More The safety of small seals is one of the reasons why from 1 April to 31 October it is forbidden to bring pets to the sea in Jūrmala several cases of dogs biting seal pups have been reported in the town The municipal police will monitor people's compliance with the ban Police warn that their presence on the beach will be continuous "We have also been present on the beach every day so far and are monitoring I would like to appeal to you not to be shameless not to try various tricks and calculate the times when to show up quietly on the beach with your dog and to respect the requirement not to be on the beach with your dog at all bring your dog on a leash in public places in Jūrmala in general," urged Markus Druziks Head of the Jūrmala Municipal Police Water Safety Unit Jelena: "I think that if it's a small dog and it's in a carrier because it can pee in there and bite in general." we don't have to go to Jūrmala to walk." Last winter was the first period when animals could be taken for beach walks in Jūrmala residents are planning to come up with an initiative calling for animals to be allowed near the sea also during the summer period this issue is planned to be addressed after the municipal elections 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 On 9 January President Edgars Rinkēvičs paid a working visit to the State City of Jūrmala the President of Latvia met with the leadership of Jūrmala City Council and visited Jūrmala State Gymnasium where he met with teachers and students of the school “Jūrmala State Gymnasium fosters a love of learning through creativity and the thoughtful use of technology You can see that the young people here are vibrant and inquisitive individuals students develop a sense of belonging to their school and municipality creating an attractive and liveable environment for all residents,” said President Edgars Rinkēvičs President of Latvia met with tourism entrepreneurs at the Jūrmala Central library and together with representatives of the Jūrmala municipality visited the “Annas Māja” café to discuss the development of Ķemeri region “Jūrmala remains one of the largest resort cities on the Baltic Sea coast The hospitality and tourism industry has been instrumental in this success and it was a particular pleasure to meet with representatives of this sector today,” said President Rinkēvičs Your feedback will help us improve this site Swimming is banned in the Rīga bathing sites in Rumbula and Ķīpsala as well as in the Sigulda bathing site "Gauja" The inspectorate has also maintained its advice not to swim in Lucavsala according to the information provided by the municipality the stormwater outlets on the coast of the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala are currently also receiving water from previously flooded areas It is advised not to swim in the bathing areas of the Lielupe River in Ezeru Street and Priedaine as in some places additional rainwater from possibly polluted areas has entered the Lielupe River The Inspectorate also advises against bathing at the Salaspils town bathing site and the Saldus Lake bathing site.  Swimming is allowed in the official bathing areas of Kurzeme and Latgale The microbiological parameters of the bathing water at 14 more official bathing sites will be known at the beginning of next week The next laboratory tests will be carried out on August 26 and 27 at all official bathing sites All News FIDE News Chess News Top Top Federations Main Page / Search Tournaments Titles Transfers Calculators Download FIDE Circuit Women's Events '24-'25 Open Cycle 2025-2026 Women’s Cycle 2025-2026 Women’s Cycle 2023-2025 All Tournaments Main Events About FIDE Handbook Documents Financial Reports Officials Commissions & Committees Federations Affiliated Organizations Affiliated Members Honourable Dignitaries Chart The Rudaga-Kaissa 2021 International Festival that brought together over 400 participants took off in Jurmala today the event is held in the festival format and under the auspices of FIDE The official ceremony was attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and FIDE   Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola The festival started with a rapid tournament In addition to the competitive part of the festival participants can take part in masterclasses The guests of the festival had a chance to take part in simuls by GM Nikita Meshkov (Latvia) and IM Sergey Berezuk (Czech Republic) there were several tournaments and a busy entertainment program on the menu online tournaments were added to the traditional over-the-board format for the first time 235 participants from more than 50 countries in the under-12 and under-16 age categories (open and girls) took part in the qualifying stage After two days of intense chess battles the winners were crowned in four categories: 1 – Samunenkov Ihor (Ukraine)2 – Dau Khuong Duy (Vietnam)3-4 – Le Nguyen Hoang Nhat Dinh (Vietnam)3-4 – Duong 1 – Çaku Kler (Albania)2 – Morales Perez Ghisell (Colombia)3 – Azjargal Chinzorigt (Mongolia) 1 – Turkey Gurel Ediz (Turkey)2 – Viet Nam Dau Khuong Duy (Vietnam)3-4 – Bialiauski Artsiom (Belarus)3-4 – Mongolia Chinguun 1 – Hertlein Irena (Poland)2 – Gilani Mysha (Canada)3-4 – Bondar Daria (Ukraine)3-4 – Laamim The winners will receive accreditation to the 2022 World Chess Olympiad in Sochi as a prize and online lectures by Antoaneta Stefanova © 2025 FIDE International Chess Federation stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of FIDE International Chess Federation The intense rain that flooded streets in Riga Jurmala and Jelgava has caused massive damages to residents worth more than half a million euros as reported by representatives of BTA Baltic Insurance Company (BTA) BTA is already aware that the total compensation amount will go up significantly once farmers have estimated the damages caused to their crops The first applications to the “MansBTA” portal and