and the Martinsons House or vaulted rooms built under the fortress rampart "The casemates are such unique spaces for events as well events were quite active in the casemates of the eighth bastion Art Night and festivals," said Vitālijs Petkuns Two casemates were recently surveyed and the findings are not pleasant slabs have been analysed under several aspects – the deterioration is around 50 per cent and it is really urgent for us as the municipality to act to preserve this building," explained Artjoms Mahļins, Acting Head of the Daugavpils Fortress and Museum Authority The owner of the fortress is the municipality which will announce a tender for bidders to submit a financial vision of how much it would cost to repair the casemates The roof of one casemate could cost €100,000 but the total cost of repairs is approaching half a million euros Photo: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTV "Restoring a cultural monument is not the same as restoring a building You need people with experience in restoring cultural monuments methods and technical solutions," said Vilma Platpīre of the National Heritage Board the municipality will start looking for funding - part from the municipal budget "[Perhaps the] Cultural Capital Fund can help as can the Heritage Board's monument rescue programme perhaps from a cross-border cooperation programme with Lithuania," Mahļins said It is not known if and when the renovation projects will materialize together with the Daugavpils bypass from Svente to the A6 The construction works on project sections 2 and 3 - from Gančauski to Daugavpils including the Daugavpils bypass section - will start this year and continue next year The entire section of the A6 from Nīcgale to Daugavpils is currently in poor technical condition Construction work on the section from Gančauski to Lake Ļūbasts starts this week and vehicle traffic is organised on the left-hand carriageway The 11.7 km section will be resurfaced on both carriageways with recycled surfacing on most of the section and full structural resurfacing in places two layers of asphaltic concrete will be laid on the entire section The bridge over the river Līksna will be rebuilt at km 221.78 of the A6 and the overpass over the farm road at Ķirupe will be rehabilitated at km 214.39 which can be used by pedestrians and animals Public transport stops will also be rebuilt and other improvement works are to be done The works are being carried out by CBF SIA Binders for a contract price of EUR 25.14 million (including VAT) Construction supervision is provided by Firma L4 SIA project author – Ceļuprojekts AS During the reconstruction of the Daugavpils motorway almost 1,000 trees that are dangerous for traffic or interfere with the construction of the road structure will be felled The felling of the trees has been authorised by the municipality of Augšdaugava Daugavpils Internet media outlet "Chayka.lv" was supposed to complete an ambitious media project in February which was financially supported by partners from the United States a notification was received about the suspension of grant payments "There was also a second round planned for this project but currently it has all been stopped and frozen," admitted the spokesperson for the portal Now the editorial team is thinking about how to save and redistribute existing finances We receive support from other partners in Europe and we also have advertising income and reader support so Chayka.lv will continue to work," Kusiņa said "Chayka.lv" is currently the only independent media outlet in Daugavpils it offered its readers information only in Russian but since last year a Latvian-language version has been developed on social media funding will not affect this part of the portal's operations "This decision has not affected the Latvian editorial office in any way as our activities continue to be supported by the Society Integration Foundation We recently submitted a new project and are very much looking forward to its support," said Kusiņa The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism "Re:Baltica" has been cooperating with Daugavpils independent journalists for several years and calls "Chayka.lv" an essential pillar in maintaining independent journalism in Daugavpils "Re: Baltica" editor Sanita Jemberga said: "In my opinion Chayka.lv is the only independent media outlet in Daugavpils their strategic importance in Daugavpils cannot be underestimated." Jemberga admitted that independent journalism in the regions cannot exist today without additional financial support This previous US funding was also significant because it strengthened the production of quality content not only in Latvia "US aid was not like charity with this program They were looking at how to strengthen independent media that supports democracy in almost all parts of the world And we see that the existence of independent media is under threat because it is an absurd situation that the only media independent of the local government or local businesses cannot claim any support from the Latvian state And "Chayka" simply received support from our allies in America... and now the question is how to patch up that gap," Jemberga pointed out Executive Director of the Baltic Center of Media Excellence also emphasized that so far America has supported various initiatives strengthening civic activism "Sometimes it wasn't a question of which specific media outlets would receive funding State Department has very widely supported broader civic initiatives aimed at talking about freedom of speech in general strengthening understanding of what journalism and independent media are is especially important at a time when we have this big neighbor next to us who is trying to exploit our signs of weakness," Sloga pointed out Although funding for the independent portal "Chayka.lv" has currently decreased significantly the portal in Daugavpils promises to continue its work and seek funding elsewhere An indoor playground is a place where children can have fun indoors for a fee There are several such establishments in Daugavpils the fun turned into a fight against an armed man had gone there to clarify his relationship with an acquaintance he threatened to injure or even kill the man the police were called and eyewitnesses helped to apprehend the aggressor The head of the institution did not want to say what exactly happened residents of Daugavpils wondered whether the police had arrived in time or whether they should have called security The police arrived promptly and the children's center staff did the right thing but pressing the panic button to call security would not have been bad either Head of the Investigation Division of the South Latgale Precinct of the State Police But at the moment there are no internal and external laws and regulations that would regulate this procedure." The Law on the Protection of Children's Rights sets out the responsibilities of the institution "Event organizers are responsible for the safety of children during events We mean not the parents who are there to celebrate board member of the Association of Safety Professionals said: "There is a lot of talk about the safety of the equipment the use of the premises so that there are no incidents so that hygiene requirements are respected nowhere do I see any specific things about conflict resolution or how to deal with aggressive situations." Although security guards are hired mainly for fear of theft smart cameras have been installed at traffic lights in Daugavpils at the intersections of the main 18 novembra Street with Valkas Street and Varšavas Street but they are already recording traffic offenses Three such traffic lights are currently operating on a trial basis and on average 8-9 traffic offenses are recorded per day at each Deputy Executive Director of Daugavpils Municipality said that "red light cameras have been installed in the municipality and the number of violations on the equipment installed on Varšavas Street is the highest at the moment so we can see that the system is very necessary for the city in order to organize the driving culture." the monitoring of the cameras is the responsibility of the city's municipal management Hardly a day goes by when the cameras do not record vehicles running red lights "We have this information about the number of violations every day There are days when 17 violations are recorded there are days when 2 or 3 violations are recorded The municipality has decided to stop using the traffic lights as a test and to connect them to the system and start punishing drivers the issue of permanently installing these cameras and imposing fines on drivers who break red traffic lights will be discussed The municipal police will impose the penalty taking into account the nature of the administrative offense and the Road Safety Directorate already applies this penalty," explained Rasis "If the City Council adopts such a decision we cannot say yet," said Aleksandrs Linkevivičs He said that the police are ready to connect and operate in the new system and expressed confidence that it will improve traffic safety in the city a person transporting people who had illegally crossed the state border was detained in a fake "Daugavpils autobusu parka" (Daugavpils bus depot The vehicle had fake license plates and was emblazoned with the DAP logo making it look at a glance just like a real public transport vehicle a suspicious person was reported in the parish of Bērziņi in the Krāslava municipality During the verification of the information received a white Mercedes-Benz minibus was found on the side of the road between Šķaune and Porečje The driver of the vehicle did not react to the request of the border guards to produce documents and left the scene in a hurry the man abandoned the vehicle in the village of Svariņi and tried to flee Photo: RobežsardzePhoto: RobežsardzePhoto: RobežsardzePhoto: RobežsardzePhoto: Robežsardze a Somali citizen who had illegally crossed the Latvian-Belarusian border was detected Criminal proceedings were initiated against the driver for attempting to provide illegal immigrants with an opportunity to stay illegally in the Republic of Latvia administrative proceedings were initiated for disobeying the legal requirements of border guards and staying in Latvia without a valid travel document while the Somali citizen was prevented from crossing the state border illegally According to the information available to the State Border Guard a group of a few dozen persons planning to cross the state border illegally had gathered on the Belarusian side and the minibus had been specially prepared for the movement of these persons which is being focused on by representatives of the World Bank and the European Commission (EC) representatives of non-governmental organizations and entrepreneurs lack of investors and poverty are the main problems that are evident in Latgale and similar regions in the other two Baltic states The forum is also dedicated to the development of these regions which should culminate in concrete proposals and solutions to improve the situation This is not the first time that representatives of the European Commission and the World Bank have visited Daugavpils they visited companies in the Latgale Special Economic Zone and met with the heads of the municipality and the Latgale Planning Region (LPR) the visit and forum are taking place in a wider circle Participants are from all our neighboring