customer service were submitted on the night to Monday The number of applications continued going up Damage was caused by trees and branches that fell on top of cars Many roofs of buildings and windows were damaged in the storm as well BTA expects the number of insurance claims to increase by another several dozen The size of insurance compensations will likely go up The recent storm significantly hit Latvia’s neighbour as well as BTA received more than 250 insurance claims worth more than EUR 500 000 in Lithuania Director of the Insurance Claims Department of the BTA unlike several other natural disasters experienced in the recent past and the responsible authorities warned residents in a timely manner about the impending danger calculating losses and organizing the payment of compensation so that insured customers can eliminate the most significant damage as soon as possible free the entrance to the yard from trees dumped by the wind or hand over the damaged car for repair BTA’s profits reached EUR 10 375 million in 2023 the company raised EUR 293.4 million last year Also read: Storm damages the roof of Riga Dome Cathedral Follow us on Facebook and X Jūrmalas sadraudzības ar pilsētām vēsture aizsākās jau pagājušā gadsimta 60.gados Pirmā sadraudzības pilsēta bija Pietarsāri Somijā Laika gaitā sadarbība ir paplašinājusies gan pilsētu un to pārstāvēto valstu Pašreiz Jūrmala aktīvi veido sadarbību ar sadraudzības pilsētām kaimiņvalstīs valstīs Igaunijā un  Lietuvā Jūrmalas pilsētas starptautiskās sadarbības mērķis ir stiprināt pilsētas un Baltijas jūras reģiona ekonomisko Aktivitātes ietver kūrorta attīstītības pieredzes apmaiņas vizītes sadarbības programmu un projektu īstenošanu – pieredzes apmaiņu kā arī dažādu pasākumu un konferenču rīkošanu Jūrmala sevi redz kā pilsētu Baltijas jūras krastā kas saviem sadraudzības partneriem piedāvā  unikālu dabas resursu un dziedniecības kultūras un biznesa kontaktu veidošanas un pieredzes apmaiņu Jūsu atsauksme palīdzēs mums uzlabot šo vietni A total of 27 city restaurants and cafes are participating offering menus in three price categories (25 the menus take diners on a flavorful journey across the globe – from Japan Restaurant Week offers a unique chance to experience the beauty and diversity of Jurmala’s coastal surroundings Guests can choose to dine along the city’s lively main artery This year’s list of Restaurant Week participants includes the renowned 36th Line Grill Restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide for 2024 and 2025 The lineup also includes Armenian restaurants Nojan Tapan Full details are availabe at: visitjurmala.lv/en Former Saeima speaker Jānis Straume was killed in a tragic train accident in Jurmala As previously reported by Latvian State Police a person was fatally struck by a train in Jurmala Lielupes Street in the morning on Wednesday The police have commenced an investigation Straume was born in the family of the politically repressed in Sigulda on the 27th of August In 1980 he graduated from Sigulda 1st Secondary School and from Riga Medical Institute Faculty of General Medicine in 1986 Straume worked as functional diagnostician at Riga 3rd Clinical Hospital and an endoscopist in the Diagnostic Centre In 1993 he was elected to the 5th Saeima from the list of For Fatherland and Freedom political party He was later elected in other Saeima elections and worked in various posts He served as the chairman of TB/LNNK Saeima faction and vice-chairman of TB/LNNK In November 1998 he was elected as Saeima speaker In the same year he stepped down as vice-chairman of TB/LNNK due to the party’s disappointing run in 8th Saeima elections He was then elected as chairman of TB/LNNK the same year and remained in this post for several years In the 9th Saeima elections in 2006 he was not elected to the parliament He later moved to work in various state companies and as advisor to then Chairman of Riga City Council Jānis Birks Thanks to fresh data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSB) on August 2 it's possible to get some additional insight into the demographic make-up of the city which had 52 thousand inhabitants in total at the beginning of this year A third of these seaside residents (16,821 or 32.3%) live in the Kauguri suburb Every tenth (5,544 or 10.6%) resident of Jūrmala lives in Sloka the second largest neighborhood in terms of population 7.9% (4,110) of the population live in the third largest neighborhood Melluži 7.8% (4,072) in the fourth largest neighborhood Asari with 3.4 % (1,752) of the population and Lielupe closes the top ten with 3.1% (1,597) of the population There are more than a thousand inhabitants in two smaller neighborhoods: Valteri (1,081) and Kaugurciems (1,045) the number of seasiders can be written with a three-digit number: Vaivari (866) Vārnukrogs (188) and Stirnurags (125) Among the 26 neighborhoods of Jūrmala the smallest numbers of inhabitants can be found in Jaunķemeri (58) So while these lesser-known and poorer neighborhoods might not usually be talked of as the most "exclusive" parts of Jūrmala the average share of ethnic Latvians in Jūrmala is 52% – a very narrow majority. Proportionally the least number of Latvians live in Kūdra (28%) Vārnukrogs (30%) and Jaunķemeri (31%) Meanwhile the average share of ethnic Russians in Jūrmala is 32% more than half (56%) of the population is Russian and in Kūdra almost half (49%).  The smallest populations of Russians are in Melluži (17%) The proportion of children under the age of 17 in Jūrmala is 17% on average.  The accused in the case are Artjoms Borisovs and Dmitrijs Napriyenko Borisovs was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment while Naprijenko was given a suspended sentence of six months The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed to the Riga Regional Court after receiving information that several persons were violating public order the Jūrmala Municipal Police arrived at Majori Beach The accused used words offensive to human dignity with increasing aggression and threatened to use violence against him One of the accused also rudely and aggressively pointed out to the inspector a supposed need to speak Russian cynically and disparagingly referring to the Latvian language while the other accused called on bystanders to engage in violence against the inspector In order to stop the actions and to ensure the physical safety of the inspector two other Jūrmala Municipality Police inspectors - lifeguards were forced to interrupt their duties to ensure safety on the water and go to the scene of the conflict The accused are Latvian citizens born in 1980 and 1982 They have no previous criminal convictions A video recording was published on social media in which Russian-speaking holidaymakers in Jūrmala challenged and rudely cursed a Jūrmala municipal police officer as well as lifeguards of the Jūrmala Rescue Service The Mayor of Jelgava did not predict how much damage had been caused to the city in monetary terms as all the damage is still being identified "I don't want to say the amounts at the moment we are seeing how much damage there is and schools and kindergartens have been affected It would be very inaccurate to say the amounts now," Rāviņš said.  The Jelgava City Council Speaker pointed out that repairing the damage would affect the municipality's budget for next year Jelgava is focusing on providing support to the low-income.  "We are currently making binding regulations so that we can assist low-income people who have been affected as quickly as possible and that is about €1,000 that we could quickly give to people as assistance," Rāviņš said.  "We have spoken to the Minister of Finance about the need [for aid] and there have also been talks about attracting financial assistance from the European Commission [...] The amount that is needed will be large and very urgent." Rāviņš also noted that it would take two to three months to repair the damage.  said that the municipality's first estimates suggest that the damage caused by the storm is at least €11 million when we sent the information on the collected data to the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development We have tens of thousands of trees that have been cut down and we have not yet calculated all the trees There is very extensive damage to several neighborhoods [...] The amount will definitely increase because all the services for pumping out the water have been outsourced in a crisis," noted Sprogė.  The President of the Jūrmala City Council also pointed out that it would take at least two months to repair the damage in the municipality.  However, dogs are still banned from the beach from April 1 to October 31, "in order to ensure sanitary cleanliness, compliance with hygiene requirements and the quality of bathing water, as well as not to pose a threat to people's safety," according to a release from the Jūrmala municipality The welcoming o dogs during the winter season came as a result of a signature-gathering initiative on the ManaBalss.lv open democracy site it would have been almost impossible for her to collect the necessary signatures because manually collecting signatures while walking from house to house seemed time-consuming and difficult but also with advice - such a platform gives residents a real opportunity to achieve changes and defend their needs without leaving home," said Kondrāte The initiative was considered in the Jūrmala City Council after 479 signatures were collected on the ManaBalss.lv platform in 2020 The changes came into effect on September 24 and from November 1 to March 31 of this year it will be allowed to be with a dog on a leash in the territory of Jūrmala near the beach of the Gulf of Riga This decision is based on both the collective submission and the results of the public consultation where the majority expressed support for the possibility of allowing the presence of dogs on the beaches in the autumn and winter season referring to similar practices elsewhere in Europe states that such a solution has already been implemented in other Latvian cities where animal owners are allowed to walk their dogs by the sea in certain areas She emphasizes that walking on the beach not only promotes physical activity and allows residents to spend more time with their pets but also improves the overall quality of life according to the Law on Protected Areas it is prohibited to build bonfires and tents in the coastal dune protection zone but it considers that such activities may be allowed in specially designated areas subject to the approval of the municipality it is prohibited to light bonfires and use grills except during events organized by the municipality The municipality has also prohibited the setting up of sleeping places and the erection of tents open-type tents used during the day for sun protection The state law in Latvia prohibits smoking only at official bathing sites Jūrmala municipality has decided to ban smoking on the entire beach The ban applies to all tobacco products and all smoking devices The rules also stipulate that water sports such as kiteboarding and windsurfing are allowed in designated areas only Train delays in all directions are still possible as the rectification of storm damage continues The Dubulti-Tukums-Dubulti section will be served by buses stopping at the following stops: Buses will depart from the final stops according to the train timetable but will likely gradually incur delays depending on road traffic congestion Train tickets are valid on buses but you cannot take a bicycle on them services will be provided by diesel trains Latvian Railways is working to restore train traffic on the Tukums railway line as soon as possible passengers are asked to be understanding and to use other means of transport as far as possible swimming is banned at the Sigulda bathing