countries - Lithuania as well as our cooperation partners from Finland and Poland The forum is an initiative of the European Commission it is a project intended for all three Baltic states to draw attention specifically to the problems of Europe's external regions and to see how with the existing resources and available financial and human resource capacity offer solutions and implement individual initiatives that would be aimed at development and retaining people in the region," said Iveta Maļina-Tabūne Manager of the Latgale Special Economic Zone This forum is valuable for border regions, emphasized European Commission representative Linda Sproģe "This is very important for both Latgale and other border regions of the Baltic States because these are people who share common challenges But the goal of these two days is not to talk about challenges so that people in the border regions can live much better and so that they can continue to live successfully in the border regions," explained Sproģe These questions were also asked to regional representatives and they wanted to focus on existing businesses "We really hope that a lot of what the World Bank has done will be taken into account by local government and politicians because they are already shaping our policies and they need to hear it take as an example the challenges they face.. Enough of threshing empty oats!" said Rolands Keišs project coordinator of the farm "Kotiņi" which covers 5,000 hectares of land and employs 40 people The lack of labor in the region was mentioned by Balvi municipality businessman Jānis Igaunis "There is a big problem with demographics and people leaving the region Even if an idea for a business or social project emerges but people from other regions don't always want to travel to Latgale It's not possible to improve it in one day or even a year we have to work long-term," Igaunis emphasized representatives of the European Commission and the World Bank did not yet reveal the specific ideas and solutions that could be offered to the border regions of the Baltic States "We chose business support specifically because we could offer some tools or consulting assistance to entrepreneurs and investors coming into Latgale and the eastern border region as well as activities for the media and the non-governmental sector We should also think about cooperation between the two Latgale universities in Daugavpils and Rēzekne cooperation in the field of vocational schools in order to produce the workforce that our region needs," explained Malina-Tabūne Although no critically dangerous balconies have yet been identified in the city Many apartment buildings in Daugavpils have balconies with damaged structures the main topic of discussion among residents is not the condition of the balconies but the outrage over the distribution of maintenance costs Building experts carry out a visual inspection twice a year residents are invited to discuss possible repairs The cost of renovating a balcony can range from €500 to €2,000 Head of the Energy Efficiency Programme Department at the financial institution Altum said: "The biggest challenge is to implement the project at the very beginning - to get the owners of the flats to agree and agree that such a project needs to be implemented in their homes." The financial institution Altum pointed out that in Latgale there is less interest in using loans for the renovation of apartment houses the energy efficiency programme for multi-apartment buildings pays special attention to this region "The Latgale planning region also has a special section in this energy efficiency programme special funding of EUR 10 million has been allocated within which apartment houses from the Latgale region can plan energy efficiency measures," said Vērzemniece residents of houses where other parts of the building have already been renovated are more interested in renovating their balconies the Latvia Ceramics Biennale will make its return to the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils and cultural venues across Latvia Headlined by the prestigious Martinsons Award the Biennale’s fifth edition will bring together today’s leading artists in a vibrant programme of exhibitions and other events designed to celebrate contemporary ceramics in all the medium’s extraordinary diversity "The enigmatic theme – “From Stardust to Lush Sprouts” – is designed to spark reflection on the many forms of matter we now know that for billions of years, nothing existed – except for everything that somehow already was The fundamental elements of matter smashed into each other at extraordinary cosmic speeds eventually forming nebulae of gas and dust These early clusters of primeval matter coalesced creating all we know today: innumerable stars life as we know it has emerged and then evolved into innumerable forms from lush palms rising up towards the sky to chubby hippos churning sunlit waters," explains the Rothko Museum perhaps more than in any other material art form there is a strong awareness that we all are nothing more than stardust complex and compound forms have come to be whose force enables luscious sprouts to shoot from lumpy earth The same creative force is carrying forth the ever-growing trove of information about the progress of our civilisation in one of its most ancient and enduring mediums – the testimony of ceramic works," it says individual artists and collectives from Latvia and beyond are invited to submit their entries for the 5th Latvia Ceramics Biennale’s headline event – the Martinsons Award international juried exhibition which is to be unveiled at the Rothko Museum on 5 September 2025 The opening ceremony will also announce the competition’s Gold and Bronze award winners in national and international categories the Latvia Ceramics Biennale is a flagship event for contemporary ceramics in Northeast Europe renowned for its ambitious scale and high artistic quality Organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics (LCCC) in cooperation with the Rothko Museum the Biennale offers a platform for exhibitions in solo and group show formats The forum’s innovative spirit is best embodied by the Martinsons Award – an international juried exhibition and competition that showcases contemporary ceramics in all its shapes and forms from stunning design objects and elaborate sculptural pieces to large-scale installations and performative contributions it celebrates the incredible vitality of ceramic art while commemorating the world-renowned Latvian ceramicist About the Rothko Museum: The Rothko Museum in Daugavpils is one of the most ambitious 21st-century cultural projects in Eastern Europe – a multifunctional hub for contemporary art located in a majestic heritage building – the historic artillery arsenal of the Daugavpils Fortress The pride of the museum’s permanent display is a curated selection of original paintings by the world-renowned artist Mark Rothko As Europe’s only permanent Rothko retrospective it traces the artist’s entire creative journey The museum’s dynamic rotating exhibition programme is structured into four seasons offering up to about 30 quality art projects each year Spanning 2,500 square meters of gallery space these exhibitions – presented in solo and group show formats – highlight current artistic trends and developments in Latgale Details of the open call are available at: www.rothkomuseum.com The Daugavpils Vienības Bridge over the Daugava is a historic structure that has undergone repairs in its time a representative of the Daugavpils Municipal Economy organization when the original bridge structure was changed to a latticed truss construction." Head of the Development Department of Daugavpils City Council the repair of the Daugavpils Vienības Bridge is essential "It is the only bridge that connects several neighborhoods of Daugavpils It is an important infrastructure for transit traffic as well as for residents to get from where they live to where they work and to other public facilities," says Krīviņa The Daugavpils Vienības Bridge repair project received state funding of €5 million at the end of last year "The Daugavpils Municipality will receive funding from the European Structural Funds for the reconstruction of the bridge the procurement for specific construction works is underway Construction works could start once the final contract on the funding for this project is signed and the procurement procedure is completed," says Elksniņš For the bridge repairs in Daugavpils to happen traffic across the Daugava needs to be organized as it already exceeds the €5 million foreseen for the project Traffic and operational vehicles will be able to use reverse traffic which means that the bridge to be rebuilt will have one carriageway occupied for the construction work Traffic lights and traffic controllers will be provided as foreseen in the design and procurement," says Dubins Large vehicles will have to use the Svente Bridge This will also be a burden for ordinary road users who will have to cope with inconveniences during the repair of the Daugavpils Vienības Bridge and in two years it will not be possible to move over 44 tonnes over the Vienības Bridge All other traffic will use the temporary bridge on the other bank in the area of Lielā and Gulbju streets That's why we are trying to install a temporary bridge now because it was not foreseen at the beginning due to the high funding but now the City Council decided to ease the traffic situation a little bit for the two years." The 300-meter-long temporary bridge over the Daugava will be built in a few months after the contract for the repair of the Daugavpils Vienības Bridge over the Daugava is finalized More HK Dinaburga regularly draws crowds in excess of a thousand despite the fact that it is currently only in the second-tier national league Daugavpils loves hockey and Daugavpils will carry on loving hockey former hockey player and director of the Daugavpils Sports School told Latvian Television's "Sporta studija" He sees that Daugavpils hockey is currently experiencing a new level of development and Daugavpils residents are enjoying the process as their club looks to return to the top league Hockey fan Aleksandrs does not hide that speedway is considered the king of sports in Daugavpils but the stands in the ice arena are usually full during games "The city loves hockey – it's one of the sports that gets the most support from spectators and hockey is definitely in second place."  Fellow fan Anatolijs also ranks hockey and speedway in the first places standing in line for biscuits at the buffet The hall stands are filled with chants: "Go The director of the Daugavpils Sports School said that the popularity of hockey in Daugavpils has not just come about by itself but has been achieved through targeted work.  "We started to actively work with the fans We started to actively work with marketing," said Ševčenko Daugavpils fan club member Danila was happy with both the game and praised her team.  enjoyed the hockey atmosphere in Daugavpils.  "The atmosphere in Daugavpils is always great for us I'm glad that all the supporters come and watch hockey everything is fine with hockey for us in Daugavpils We hope that next year we will go to the highest league and everything will be fine." Ševčenko also considers the team's participation in the Premier League to be an important goal "A lot of work has been done on that path [to the Premier League] There's only a little left – to take a small step," said Ševčenko Re:Baltica previously reported on Daugavpils firm SMD Baltic in an investigation that linked it indirectly to components for Russian drones and Siarhei Sayavets – these three Belarusian businessmen are no longer listed as owners of SMD Baltic as of December 5 Data from the Business Register shows that currently the sole owner is Dmitrijs Radkevičs who is a long-time employee and the only one who had a Latvian passport The disappearance of Belarusians from the list of owners is reminiscent of earlier exmples in which Russian oligarchs immediately after being placed on sanctions lists changed the list of owners on paper so that their businesses would not get into trouble with banks and local authorities it should be stressed that none of the above named persons are currently subject to any EU or US sanctions The company itself responded to the publication of Re:Baltica's findings not only by shortening its list of owners but also by publishing on its website a statement denying any violation of sanctions "Our company stopped all deliveries to Russia in the fall of 2022 immediately after the introduction of restrictions "SMD Baltic" confirms that after the introduction of sanctions all manufactured  "SMD Baltic" products exported or re-exported directly or indirectly to Russia as well as to Belarus," the statement says the European Commission (EC) last week handed over to EU countries a list of almost 500 high-risk companies that had supplied large volumes of chips to Russia via third countries in 2023 and called on local authorities to investigate them Latvian diplomats told Re:Baltica that 4-5 of these companies might be connected to Latvia. Re:Baltica believes that SMD Baltic is not on the list  The State plans to invest more than EUR 4.6 million in the hospital's share capital This is foreseen in a draft order approved by the Government on Tuesday The draft order provides for the State to acquire a stake in "Daugavpils Regional Hospital" Ltd by accepting 5,841,391 capital shares owned by the Daugavpils City Municipality and 583,337 capital shares owned by the Augšdaugava Municipality The Health Ministry has been appointed as the holder of the State's shares The State participation in Daugavpils Regional Hospital is being implemented at the request of the owners of the hospital as the hospital is facing severe financial problems The Government also approved a plan to invest €4,619,668 in the hospital's share capital this year The capital injections will be used to stabilize the hospital's finances including the repayment of debts to suppliers and short-term liabilities the Daugavpils Regional Hospital will have a share capital of €13,705,564 Daugavpils Regional Hospital's losses amounted to €5.8 million.  Following the acceptance of the Daugavpils and Augšdaugava municipalities' shares and the injection of state funding the VM will become the overwhelming majority shareholder in the hospital holding 11,044,396 or 80.58% of the capital shares worth €11,044,396 will retain a 16.57% stake worth €2,271,474 The municipality of Augšdaugava will hold 1.33% of the capital shares worth €181,718 while Riga Stradiņš University will hold 1.52% of the capital shares worth €207,976 the "Safety and Technical Supervision of Elevators and Vertical Raising Platforms" came into force This means that the requirements for elevators installed before September 1, 2000 According to the Register of Dangerous Installations there are approximately 3,800 such elevators in Latvia they are a quarter of a century old or older and it is no longer profitable to repair them "It is very expensive and they have reached the end of their useful life there are no other options," said Ruslans Dimitrijevs an engineer in the technical department of the Daugavpils Housing and Communal Management Company DDzKSU the elevators to be replaced in the city are made in Russia and Belarus and cannot be repaired or renovated due to sanctions "Those elevators were from Mogilev in Belarus even before the sanctions we managed to buy parts from our warehouses and we can carry out repairs." "That is why it is our mission to replace all the elevators to make them meet all the standards and to make them safe." Daugavpils residential buildings have a total of 67 elevators under the supervision of the housing and communal management company DDzKSU Ltd The replacement of elevators manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s started in 2006 59 elevators have been replaced in the city The newest elevators being installed in Daugavpils such as in the 9-storey building in the Jaunā Forštate neighbourhood The replacement of elevators in Daugavpils is financed from a savings fund created by apartment owners The company that carries out the procurement is receptive former chief energy engineer of DDzKSU and now an expert in the field of elevators the price for an elevator was just under €37,000 excluding VAT Its repayment is divided proportionally between the shares because there is no interest on top; for the average apartment of 65 square meters it costs around €7 per month," said Kalāns Daugavpils has already tendered for the replacement of another 6 elevators with the procedures for the remaining two planned to start next year there are 1,300 old elevators in buildings managed by Riga House Manager requiring €80-100 million to replace them This university is the only one in the country that offers Russian language philology and one-semester language training for students on the European Union "Erasmus+" program at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences With Russia now essentially out of bounds to anyone from the West with a conscience Daugavpils represents a place where those with a need to learn Russian quickly and to a good standard can do so in a safe environment in an EU and NATO member state 47 students from 12 European Union and other countries came to Daugavpils University Project Manager of the Department of International and Public Relations said: "A total of 62 foreign students are currently studying at Daugavpils University Daugavpils University has its own niche products with which it is able to interest students from abroad Drufa came from India and is studying at Daugavpils University in the master's program Smart Economy and Innovations Drufa uses opportunities at Daugavpils University to learn the Russian language in depth because many people around him speak Russian and most often use the language in practice in shops Russia is the predominant language heard on the streets even though Latvian is the only official State Language across the entire country.  Many foreign students who come to study in Daugavpils already have a good command of the Russian language Chinese students – a large percentage of them received previous education in Belarus which was partly in English and partly in Russian Perhaps this also motivated them to study further in Daugavpils knowing that there are many Russian speakers here." A big plus for these students from China is the relatively low tuition fee it is in the amount of 3,000 to 5,000 euros while in China you would have to part with 20,000 euros for the same degree Daugavpils University also offers a special Russian language training program according to the university's deputy rector for Development Affairs "In our Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences this humanities block historically offers opportunities to learn the Russian language and people come to us from all over the world to learn this language Our biggest cooperation partner in this field is the United States The lecturers who work in this field at the university are of high level and high teachers and this cooperation has been going on for many years We also see that this interest in this language is only growing." The director of the Eastern European Cultural Relations and Integration Processes program stated: "Our program is licensed at the European level Japanese students who need the Russian language We have such a program where there are 5 countries - Latvia Because Americans and other students are interested in the Russian language and regional studies Mevioz is a student from Turkey who has come to Daugavpils as part of the "Erasmus+" program He says he chose Daugavpils precisely because there are many Russian-speaking people here He needs the Russian language for his future professional career I will return to Turkey to finish my university there I will become a translator so that I can work as a diplomat in the future," said the student is from Germany and is learning Russian to become a teacher He hopes it will help him when it comes to teaching students from Ukraine in his country Matilde came to Daugavpils University from Stockholm and my wish is to practice and speak Russian We had Russian language learning courses at our gymnasium and I thought I also listen to Russian music a lot," she said "Daugavpils has a very favorable environment for learning the Russian language. Many people here speak Russian and the university also has Russian language courses Daugavpils University is still accepting students so the number of foreign students is likely to increase further On October 23, Andreja Pumpura Street in Daugavpils two men with a previous criminal record drove an Audi A6 purposefully towards a Mercedes Benz One of the perpetrators was carrying a firearm were detained by the Response Unit of the South Latgale Precinct of the Latgale Regional Police Directorate One firearm was seized from them at the time of arrest.  law enforcement officers seized a second firearm from the men Law enforcement officers also seized 11 cartridges Criminal proceedings for attempted murder have been initiated She said that the preschool teacher who allowed a child to leave the preschool area during her work had been dismissed at the end of September the entire area of the preschool site is closed Access to the preschool area is only possible by calling the member of staff on duty who opens the gates for parents and visitors the institution's rules of procedure and safety instructions were updated and all preschool staff were re-briefed Physical security issues in all educational establishments have also been updated in working meetings organized for the heads of educational establishments and their deputies for economic affairs.  