beach "Gauja" as well as at the Ķīpsala and Rumbula bathing beaches in Rīga while in Jūrmala swimming is not allowed at the Asari and Melluži beaches head of the Inspectorate's Environmental Health Department explained on Latvian Radio's "Afternoon" program elsewhere there is a recommendation not to swim - this is the mildest form of prohibition and mainly applies to the most vulnerable groups - young children The advice not to swim is in force at the Jūrmala sea bathing sites in Bulduri at the Salaspils city bathing site in Daugava as well as at the Jelgava Lielupe bathing site "Lielupe right bank bathing site" and at the Saldus lake bathing site As the municipalities of Jūrmala and Jelgava continue to drain flood water from the flooded areas it is recommended not to swim at the Jūrmala sea bathing sites in Jaunķemeri the Jūrmala Lielupe bathing sites in Ezeru Street and Priedaine and the Jelgava Lielupe bathing site on Pasta Island Swimmers in Ķīpsala were not bothered by water pollution on Monday "I think we live in a very polluted environment This is summer time and I enjoy the water and the weather." You can follow the water quality of official bathing sites on the Health Inspectorate's website The cleanest beach this year is Miķeļtornis in Ventspils while the dirtiest - Majori and Lielupe beaches in Jūrmala The cleanest beaches on the Latvian coast were found in Talsi municipality with an average of 149 litters per 100 meters while the dirtiest beaches were in Jūrmala city with an average of 950 litters per 100 meters the campaign participants walked more than 500 kilometers along the Latvian coast from Estonia to Lithuania data shows that Latvia's coastline has an average of 344 items of litter per 100 meters of beach compared to 375 items per 100 meters last year The EU threshold for good marine environmental status is 20 items per 100 meters.  36 different types of litter were identified on beaches with plastics and polymers accounting for the majority or almost 76% of all litter while the most frequent type of litter this year is still plastic cigarette butts The overall figures are still not encouraging but the campaigners have seen a positive impact in the data from Latvia's recently introduced deposit system Three municipalities will host fireworks displays on the evening of Monday let's sing!" will be held in Ventspils' Great Square at 6 pm The square in front of the Ogre Municipality Culture Centre will host fireworks at 6 pm Jūrmala Municipality will host fireworks at the Kauguri Culture House at 10 pm Other municipalities will have laser lights and multimedia performances this year a laser light show at the Freedom Monument will be held at 8:10 pm Projections of "Children Draw Latvia" by Pēteris Rozenbergs of the Cēsis City Art School will be shown on the facade of the Cēsis New Castle at 5 pm A multimedia story "Awakening in the Power of the Spirit" will be shown on the walls of the Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church at 6 pm various places in the Ropaži municipality will have light sound and video performances "Staro Ropaži" on a multimedia story "A gift for Latvia on its birthday" will be shown on the tower of Trinity Church at 10 pm The Turaida Museum Reserve will present a light and sound story from November 16 to 17 the strongest wind gusts were observed in the center of Riga where they reached 27 meters per second (m/s) Such wind gusts would cause only minor damage in winter they are more exposed to wind and break more quickly Tens of thousands of households in Latvia were left without electricity According to operational information from Sadales tīkls the power supply was disrupted for about 30,000 customers - mainly in the central districts of the country The most widespread power outages were in Tukums 180 millimeters (mm) of rain have fallen since the rains started yesterday This is the climatic norm for two months and 26% of the norm for the whole year The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) operational duty officer Kārlis Broms told Latvian Television's "Morning Panorama" that the past night was a busy one the VUGD had received about 400 calls about wind damage Around 160 calls were received in the vicinity of Jūrmala while around 100 calls were received around Tukums and Jelgava Around 100 calls were also received in the capital and firefighters even have to clean up five other events on the way to the scene," said Broms He urged people to be patient while waiting for rescuers: "There was even a case today where firefighters had to cut branches along a 100-meter stretch." the VUGD had already received more than 850 calls which is about twice as many as in the October storm last year VUGD spokesperson Viktorija Gribuste told Latvian Radio The VUGD has no information about people injured in the storm frightened because tree branches fell on their cars or trees broke off right in front of their cars the people had managed to get out of the vehicles on their own Residents should expect to wait as priority will be given to calls where life or health is at risk residents are urged to repair the damage themselves traffic is difficult or closed on several sections of national roads on Monday morning the State Enterprise "Latvijas Valsts ceļi" (LVC) said The sections of main and regional roads affected by the storm damage are: Drivers should expect that it will take time to recover from the storm and fully restore traffic. For all traffic restrictions due to storm damage, click here and other storm damage and on national roads Heavy rain and strong winds will continue in many parts of Latvia until the afternoon North-north-westerly wind gusts will reach 25-30 meters per second at times along the coast of the Gulf of Riga which has been extremely heavy in central Latvia so far reaching unprecedented levels in the history of meteorological observations The strong winds will continue