it is justified to prohibit the organization of gambling within 150 meters of municipal institutions and capital companies The regulations apply to any new initiatives to expand the gambling business in Daugavpils but in fact also affect all nine gambling halls currently operating in Daugavpils This is the period set by the Constitutional Court's decision to allow entrepreneurs to find other business models Decisions on the closure of each establishment will be taken in the coming months The Daugavpils City Council already adopted a decision 11 years ago namely that the existing number of gambling establishments should not be increased Daugavpils Municipality has had nine gambling halls but during this time the Council has adopted a series of regulations that further tighten the regulation of gambling in the municipality The toughest restrictions on gambling are arousing a response among residents of Daugavpils but not confidence that the situation will improve There are fears that if gambling in the city center disappears it will reappear elsewhere and that it will still be possible to play on the internet who are not happy with the Daugavpils City Council's strategy of closing down gambling halls are determined to litigate and plan to appeal every case This has been publicly stated by both Arnis Vērzemnieks President of the Latvian Gaming Business Association (LSBA) which currently has two operating gaming halls in Daugavpils city center this vote by the municipality to close gambling is not legal as has been proven by several Constitutional Court rulings that such restrictions on gambling in cities where not every location has been specifically studied and justified harm the population," Batarags said Daugavpils City Council stresses that it will only restrict gambling in the city as other municipalities such as Riga or Kekava have unsuccessfully tried to do and ultimately lost in court to the powerful gambling lobby deputy head of the council's legal department to find concrete arguments for the negative impact of a gaming hall and give the operators five years to find new opportunities to balance the interests of business and citizens the hall will be closed only after five years so that the entrepreneur can restructure his business and not suffer so deeply," Dimitrijeva added the gambling operators stress that the council's decision will result in the loss of almost 100 paid jobs in the city as well as a significant reduction in municipal tax revenues An urban development hackathon took place on March 19th and 26th at the Daugavpils Culture Palace where local citizens had the opportunity to create and present ideas for the development of Jaunās Forštates Park Municipality invited to participate in a park development hackathon to create innovative proposals for its transformation Participants focused on how to improve the environmental infrastructure and create diverse community activities that would encourage the involvement of local residents The aim was to turn the area into a lively and active public space where people could both play sport and socialise outdoors The event was attended by high school students university students and local residents representing different fields and professions learned more about the purpose of this hackathon started prototyping their projects and then spent the whole week refining their work The event continued on March 26th with an opportunity for participants to finalise their ideas and prepare them for presentation The hackathon brought together 7 teams who created 7 ideas for the development of the park into a vibrant neighbourhood hub for outdoor sports producing both digital visualisations and physical models of the park ideas for the development of the park were presented and the participants received recognition and promotional awards The best idea for the development of the Jaunās Forštates park was developed by the Daugavpils State City Secondary School student team "Čaklie skolēni" The team proposed solutions that could revitalise the park area inclusive and sustainable recreational space for all residents the hackathon participants' choice award went to the Latgale Industrial Technical School student team "Arhitektūras tehniķi" who included in their vision landscaping elements that would make the park more modern at the same time preserving the existing trees and adding new planting to make it greener and more harmonious Urban development hackathon in Daugavpils was organised within European territorial cooperation program "URBACT IV" project "Public space regeneration through integrated urban sports hubs for the participation of young citizens" (acronym: Re-Gen as one of the project's small-scale (testing) actions which resulted in the elaboration of development solutions for the territory of Jaunās Forštates park through interdisciplinary cooperation and co-design methods CCTV footage shows that two youths were involved The politician is convinced that this is a planned arson The State Police have not yet been able to find the previous arsonists this time the car was set on fire outside his residence at around midnight one first dousing the car with what appears to be petrol and moments later setting the other on fire The flames were spotted in time by the politician's son and managed to be extinguished before the arrival of firefighters and police.  Dzalbe is an opposition member of the Daugavpils City Council elected from the "Daugavpils Regional Party" The politician draws parallels - the first time his car was set on fire was in July 2020 after he announced his preparations for the previous municipal elections the next municipal elections are less than a year away.  Dzalbe said: "I am not going to make a list with persons who have compromised themselves and are now catering to Mr [Daugavpils Mayor Andrejs] Elksniņš I am not going to run together with such persons So the question is whether this is a warning coming from this side." The politician currently works as executive director of the Augšdaugava municipal council and is the head of the Latvian Polish Union it now also includes articles in Latvian and Polish get this dog language out of the Russian newspaper don't mess with Russians' heads," Dzalbe added the owner of the Dautkom TV cable TV station but the criminal proceedings are ongoing for the first case of Dzalbe's car arson in 2020.  The police have opened an investigation into the events of last night spokesperson for the Latgale Regional Directorate of the State Police said: "Police officers are currently clarifying the circumstances of what happened and the investigation is in the active phase so we cannot comment further on this in order not to affect the investigative work." the police have recorded four cases of car fires in Daugavpils and Augšdaugava this year.  Dzalbe does not rule out the possibility that some hooligans are also doing this in the city but he is inclined to think that it was planned malice He says that he has not yet decided which municipality - regional or city - he will run for a seat on the council Daugavpils hosted the second core meeting of the international partners of the URBACT project "Public space regeneration through integrated urban sports hubs for the participation of young citizens" (Re-Gen) hosted representatives of the lead partner and project partners from Albacete (Spain) Milan (Italy) and Corfu (Greece) for an international exchange of experience The aim of the meeting was to promote international cooperation for sustainable urban development and to look at examples of good practice in Daugavpils in the development of public open spaces and the involvement of young people in events and activities organised by the municipality the project partners worked in interactive networking sessions testing different tools and methods to be used in the development of the integrated action plans met with the URBACT local group members and visited the events and activities organised during the Daugavpils City Festival They met with representatives of the Youth and Sports Department and also with youth who told them about the daily work of the department the youth and sports events organised and the involvement of young people in organising this kind of events The international guests found interesting the concept of student councils and the youth worker who works actively with young people in the neighbourhoods special attention was paid to the infrastructure of the Esplanade Rest Park and the “Lielais Stropu” lake area the project partners recognised them as examples of good practice that could be replicated in other countries The multifunctional use and the diverse leisure activities are what make these places unique and the city's infrastructure youth-friendly the project lead partner and the project lead expert visited the first stage of the youth sports organised by the municipality and held in the square near the Daugavpils Olympic Centre They considered this event as a good example of possible pilot activities within the Re-Gen project the total costs of implementing the Re-Gen project in the Daugavpils Local Government are 78,660.00 euros of which 80% or 62,928.00 euros are ERDF co-financing More information about the project read HERE or https://urbact.eu/networks/re-gen Division for Investments and International Affairs of attistiba@daugavpils.lv This publication has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union Daugavpils Local Government of State City is fully responsible for its content and it may not reflect the opinion of the European Union he has also performed in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine which took place on the stage of the Daugavpils Theatre They explained that they had rented the stage to the association "Joke League" "I have no information that he supports Russian aggression against Ukraine Maybe someone told me that there was a story on Channel One [Russian-language First Baltic Channel "PBK"] but I haven't watched Channel One for a long time," said the event's organizer Komarovs said that if the comedian was found to be supporting Russian aggression the "League of Jokes" would be ready to apologize The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that event organizers should make sure that the invited performers do not pose reputational or sanction risks Komarovs is also a daily actor at the Daugavpils theatre and works with young people in the local authority the Daugavpils Theatre is unlikely to rent any more space to this association the municipality has only cooperated with the association during one event head of the Daugavpils Youth and Sports Department a deputy elected to the City Council from the "Harmony" list wrote about the festival on social networks as follows: "The crowds on Rīgas Street are like in Soviet times." The emoji of a sickle with a hammer is also present in the text The sticker attached to my post looks completely different," Lavrenovs said The deputy also shared a video of bus passengers singing a song praising the war The State Security Service said that the activities of MP Lavrenov should also be assessed by the State Police: "In the assessment of the State Security Service the Daugavpils City Council deputy should think more carefully about his public expressions as this type of activity does not contribute to the inter-ethnic cohesion of Latvian society." Lavrenovs has previously come under the spotlight of the Service The State Police confirmed that they have received the video of the singing and administrative proceedings have been launched several symbols praising military aggression were found drawn in one of the city's parks," added Dmitrijs Karpuņins deputy head of the South Latgale police station the local municipality is still struggling with the storm clean-up works and is calculating the losses which at this moment are estimated to cost more than 200,000 euros The Daugavpils council will appeal to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) with a request to at least partially compensate for these losses caused by the storm to both the municipality and the residents According to Latvan Radio's reporter, giant trees were completely uprooted or snapped in two and the roofs of buildings were damaged The tornado was localised and did not affect the city center but the force was impressive as was the amount of damage it caused admitted the deputy chairman of the Daugavpils City Council head of VARAM's Territorial