to raise water levels along the coast of the Gulf of Riga and the estuaries of rivers flowing into the Gulf The Rīga City Council and other responsible authorities have urged people to consider not going outside their homes today as it may be dangerous or interfere with the work of rescue services The full calming of the storm is expected on Monday evening The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) said that by 8 am on Thursday emergency number 112 had received 1,500 calls for wind and rain remedy work Although the number of new applications is decreasing daily 46 more reports of damage were received last night some of the work involves cutting down dangerously split trees and their branches The most extensive work has been carried out in Jūrmala while wind damage in Jūrmala and the Rīga region was reported about 550 times The VUGD continues to participate in the relief operations caused by the devastating wind Rescuers are being assisted by members of the National Armed Forces and local authorities are doing a huge amount of work VUGD spokeswoman Viktorija Gribuste told Latvian Radio Gribuste also said that this is the largest number of calls that have been received in recent years "This is an unprecedented situation," she added.  From the start of the storm on the evening of July 28 until the morning of Thursday "Sadales tīkls" has repaired a total of 1017 power grid faults of which 303 in the medium voltage network and 714 in the low voltage network the power supply was still disrupted for about 900 customers in Jelgava and Jūrmala it is still not safe to restore the power supply due to high water levels - Sadales tīkls has contacted these customers to explain the situation and continues to be in contact with the property managers to restore the power supply when the hazard is eliminated Criminal proceedings for attempted murder have been initiated in connection with the incident and the detained woman has been remanded in custody the detainee had also burgled an apartment on the same day a woman born in 1949 was going by bus from the Kauguri market to the Kauguri Park neighborhood in Jūrmala The woman got off the bus in Telšu Street and went to her place of residence the stranger also got off the bus and followed her while walking along Rūpniecības Street hitting her several times and stabbing her at least twice with it the assailant also tried to stab her in the chest whereupon the perpetrator calmly left the scene The victim walked to her residence and called emergency services.  CCTV cameras were deployed at the crime scene and the Jūrmala Municipal Police promptly provided the State Police Jūrmala Police Station with a video recording of the crime.  a mobile phone was stolen from an apartment in Kauguri Jūrmala. The owner of the apartment recognized the same woman as the robber of his flat.  The officers immediately arrested the alleged perpetrator and took her to the police station She was found to be under the influence of 4 promille (0.4% BAC) of alcohol.  The detainee was born in 1980 and had one previous conviction for theft The suspect claims that she does not remember the attack and cannot explain her actions In connection with the attack on the woman criminal proceedings have been initiated for attempted murder punishable by life imprisonment or imprisonment for 5 to 20 years and probation supervision for up to three years The woman is also prosecuted for theft from an apartment the court remanded the suspect in custody.  Savas pastāvēšanas laikā muzejs vairākkārt mainījis atrašanās vietu un nosaukumu gadam – muzejs atradies Dubultu luterāņu baznīcas telpās gada nogalē pārcēlies uz tagadējo atrašanās vietu – 1997 gadā rekonstruēto bijušo ķīmiskās tīrītavas un veļas mazgātavas ēku Tirgoņu ielā 29 Jūrmalas muzeja pastāvīgās ekspozīcijas vēsta par pilsētu un dzīvi pie jūras popularizējot Jūrmalas unikālo kultūrvēsturisko mantojumu kā arī Rīgas Jūrmalas un Ķemeru kūrortu vēsturi 18.–21 Tā vērtības ir Mārtiņa Pormaņa mākslas kolekcija un krājums kas saistīts ar kūrorta vēsturi un kultūru Krājums īpaši lepojas ar senajām Jūrmalas pastkartēm un lielāko peldapģērbu kolekciju Latvijā Jūrmalas muzeja pastāvīgā ekspozīcija “Rīgas Jūrmalas un Ķemeru kūrorta vēsture 18.–20 Tas ir ceļojums laikā uz Rīgas Jūrmalas peldvietām un Ķemeru kūrortu kur galvenā ievērība veltīta pludmalei un peldēšanās vēsturei gan virtuālā formā skatāmi attēli no Jūrmalas vēstures kā arī ar kūrvietas dzīvi un izklaidi saistīti priekšmeti un dokumenti Ekspozīcijā atainota pirmo peldvietu izveidošanās 18 kad Eiropā popularitāti ieguva jūras peldes ūdensdziedniecības kūrorta pirmsākumi Ķemeros 19 gadsimta sākumā un attīstība pirmās Latvijas Republikas laikā stāva zālēs un Kamīnzālē – tiek rīkotas kā laikmetīgās skatītāji regulāri tiek iepazīstināti ar bagātīgo  muzeja mākslas kolekciju kurā šobrīd ir vairāk nekā 71 000 priekšmetu Priekšmeti apkopoti daudzveidīgās vēstures mākslas un zemūdens vēstures priekšmetu kolekcijās – muzejā glabājas lielākā peldkostīmu kolekcija Latvijā gadsimta sākuma svītraino peldkostīmu replikas Muzeja apmeklējums ir ērts cilvēkiem ratiņkrēslos un māmiņām ar zīdaiņiem Jūrmalas muzejam ir trīs filiāles – Aspazijas māja Dubultos Jūrmalas Brīvdabas muzejs Lielupē un Bulduru Izstāžu nams Via Unsplash Sunset over Jurmala Beach on Latvia’s Baltic Sea shore Sight+ is a new benefits program we’ve launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page We’re interested to find out more about you as we improve and expand our coverage and so we’re asking all of our readers to take this survey (it’ll only take a couple of minutes) To take part in the survey, simply follow this link… and website in this browser for the next time I comment For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Take note – story published 2 years and 3 months ago The Jūrmala Theater opened the show season on January 13 offering Susan Hill and Stephen Mallatratt's “Woman in Black” the theater building on Muižnieku Street 7 in Bulduri has been restored in the total are of 1063.30 square meters. In addition to the refurbishment of the Great Hall a new Small Hall with 55 spectator seats has been built All theater spaces are suitable for people with reduced mobility EUR 1.04 million has been invested in the renovation of the building attracting EUR 165.40 thousand from the European Regional Development Fund and investing local government co-financing of EUR 874.97 thousand Latvijas Futbola federācijas (LFF) Godīgas spēles un ētikas komiteja konstatējot tiešu dalību spēles rezultāta apzinātā manipulēšanā diskvalificējusi trīs FC "Noah Jurmala" kluba spēlētājus – serbu Bojanu Kneževiču Ofosu Apiju no Ganas un ukraini Oleksiju Babiru Pamatojoties uz LFF Disciplināro reglamentu šīm personām piemērota 12 mēnešu diskvalifikācija no visām LFF organizētajām sacensībām un 1000 EUR naudas sodu Jūnijā LFF Disciplinārlietu komiteja līdz gala lēmuma pieņemšanai no LFF Godīgas spēles un ētikas komitejas puses attiecībā uz iespējamo FC "Noah Jurmala" un tā spēlētāju kas vērstas uz manipulācijām ar spēles rezultātu Lieta tika uzsākta saistībā ar "Optibet" Virslīgas čempionāta 2021 maija spēli FC "Noah Jurmala" - FK "Liepāja" LFF Godīgas spēles un ētikas komiteja pēc informācijas ieguves ka minētā spēle tika manipulēta no FC "Noah Jurmala" pārstāvju puses ar mērķi panākt konkrētu spēles rezultātu Procesa gaitā LFF Godīgas spēles un ētikas komiteja īstenoja vairāku ar klubu un minēto spēli saistītu personu intervēšanu kā arī izvērtēja sekojošus informācijas avotus kas saturēja pieņemtos lēmumus pamatojošu informāciju: Paralēli LFF ar visu tās rīcībā esošo informāciju vēršas Valsts policijā ar iesniegumu par noziedzīgu nodarījumu par kuru paredzēta atbildība saskaņā ar Krimināllikuma 212.1-3 pantu "Latvijas futbolā negodīgām un krāpnieciskām darbībām nav vietas Uz katru saņemto signālu vai indikāciju mēs reaģējam aktīvi un asi kas mums palīdz identificēt vainīgās personas un norādīt uz kādām iespējamām prettiesiskām darbībām ka ir ārpus likuma," pauž LFF prezidents Vadims Ļašenko lai vainīgie tiktu saukti pie atbildības visaugstākajā līmenī liek uzdot kārtējos jautājumus par šī kluba dalību Virslīgas čempionātā paralēli gaidot arī Sporta arbitrāžas tiesas lēmumu šī kluba Virslīgas licences atbilstības sakarā Nākamajā nedēļā uz LFF valdes sēdi aicināsim LFF drošības un godīgas spēles speciālistu Mūsu rīcībā ir pietiekoši daudz informācijas kas liek uzdot virkni jautājumu par šī kluba darbību." ka arī Nākotnes līgas perspektīvakie tiesneši šomēnes piedalījās Starptautiskās Futbola federāciju asociācijas (FIFA).. pašmāju klubu futbola augstākā līmeņa turnīrs martā LNK Sporta parkā tika aizvadīts LFF Superkauss Duelī starp pagājušās sezonas virslīgas čempionu FC RFS un.. Take note – story published 1 year and 3 months ago officers from Jūrmala local government spotted a teenager lying unconscious with stab wounds on the ground while on duty in Jūrmala Municipal police officers called Emergency Medical Service to the scene the victim was pronounced dead at the scene The fatality was found to be a 13-year-old teenager Current information shows that several young people living in a social care and social rehabilitation institution had gone to Rīga to possibly consume alcoholic beverages where they met two youngsters of their age The information obtained during the investigation shows that there had been a conflict between the abovementioned youth company during which one of the group of young people living in the orphanage stabbed him twice with a knife - in the heart and abdomen area The group of youths allegedly abandoned the scene after what happened leaving the injured youngster with his friend officers from Jūrmala Precinct arrived at the social care and rehabilitation facility and the involved parties were taken to a police station along with staff members in a conversation with Latvian Television (LTV) particularly emphasized the responsibility of adults because the young people who had left the orphanage had already been announced in search One call to police may have prevented the tragedy The management of the "Sprīdītis" Center had already reported to police that at 22 the youths were not back VP  told LTV there was no alcohol found in the breath of the alleged stabber He is in the center again because age prevents him from being prosecuted and tried "A person under 14 years of age shall not be held criminally liable A security measure is not applied," said Kaspars Rekscs Police also ask rhetorically why no adults reported drunken teenagers and the police would have collected them at the train station If they move around at a time when they should be at home," Rekscs said Jūrmala City Council's Welfare Administration told LTV said the institution had so far worked following its functions The Sprīdītis Center Authority is under the responsibility of the City Council and the Authority's actions and activities will now be assessed "The institution carries out serious and extremely important work by providing orphans and children left without parental care until the age of 18 with long-term social care and social rehabilitation facilities close to the family environment The tragic case is being investigated by police the actions and activities of the institution will be assessed We express our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the victim,” said Jūrmala City Council Welfare Administration The suspect had previously come to the police's attention for petty theft The teenager suspected of committing this crime has not yet turned 14 which is the age criminal liability can be applied Criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the incident in accordance with Section 117 (12) of the Criminal Law – for murder in aggravated circumstances of a minor The exact circumstances and motives of what