Development Evaluation Department confirmed to Latvian Radio that the Daugavpils municipality can apply for compensation from central government Meanwhile the municipality of Daugavpils continues to assess the amount of damage caused by the storm and is also waiting for residents' submissions. They can apply for up to 3,000 euros located near the Russian and Belarusian border has the highest proportion of Russian speakers among all cities in Latvia Ambassador Brummell came unofficially to see the Daugavpils Theater's performance "Lies without Rules" (directed by Oļegs Šapošņikovs) as part of Theatre Festival and to take part in the post-show discussion was created with the support of the British Embassy and is the first joint project of the artistic collective and the diplomatic mission the British Ambassador visited the local Jewish community When asked by Rus.LSM.lv what trends in Latvian public life were particularly important to him as a diplomat Paul Brummell (in quite good Russian) replied: "The war has changed our lives since February 24 when the Russian aggression against Ukraine began. Latvia immediately announced its support for Ukraine The UK and Latvia are on the same page and to this day we are working together on this issue and this is particularly evident in Daugavpils It is very important to take care of the cohesion of society and the British Council supports this process The emigration of a significant part of Latvia's population to the West is a serious problem; I know that this problem is acute in Daugavpils but Daugavpils is not only a very beautiful city but also an important city for Latvia as a whole It has lost a lot of inhabitants and continues to lose inhabitants The Ambassador also mentioned the discussions on the public media as well as the possible cessation of Russian-language content from 1 January 2026: "I am convinced of the importance of independent media when the risk of fake news is high and when the problem of disinformation is acute Russia is actively trying to use its propaganda weapon I think that the public media have a very important and positive role to play and we love Rus.LSM.lv and appreciate your work thanks to you Russian-speaking citizens receive balanced and reliable information the risks of Kremlin propaganda will increase I am aware of the idea [that is included in] the National [Security concept] to abolish public media in Russian The diplomat was also keen to talk about cooperation with Daugavpils and Latgale: "We have good ties with the Daugavpils theatre I have great respect for the work of Oļegs Šapošņikovs (head of the Daugavpils theatre - Rus.LSM.lv) and his team "We have a long-standing cooperation with the Rothko Museum - British artists and art historians often visit Daugavpils. This year we supported the creation of a youth club at the Rothko Museum and its participants will soon be able to participate in two workshops there is no British Consulate in Daugavpils It is important that the British Embassy is not limited to Riga." NOTE: A quotation from the ambassador was amended June 14 as a result of changes made to the original Russian language text by the LSM Russian language service After a survey of the population conducted at the beginning of this year the municipality has concluded that residents lack adequate bicycle infrastructure and bicycle routes Where exactly to start to make the city environment more suitable and comfortable for cyclists Where to build bike lanes or install bike lanes These issues are being addressed in Daugavpils and in Latvia in general by the association "Green Freedom" (Zaļā brīvība) this time focusing on two municipalities of Latgale said: "We have colleagues who work in Daugavpils We go for environmentally friendly choices in all areas and this is one of the environmentally friendly choices which is also healthier for people and improves the urban environment We have two such points in Latgale: the city of Daugavpils and the district of Rēzekne." Daugavpils could be a friendlier city for cyclists senior specialist of Daugavpils Youth Affairs Department and an active cyclist herself: "I've been riding a bicycle for five years and I very often tear my bike's rear wheel on them We raised this issue about the creation of bike lanes several years ago." Faculty members of Riga Technical University (RTU) have been invited to study the topic of bicycle traffic accessibility in Daugavpils This is an issue for many Latvian municipalities says RTU Institute of Architectural Design Professor Sandra Treija "We visited Daugavpils for the first time with this issue in April and we are trying to listen to the opinion of Daugavpils residents It is important to understand the opinion of cyclists – local people – about what is current what needs to be done right now and what wishes should be realized in the future This issue is very hot right now a development issue in the entire Baltic region how could we move more intensively with such a simple and beautiful way of moving as a bicycle it is positive that quite a lot is already being done in all the new streets that are being rebuilt there are already these bicycle paths sections But the biggest problem is that they are fragmented – there is a very nicely arranged section but it is not safe for cyclists to ride further," Treija said It is important for Daugavpils municipality to improve the cycling infrastructure in the city the representative of the council's Development Department admitted that there is still a lot of work ahead "The Development Department has been working on this problem for a long time There is something to be done in this area and it is difficult to make the streets wider more and more people would like to ride bicycles But the situation in this area is improving We have more and more bicycle paths in the city," Tolmačova said almost 40 kilometers of bicycle paths have been built in Daugavpils How to make the use of sidewalks and their exits more attractive to cyclists and how to solve another painful issue – the availability of bicycle parking – RTU researchers will develop their perspective by analyzing the opinions of the citizens of Daugavpils and make recommendations to the municipal specialists which should happen by the end of this year the Latgale Culture and History Museum in Rēzekne will unveil “Diffusion of Boundaries” an exhibition featuring eight artists from the Rothko Museum’s painting collection As present-day museums evolve to redefine their roles and reassess the heritage in their collections they are increasingly becoming open platforms for dialogue on pressing societal issues Among these is the resilience of physical and symbolic boundaries continuously eroded by geopolitical These forces reshape collective and individual values leading to new perspectives and reimagined constructs of the world order featuring select pieces from the Rothko Museum Collection adds an artistic touch to the debate on the resilience and relevance of boundaries and borders through contributions from Europe The featured artworks were created between 2018 and 2023 at the Mark Rothko International Painting Symposium hosted by the Rothko Museum Each piece reflects the artist’s personal take on what modernist art is and means in the present day is a no-limits zone of absolute creative freedom and individual technique dissolve all borders and invite endless interpretations from both the artist and the viewer The exhibition features Pawel Wasowski and Kuba Janyst (Poland) Árpád Forgó (Hungary) The exhibition is on show from 10 January to 22 February 2025 The Rothko Museum in Daugavpils is one of the most ambitious 21st-century cultural projects in Eastern Europe – a multifunctional hub for contemporary art located in the historic artillery arsenal of the Daugavpils Fortress The museum’s collection has evolved with the vision to establish a cultural venue honouring the internationally celebrated American artist Mark Rothko (1903–1970) in his native Daugavpils the collection has grown to over three thousand artworks across various mediums featuring Latvian and international artists who expand upon the modernist tradition "The theater has been very lucky with state support right now we are not happy to exist without spectators but thanks to the financial support provided by the Ministry of Culture and that is a huge joy," says director Oļegs Šapošņikovs Chairman of the Board and Artistic Director of Daugavpils Theater What is currently happening at Daugavpils Theater The fact that spectators do not have the opportunity to visit the theater does not mean that we have gone dark Many new performances are made in all state theaters And if a year ago it sounded a little banal now I can definitely say that the world will emerge from this pandemic changed this time was an opportunity to stop and think And creative people have reevaluated many things - what we have done so far and what we should do in the future I know that my colleagues in other theaters have also reviewed their repertoire and are very seriously considering how we will work in the future Perhaps this pandemic for our entire planet is a sign from the universe that we need to stop to the left and try to understand where we have been running all the time my theater - I apologize for calling the Daugavpils theater my own theater after ten years of running it - as well initially was in shock we used this time very usefully to think calmly about where we are going and why As the Russian saying goes "Нет худа без добра" ("There is no evil without good") - this is a very good description of this time just before the second wave of the pandemic you worked on two "Seagulls" but did not get to show them to the spectators DIRECTOR Oļegs Šapošņikovs moved to Daugavpils ten years ago - in March 2011 he signed his first contract with Daugavpils Theater it will be 10 years since he runs this theater / Foto no Oļega ŠAPOŠŅIKOVA personiskā arhīva in November I again staged "The Seagull" - supplementing the work of Anton Chekhov with "The Seagull" by the famous Russian detective writer Boris Akunin which he wrote as a continuation of Chekhov's "The Seagull" I tried to combine these two materials and make a diptych but after the dress rehearsal of the first show and unfortunately no spectators have seen the show But considering that we started working on this show already during the first lockdown it gave me the opportunity to consider many things with no hurry and to move one step higher in my creative development but unfortunately there is no other objective assessment I look forward to seeing how this work is evaluated by viewers and theater professionals Are there any hopeful predictions when Daugavpils Theater could meet its audience It seems that we will meet our viewers only this autumn and it does not seem that anything will change much in June our theater will unfortunately not be able to work Daugavpils City Municipality has allocated quite a lot of money for the modernization of the backstage and it is planned to complete it only in September I can already predict that we will not see our audience before September Can you already reveal what surprises will be in store for your viewers in the autumn I have a feeling that when we meet our audience we will be a somewhat different theater than we were before Our motto remains the same: Daugavpils Theater is a theater for spectators And so I would like to say that we will meet each other in our own different quality and start life anew which we all know serves as a point of reference and at the same time as an opportunity to start things anew in the autumn we will open the theater with five brand new performances There will be the already mentioned diptych of Anton Chekhov and Boris Akinin's plays "Seagull which will consist of two performances on different evenings: "Seagull 1" and "Seagull 2​​." [Both performances will be in Russian.] "In the Footsteps of the Bear of Fortune" ("Pa Laimes lāča pēdām") where antiquity goes hand in hand with the present This production was based on the motifs of Andrejs Upītis' "Boys of the Moss Village" ("Sūnu ciema zēni") as adapted by Monika Zīle [The performances will be in Latvian and Latgalian.] staged by young director Endīne Bērziņa based on Annette Mierswa's "Samson's Journey" ("Samsona ceļojums") and it tells about topics that often remain unspoken and not fully understood: family relationships The protagonists of the show will try to talk about it through a journey saturated with adventures This production will be the debut of Endīne Bērziņa a graduate of the Latvian Academy of Culture She has also staged her diploma work with us - a part of the play "Provincial Anecdotes" ("Provinces anekdotes") by the Russian playwright Alexander Vampilov which depicts absurdly hilarious but very realistic events in a provincial hotel director Dmitrijs Petrenko will also make his debut at the Daugavpils Theater by staging Inga Ābele's play "The Dark Deer" ("Tumšie brieži") written in 2001 which was the author's successful debut in drama has gained the attention of professionals both in Latvia and abroad and has experienced several stage versions the public is wondering whether the themes playfully coded in George Orwell's anti-utopian novel about freedom and the human desire to be happy do not coincide with recent events in the world Director Viesturs Roziņš will present his vision to the audience in the play "Animal Farm" ("Dzīvnieku ferma") in which the animalistic mixes with the civilized in a grotesque game of living happily The musical design of the production was created by composer Jēkabs Nīmanis [The novel was adapted to a play in Russian by Oļegs Šapošņikovs.] Does your daily life mostly take place in Daugavpils and Daugavpils Theater I can't even visit my parents who live in Riga But - I am very glad that I have the opportunity to participate in another interesting creative project and that is the creation of Daugavpils cultural development program 2021-2027 our city is also taking part in the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture 2027 I am actively participating in this project gave all Daugavpils creative minds a fantastic impetus to look from a distance at what we are doing here and where we are all going together This is a very important moment because it is no secret - and we self-critically acknowledge this - that so far we have been somewhat lacking a common vision and an ambitious goal But the main thing that we are aware of is that it can be fixed Does this project have any connection with Daugavpils Theater The development of this program has given a lot not only to myself If so far Daugavpils Theater as a state institution has unfortunately practically not cooperated with the municipal Culture Department then within the framework of this program we have developed a common vision of what we could do together in the future I am proposing to develop what I have called the "reincarnation of art" which means that we would like to re-embody or revive the cultural values ​​that have existed in this city but have unfortunately been lost over time As one of the examples of art reincarnation I can mention Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center which is a multifunctional center of contemporary art and culture in Daugavpils Fortress a unique and inspiring place for various creative expressions And although Mark Rothko [1903-1970] is more associated with America we are giving his aesthetics a chance to be alive and accessible I do not mean to say that it is necessary to build new centers because we are not just talking about a specific institution and one of them is to restore the culture of exquisite nightlife in Daugavpils namely to create a professional cabaret program this is not the task of the repertoire theater but it is possible in cooperation with the city and taking into account the theater's capacity and the possibility to stop the drama theater during the summer I think it is very important that it is not associated with drinking and clubs with questionable reputations And this cabaret culture would be associated with another outstanding personality born in Daugavpils - the composer Oskars Stroks [1893-1975] Have you planned to stage another musical at the Daugavpils Theater after the brilliant success of the musical "Jane Eyre" The only thing I can reveal for the time being is that we have agreed with Maestro Raimonds Pauls on a new musical performance in Daugavpils but it will not be what we think of when we hear that Maestro will write music for a theater performance But let the details remain a mystery for now Be the first to read interesting news from Latvia and the world by joining our Telegram and Signal channels ka nav mazsvarīgu lietu – lasītājs ir ne vien jāinformē bet arī jādod brīdis atelpai no dienas saspringtajiem darbiem the Rothko Museum offers a great idea for a meaningful gift: the museum’s Membership Card which gives unlimited access to its permanent collection and rotating exhibitions throughout the year Membership Card holders will be able to enjoy an entire year of art filled with unlimited visits to the Rothko Museum’s permanent display and temporary exhibitions – carefully curated examples of contemporary art from around the globe offering a rich and inspiring cultural experience The Rothko Museum’s Membership Card can be purchased online by filling out a digital form and completing a bank transfer or in person at the museum’s ticket office and senior citizens can obtain the card at a discounted rate of €25 upon presenting a valid ID Cards are issued within two days of payment confirmation For detailed information about the Membership Card and its terms, visit the Rothko Museum’s website: https://rothkomuseum.com Still the only permanent exhibition of Rothko’s works in Europe it traces the artist’s entire creative evolution across all his creative periods Publicity photo: Rothko Museum’s Membership Card Daugavpils City Government and all the project partners the URBACT Lead Expert and a representative of the URBACT Secretariat visited the Municipality of Dobrich in the frame of the 3rd Core Meeting of Re-Gen The event started at the premises of the host with official welcoming by the Vice Mayor of Dobrich Municipality and the City Council Member The actual working meeting to present the progress on IAP and on ULG was held at the building of Dobrich Youth Center was a good example of a working youth space full of content with a lot of activities (art etc.) providing to young citizens from the region Facilitated plenary discussion with all partners was conducted with focus on key factors slowing or accelerating the process of Integrated Action Plans (IAP) development specific elements and options to improve going forward The first day of the 3rd Core Meeting finished with a final reflection on the Mid Term Review of Re-Gen and a MASTERCLASS for partners focusing on service design methodology and tools for planning Ad hoc expert.       The second day of the event was dedicated more to peer learning and the planning stage the partners had an opportunity to visit the Dobrich pilot site called “Apple park” - outdoor space for youngsters A cooperation network of 9 cities has been established within the project – Verona (Italy) The State Culture Capital Foundation has awarded a Lifetime Scholarship to the Rothko Museum’s exhibition curator recognising her outstanding contribution to Latvia’s cultural landscape and international reputation through “The Rothko Project” which has led to the Rothko Museum and a permanent presence of Rothko’s original art in his birthplace Farida Zaletilo is the visionary behind the Rothko Museum (formerly Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre) She was the project’s original driving force she established the first connections with the Rothko family securing their trust and commitment to provide Rothko originals for the emerging museum in the artist’s birthplace this extraordinary collaboration continues to thrive the Rothko Museum receives a new selection of previously unseen original works from the family’s collection solidifying its status as the only cultural venue in Europe to offer a permanent retrospective showcase of Rothko’s original masterpieces Farida has continued to shape its artistic programme by curating world-class exhibitions that draw striking parallels between Rothko’s timeless legacy and the work of globally renowned artists through her extraordinary vision and dedication Farida has transformed Daugavpils and the Rothko Museum into a cultural hub of national significance and European distinction and amplified Latvia’s global resonance through its most valued cultural icon – Mark Rothko The State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF) awards Lifetime Scholarships to outstanding cultural and arts professionals in recognition of their lifetime contributions to culture and arts The scholarships are granted through an annual competition the SCCF Council awarded scholarships to 12 recipients representing different cultural sectors which was later widely circulated on several social media was filmed on Daugavpils public bus 17A on June 2 after the Daugavpils City Festival The VP has identified two of the nine "Katyusha" singers and asks the public to identify the others who had already been caught by the police for a similar offense The amount of the fine for the other identified "Katyusha" performer is still to be decided this song is considered a symbol of military aggression "We perceive it as the use of praising symbols in public," explained Ivars Kravcevičs Deputy Head of the South Latgale Precinct of the Latgale Regional Administration of the VP serious and there will be no small fines in these cases The public has already been warned for several years These offenses are punishable by administrative liability." Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (New Unity) said that punishment is necessary otherwise "the expression of democracy and freedom of expression is misunderstood": "This simply cannot happen in the country we live in is very well understood at the level of the leadership of the VP and responded to appropriately." Head of the Strategic Communication Coordination Department at the State Chancellery also pointed out that singing "Katyusha" is a glorification of the Soviet regime when we remember the darkest pages of history - the arrival of the Soviet army the establishment of an occupation regime that devastated the nation something like this should not be allowed in the information space To sing a song praising the Soviet army in person is also to celebrate both the occupation of Latvia and the deportations of people to support Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine," Bambals said several administrative proceedings were initiated as well as criminal proceedings for the acquittal of war crimes.  