happened are being clarified during the investigation Police did not provide further details at this time Take note – story published 1 year and 10 months ago Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development Māris Sprindžuks (United List) said in an interview on Latvian Radio that the ministry would assess the necessity of the Jūrmala decision "The new municipal law allows Jūrmala to regulate its entry fee policy not just in the hot months that are the fiscal objective,” said Sprindžuks According to the Jūrmala CIty Council,  the aim of the regulations is to reduce vehicle traffic intensity in the area of Jūrmala and to promote the use of more environmentally friendly modes of transport The rules also provide for the possibility of purchasing a pass for a longer period such as a seven-day pass for €10 30-day pass for €31, or 365-day pass for €180 30% to 90% discounts are intended for employees of individual industries employees of the Jūrmala municipal authorities and others The funds collected from the payment of the fee are included in the basic budget of the city municipality and will be used for the creation of an environment favorable to tourism and the development of the resort as well as for the provision of public order and security as stated in the annotation of the regulations the city budget from entry fees amounted to €2.9 million as well as €1.5 million in fines for not purchasing a pass Take note – story published 2 years and 1 month ago as well as on jurmala.lv and upon entry to Jūrmala The pass must be purchased on the same day of entering until 23:59 Long-term passes are also available for periods of 7 as well as for the whole period from April 1 to October 1 Entry fees for Jūrmala during the spring-summer season have been in force since 1996 Take note – story published 2 years and 5 months ago by which Truksnis and his office manager Ingrīda Vilkārse were found guilty in connection with the falsifying claims for a trip to Dauagvpils A fine of 5,000 euros is imposed on the chairman of the council and 2,500 euros on his co-accused.  The Senate recognized that the defendants were legally and justifiably found guilty of the criminal offense charged against them. Namely used another official in falsifying expense claims for the business trip "This means that a false document has been created with all the consequences that follow from it it does not matter whether such a document is called false misleading or otherwise; the determining factor is and remains the fact that distorting the truth of the document," a court statement to the media stated According to the law on the status of a member of the municipal council the authority of a councilor ends when a court verdict convicting the deputy has entered into legal force Rita Sproģe (Green Party) could be nominated as the new chair of the council Truksnis will be expelled from the Green Party its leader Edgars Tavars confirmed to Latvian Radio there will be no discussion on this issue and there should be a clear position," said Tavars Truksnis continued to maintain his innocence It is far from the first time Truksnis has been entangled in controversy and legal action The regulations aim to reduce vehicle traffic intensity in the area of Jūrmala and to promote the use of more environmentally friendly modes of transport Discounts are intended for employees of individual industries Those declared in the city will still have free passes “Jūrmala is the only resort town in Latvia with unique natural values the narrowest place between river and sea only 300 meters wide we have also seen a steady increase in traffic intensity outside the summer season “We see that two euros is not enough incentive to choose a bypass or more environmentally friendly transport so the need to change the rules is justified “To achieve the climate goals set in Europe we are talking about the need to change people's habits to choose more environmentally friendly ways of moving and this is one of the steps we are taking to contribute to maintaining the quality of the environment,” said Edgars Stobovs executive director of Jūrmala local government Take note – story published 2 years and 4 months ago disgraced former chairman of the council Gatis Truksnis (Greens and Farmers Union who now holds the position of adviser to the chairman of the council will have an even higher salary than when he was in the mayor's chair. From January Truksnis will receive 4,732 euros per month for his advice The salary of the new council chairperson Rita Sproģe (ZZS) will rise by 54% from the new year netting her a cool 5,915 euros per month The salary of Sproģe's deputy and fellow ZZS party member Jānis Lediņas will increase by a third. He will receive 4,500 euros per month The opposition councillors from the National Alliance opposed the salary grab explained the NA's Jānis Asars: "We had submitted a proposal before the city council meeting not to increase these salaries to the maximum possible rates [We proposed] to link this percentage to existing inflation several employees in the municipality have low salaries which lag behind sectors in other municipalities it would be necessary to first determine a reasonable salary and only then think about the fact that perhaps deputies should increase their salary He was fined 5,000 euros and resigned but has been retained as an adviser – which is likely to be regarded as the height of craven cynicism by many residents.  It is not the first time Truksnis and Sproģe have been involved in an elaborate game of musical chairs in Jūrmala's council chamber "The flight is planned in honor of the Ligo and Midsummer celebrations and to celebrate the unity between the soldiers and airmen of several NATO partner countries in strengthening the common combat capabilities," said a statement from the National Armed Forces Residents of Jūrmala and others on the flight path should not be alarmed at the low-altitude run and the resulting noise.  