The owners of the Daugavpils company "SMD Baltic" condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but through a company registered in Belarus and the use of sanctions evasion methods, they help supply Russian drone manufacturers with components, Re:Baltica claims Microchip manufacturer "SMD Baltic" is one of the companies visited by Latvian ministers during their trips to Latgale. The company is an important player in the special economic zone of Latgale and the turnover of the last year was close to 20 million euros making it an apparent success story in an economically deprived area SMD Baltic was founded in 2017 by three citizens of Belarus and Latvian citizen Dmitrijs Radkevičs About 300 kilometers further east in Belarus is an industrial park created in partnership with China the company "SMD Bai" (СМД Бай) a sister company of the Latvian operation, started producing electronic circuit boards at the park When Russia attacked Ukraine, SMD Baltic said it would no longer accept orders from Russia and Ukraine – a pledge that is on its website to this day and Ukrainian sanctions as a drone manufacturer for its use in attacks on Ukraine Mikrmount has also supplied electronics to the Yekaterinburg company "Reglab" (Реглаб) which is part of a group of companies that have closely cooperated with a Russian tank manufacturer "Uralvagonzavod" Direct sales to Russia from Latvia ended in the fall of 2022 when sanctions outlawed the exports of such crucial materials Re:Baltica suggests that a Smolensk-registered intermediary called "Novaya elektronnaya kompaniya" ("Новая электронная компания" NEK) linked to the owners of SMD has been buying western microchips via companies in China Turkey and Kazakhstan for import into Russia.  NEK was owned by Belarusian businessmen Khvaļko but then it passed into the hands of Russian citizen Vitaly Privolnev He previously managed the day-to-day operations of the company the trio transferred ownership to a trustee the owners of SMD Baltic either declined to respond or re-stated that they oppose the war without going into details about the specifics of their business arrangements booming business at their Belarusian operation allows them to live comfortable lives in various parts of southern Europe while the bombardment of Ukraine by Russia continues The full investigation can be read here similar to the one in Moscow, burns at the memorial to Soviet soldiers who died in World War II in Dubrovina Park In reality it has proven less than eternal built 40 years ago when Latvia was still under Soviet occupation, was extinguished in 1991 shortly after the restoration of Latvia's independence marked by some of the Russian minority as 'Victory Day' but unpopular with the remainder of the population An organization named "Let's revive the eternal fire" was created 12 years ago and collected funds for re-lighting the flame the gas cylinder system that fed the flame was replaced with a capacious gas reservoir underground Information in the local media shows that the gas system reconstruction project was financed by the Russian embassy in Latvia together with one of the largest liquefied gas importers in the Baltics: "Intergaz", owned by Russian oligarch Rashid Sardarov But who owns the memorial to Soviet soldiers and who pays for the gas for the eternal flame "The legal ownership of the memorial itself has not been established the municipality does not own it," said the representative of the Daugavpils municipality Nataļa Ivanova "That memorial is located on municipal land so the municipality manages the adjacent territory The municipality manages the adjacent territory in the same way as the rest of the park – they mow the grass But the memorial itself is under the care of the Brothers' Graves Committee." The Chairman of the Board of the Brothers' Graves Committee the Committee is responsible for military burial grounds across Latvia But Āboltiņš denied any other kind of connection with the Dubrovina Park memorial: "Of course not We do not enter into any contracts for care and maintenance They themselves do not know what is happening on their land no-one seems to be responsible for the memorial and its flame. Since there is no owner there is also no one with whom a formal maintenance contract has been concluded Latvian Radio decided to investigate claims the Daugavpils branch of the Latvian Russian society takes care of the eternal flame and visited the society's office in the center of the city shares premises with several other organizations including the Latvian Russian Union political party and pressure groups such as the Russian School Protection Staff the Daugavpils Association of Fighters of the Anti-Hitler Coalition and others but someone can be heard inside playing the guitar and singing and other people's voices can also be heard It was not possible to meet with the representatives of the society either on May 9 or a few days later head of the Daugavpils branch of the Russian society Another official of the association is Daugavpils City Council member Aleksejs Vasiļjevs He refused to engage in any detailed conversation with Latvian Radio when approached at a council meeting Latvijas Radio was interested in Russian donations because before the start of the war in Ukraine various Moscow organizations paid large sums of money to the Daugavpils Society in 2020 this amounted to 44,000 euros It made up the lion's share of all the society's income Russian donations did not appear in the accounts again but the society's total annual income did not decrease significantly It should be noted here that the Russian society of Latvia has more than ten chapters throughout the country but only the Daugavpils chapter is so rich even entering the list of one hundred wealthiest societies in Latvia The State Security Service (VDD) confirmed that the activities of the association "Daugavpils branch of the Latvian Russian society" have been on the service's radar for a long time Taking into account the specifics of the service's work the VDD refrained from further comments related to this association How much does the eternal flame cost to keep alight in Daugavpils a local portal wrote about five to six thousand euros a year According to the publicly available annual reports of the association has been among the most generous donors for many years She has donated six to seven thousand euros a year to the eternal flame and other activities of the association – equivalent to around one tenth of her European Parliament salary If nobody owns the Soviet army memorial in Daugavpils then who has the right to turn off the gas burner – or indeed to keep it on The Brothers' Grave Committee believes that it belongs to the municipality the Daugavpils City Council states that this is beyond their decision-making remit and invoked the Latvian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on the preservation of monuments and graves The head of the municipality believes that the flame should remain as it is part of the memorial ensemble.  For now it appears the flame will continue to burn – without casting much light on who is responsible for it Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are BFC Daugavpils 3 win(s) BFC Daugavpils is playing home against FK Jelgava on Sun According to the data of the Central Statistical Bureau of Republic of Latvia (CSB) Daugavpils is the second largest state city of Latvia in terms of population in the end of year 2021 there were 80 627 people in Daugavpils that is 4.2% of the total number of inhabitants of Latvia Total area of Daugavpils is 72,3 km2 and it is third largest city of the territory of Latvia The number of population in Daugavpils in the period from 2014 to the beginning of 2021 has decreased by 7.7% as it also tends to decrease elsewhere in Latvia The population is declining mainly due to negative natural growth or the number of deaths exceeding the number of births the population decreased by 960 people or by 1.18% Changes in the population of Daugavpils from 2014 to 2021 (Data source: CSB) According to the data of the Registry Office thus the natural increase of the population was negative -679 60.2% of the population of Daugavpils were of working age 14.7% of the population were under working age the population up to working age has increased by 1% and the population of working age has also increased by 0.8% the working age population has decreased by 1.9% The age groups of Daugavpils population 2016-2021 (Data source: CSB)  The national structure of Daugavpils population Daugavpils is a city with different nationalities and the ethnic structure and population does not have significant changes in Daugavpils in the last years Proportion of population by nationality in 2021 the number of unemployed in Daugavpils has gradually decreased over the last seven years falling to 3,468 jobseekers in January 2020 there is a significant increase due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic Changes in the number of unemployed in Daugavpils by years (Data source: SEA) 43% of the registered unemployed in January 2021 were in this status for up to six months 24% have been unemployed for 1-3 years and only 9% for more than three years 47% of all unemployed in January 2021 have the highest level of education followed by 20% with general secondary education and 18% with higher education 12.5% ​​of the unemployed have a basic education and 2.5% have not completed a basic education 41% of the unemployed are aged 45-59 and 13% are over 60 The Rothko Museum invites artists to apply to its 2025 symposium programme which will feature four major international events in painting the 13th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium This vibrant creative forum remains the most significant international printmaking event in Latvia’s Latgale Region 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 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 Applications are welcome till 31 January 2025 the Rothko Museum will partner with the Balvi Municipality to organise the 9th Valdis Bušs International Painting Plein Air a renowned Latvian landscapist who was born there and promotes Viļaka as an excellent destination for artists with a focus on quality Applications are welcome till 30 April 2025 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 For application details, please visit the Rothko Museum’s website: https://rothkomuseum.com/en/museum/catalogues/symposia/ Publicity photo: Rothko Museum by Didzis Grodzs Latvia's State Security Service (VDD) is now checking whether Latvians participated in these celebrations a week ago The "friendship monument" is a mound that was artificially created in 1959 at the point where Latvia Memorial plates and monuments were placed there Now directional signs remain in the Latvian and Russian languages but the "monument" itself offers little to see A fence already extends along the border with Belarus with the Russian-side fence still to be completed At the point where the borders of three countries meet Soviet propaganda used to gather World War II veterans to meet in July and something happened here this year as well but the border guards here were assigned to control and there were no provocations in evidence," said Aleksejs Isakovs of the Šķaune Division of the State Border Guard Politician from Daugavpils Dmitrijs Ribņikovs has claimed 50 people from Latvia arrived in a bus organized by the Pskov municipality in Russia Ribņikovs heads an association called "Daugavpils Division of the Russian Community of Latvia" At its legal address Dmitrijs Ribņikovs was unavailable when Latvian Television arrived while another official of the association claimed he has moved to Pskov I wasn't there [at the 'friendship monument'] He himself may have come from Pskov," said Sergejs Anaņjevs a Member of the Daugavpils Division of the Russian Community of Latvia Two years ago Dmitrijs Ribņikovs participated in the Saeima elections from the list of the Latvian Russian Union indicating that he is working as deputy chairman of Daugavpils City Council "Dmitrijs worked for the Council for two years and I have not seen this person for a long time," said Aleksejs Vasiļjevs (Latvian Rusian Union) deputy chairman of Daugavpils City Council People who would have gone to the Belarusian-Russian event this year are also not known at the Russian Cultural Centre of Daugavpils head of the Russian Cultural Centre of Daugavpils said that she was there a few of years ago Kožanova: "I was curious what it was." Latvian Television: "Is it not that there Russia and Belarus glorify their power Kožanova: "I can't say anything now. I wasn't there this year She admitted that there are people in Daugavpils who continue to travel to Russia and Belarus.  "Everyone needs to respect each other," said Daugavpils City Council deputy When LTV pointed out that Russia doesn't respect Ukraine right now Dmitrijs Ribņikovs' activities are being examined the State Security Service (VDD) has confirmed said on Thursday it had carried out a test run lasting about 2.5 hours The service would allow residents of the Lithuanian town of Visaginas to make more frequent visits to Latvia’s Daugavpils The possibility of bringing back the service is being discussed with the Visaginas authorities LTG Link currently carries passengers to Turmantas on the Latvian border and is looking into extending the route about 15 km to Daugavpils LTG Link operates daily services to Riga since last December Daugavpils is a city that makes you feel at home “Ancient stones of the fortress and splendid art nouveau in the heart of the city low-rise wooden houses with finely carved bluish-grey shutters and geraniums on the windowsills in the part of the city called Forstadt - create the peculiar feeling of being at home who have been born here or have lived here for some period of time" it is a city where multi-ethnical and multicultural environment has been developed since ancient times cross-border centre of services and economic development The aims which Daugavpils strives to achieve in the future: the Rothko Museum will host an international residency for eight artists who will come together to create and communicate about the fundamental European value of equality the artists will contribute their diverse perspectives and impressions of our reality where art is both a means of creative expression in and of itself and a powerful tool for shaping public opinion," says a release from the Rothko Museum the artists will get an immersive experience of the city of Daugavpils meet local artists and artisans and create locally-inspired artworks for a group exhibition Their efforts will result in a joint exhibition which will be opened at 4 p.m on 18 July at the Rothko Museum’s conference hall the artworks will be reproduced and displayed in a free-access mode out of doors in the Daugavpils Fortress The public will have an exclusive chance to meet the artists and learn about their work at 5 p.m a few days before the official exhibition opening when the Rothko Museum will host public presentations by all the artists in residence Daugavpils will be represented by Mairita Folkmane and Oskars Jansons birthplace of the abstract artist – a world of breathtaking colour It’s a funny time of year to be visiting Latvia’s second city It’s midwinter and an icy blast has swept across northern Europe bringing with it some of the coldest temperatures Latvia has experienced in a decade Daugavpils is one of the most ethnically Russian cities inside the European Union today Moscow sent tens of thousands of Russians to live in Latvia as well as to other parts of the Soviet Union The city is the birthplace of the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, and in 2013 the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, now renamed the Rothko Museum as well as exhibitions by contemporary artists This is also where I will be staying for the weekend providing comfort against the fearsome cold The fortress’s ambience is rather like what is sometimes labelled as the dark period of Rothko’s last years when the colours oozing from his palette appeared to darken creating the perfect resting place between mile-and-a-half walks to and from the city centre The end of the line at Turmentas the journey to a place can offer sufficient reward Setting out for a long weekend one frozen Friday morning from Kaunas two trains bring me to the far north-east of the country the final 25 miles across the border to Daugavpils always looked like being sketchy I am a little concerned when almost the entire train empties at the last but one station and I’m virtually alone when I step off the train at its terminus and so begins a chain of one of the great wonders of the world: the kindness of strangers Calls are made before the stranger’s father drives me to the one and only shop before I’m handed the phone to speak to a man who I think is agreeing to drive me to my destination the two women working in the shop provide free coffee and insist I stay inside as outside the temperature is falling fast where I’m handed the phone to speak to a man who is agreeing to drive me to my destinationAnother woman on her way to a sauna and should my onward travel plans falter invites me to stay in one of her spare rooms She explains how Turmantas and this currently frozen corner of the world where Lithuania “The train used to run from Vilnius to Daugavpils The shop itself is representative of this frontier Vladimir arrives to drive us through the deep snow and plummeting temperatures we must deliver a door to a house where five extremely energetic dogs live before collecting Vladimir’s girlfriend from a second home we head to within a whisker of the Belarusian border On the first night, I try to find my bearings, walking amid a frozen landscape along the River Daugava, into the city. At Gubernators restaurant I’m served their own brew of unfiltered beer along with country pie and cauliflower cheese A bird’s-eye view of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Daugavpils.Green Photograph: Johnny GreenBack outside I admire the neon Christmas lights and decorations as it’s not by chance that my visit coincides with Orthodox Christmas in January where the churches of four Christian denominations stand side by side including Saints Boris and Gleb Russian Orthodox Cathedral and where I intend to head the following evening At Artileijas Pagrabi a downstairs alternative music bar and venue the beer taps are adorned with anti-Putin stickers I’m later told that this is the most “Latvian” bar in Daugavpils and that the stickers testify to the owner being a staunch Latvian nationalist When I broach the subject of Russian identity to a friendly and open bartender Jurgis tells me not to confuse the city’s majority Russian speakers with sympathy and support for Putin The next morning brings the most vivid blue skies they bring to mind Mondrian and Derek Jarman it’s Rothko whose influence is celebrated next door and where I spend the next two hours surveying his life and work as well as works by several contemporary artists Rothko – born Markus Rothkowitz in 1903 in what was then called Dvinsk and part of the Russian empire – is associated with the American abstract expressionist movement that began with the paintings of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning in the late 1940s and early 50s Rothko is best known for his “colour field” paintings almost like a vast set of soft-focus Polaroids of every conceivable shade There’s a beautiful reading room containing hundreds of art books with seven shelves dedicated to the many biographers who have attempted to understand Rothko and dissect the colossal number of works he produced These especially concern the second half of his career during which he painted in the same geometric style leaving behind more than 1,000 known paintings created over a 46-year period 17 Rothko paintings have been exhibited here provided by the artist’s daughter Kate Rothko Prizel and son Christopher Rothko making it the only place in eastern Europe to view original work by Rothko Rothko No 13 (1951 Photograph: Kate Rothko/Apic/Getty ImagesIn addition to the six originals Rothko’s family have donated 41 reproductions to the museum creating a satisfying visual record spanning his career Away from the main Rothko room, works by contemporary artists impress too, including the room of meditative, almost subterranean sculptures that form Landscapes, a solo exhibition by Hanna Miadzvedzeva who was forced to leave her native Belarus – only 20 miles away – because of political persecution ice floes fill the river and the only surprise is that there’s any water flowing at all watching the blue of the sky turn slowly pink even though the realisation is setting in that I’ve now been outside for more than two hours and my fingers and toes feel bitten down to the bone It’s another 15 minutes before I stumble into What About Coffee? and it takes two pastries two coffees and an entire hour before I’m thawed out I return to the dark, snow-lined streets and walk to the Saints Boris and Gleb Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the north-eastern part of the city A hushed reverence descends on proceedings as the cathedral throngs with people reciting prayers and wafting clouds of incense It’s a stunning end to the dayThis scene could be from a much earlier time and I contemplate Rothko when he said: “The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them.” the most incredible ice patterns have formed on the kitchen window of my residence eager to photograph its gilt domes against this bluest of skies The magic of last night’s spell inside has been replaced by a calm serenity with only a handful of parishioners in attendance created by the artist Romuald Gibovsky and erected close to where the Rothkovitz family lived for more than 20 years When Rothko’s family emigrated to the US in 1913 the Jewish ghetto in Daugavpils was a major part of the city and until the outbreak of the second world war only 100 were still alive and Daugavpils’ Jewish community is no bigger today Once again I’m frozen, so I hurry inside for a bird’s-eye view from the top floor of the Park Hotel Latgol someone in a polar bear costume sporting a floral waistcoat enters the room adding entertainment to a birthday party or Christmas celebration rushing to dance energetically with this magnificent creature Daugavpils is probably for the intrepid traveller I haven’t glimpsed a single tourist during the four days I have been here but I’d always rather sacrifice a little time and allow for greater possibilities holding dear the strangers who kindly stop to help us Johnny Green travelled with Lithuanian Railways (Man in Seat 61) with prices from Kaunas to Turmantas via Vilnius starting from €17.10 each way