Take note – story published 10 years and 2 months ago Russian music producer and organizer of the New Wave singing contest Igor Krutoy in town Thursday for a scheduled concert at Arena Riga confirmed to LTV Channel 7 Russian-language news that the long-standing but controversial festival was no longer to be held in Jūrmala’s Dzintars concert hall because of last year’s blacklist scandal when Latvia banned from entry several Russian pop stars with close ties and supportive opinions of the Kremlin’s aggressive foreign policy what more is there to say?” he asked adding that the next festival will be held at the Olympic Park in Sochi “At that moment when Latvia and Russia had their most complicated relations the New Wave festival stuck loyally with Jūrmala There was a time when that was the only little bridge between our countries Now that this year the political moment is being taken advantage of in the realms of music and theatre this little bridge just didn’t hold,” he continued Earlier this week the manager of the Dzintars concert hall Guntars Ķirsis confirmed that the New Wave organizers had not reserved any dates for their event this summer prompting other bookings to take precedence for the pending season and the traditional gathering of Russian pop-stars and media luminaries to fall off the calendar at its erstwhile venue “(Foreign Minister) Rinkēvičs announced the ‘personae non grata’ just before the opening of the contest there was nothing anyone could do anymore to make the scandal louder and more painful,” Krutojs griped to the press previously as if fully expecting a formal apology from the Foreign Ministry Take note – story published 3 years and 9 months ago The trio - Serbian goalkeeper Bojan Knezevic Ghanain defender Ofosu Appiah and Ukrainian forward Aleksey Babir are banned from playing for a year and fined 1,000 euros each the LFF Disciplinary Committee disqualified the Serbian footballer until a final decision was made by the LFF Fair Play and Ethics Committee regarding the possible involvement of FC Noah Jūrmala and its players in activities aimed at manipulating the result of the game. The case was initiated in connection with the Optibet Premier League Championship game of 29 May 2021 between FC Noah Jūrmala  and FK Liepāja the LFF Fair Games and Ethics Committee has acknowledged that the game was manipulated by the representatives of FC "Noah Jūrmala" in order to achieve a specific result of the game," the LFF said The State Police have also been approached with an application for a criminal offense for which liability is provided in accordance with Article 212.1-3 of the Criminal Law "There is no place for dishonest and fraudulent activities in Latvian football We react actively and sharply to every signal or indication we receive We are grateful to everyone who helps us to identify the perpetrators and point out any possible illegal activities that is out of the law," said LFF President Vadims Ļašenko.  "We are also looking forward to the prompt work of the State Police to bring the perpetrators to justice at the highest level," Ļašenko said So far DAP has received calls about four seals seen on the coast near Tūja the places where seals arrive on the coast change. One year many baby seals were seen on Ventspils beach other years they were concentrated around Jūrmala or the northern Vidzeme beaches The representative of the Nature Protection Board reminded the public that the arrival of baby seals on the shore is normal. They rest and warm up. Therefore they should not be driven back into the water as if they were beached whales And definitely don't touch them or move them yourself," Ezeriņa said She also pointed out that seals have sharp teeth that they might use if they feel they are being attacked It is also good practice to keep a dog on a leash during walks on sections of shore with seals. Data show that dog bites are the most common injuries to seal pups "You have to protect both the seals and your dogs," added Ezeriņa Official advice is to stay at least 50 meters away from seals The DAP only needs to be informed about the presence of a seal if it appears to be injured or in distress (contact details on info below) Take note – story published 2 years and 9 months ago  Drivers can purchase passes via the “jurmala.lv” portal “Europark” or “Citadele” applications in order to reduce the number of accidental offenses entering Jūrmala without a pass it is possible to pay the fee also on the day following entry which can only be done on the Jūrmala website www.jurmala.lv The entry fee in the administrative area of the city of Jurmala has been in force since 1996 The penalty if the pass is not purchased is €50 Take note – story published 1 year and 1 month ago Two lanes out of four will be closed to traffic Traffic will be provided in one lane in each direction along the left side of the transmission the speed will be reduced to 30 kilometers per hour The municipality invites drivers to be attentive and to pay attention to changes in the traffic organization and the road signs It should be assumed that traffic will be slower Such traffic organization will be in force until the completion of the construction work of the closed carriageway indicatively – until the end of 2024 construction works will be carried out on the left side of the transmission from Majori to Riga supports and support wall structures will be carried out A new rainwater drainage system will be built lighting supports restored and new energy-efficient lighting fixtures installed New safety barriers and shields will also be installed on the transmission The redevelopment is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025 The author of the building design is SIA “3C” the performer of construction works is the supplier association “RTBB” construction supervision is ensured by SIA “Firma L4” Take note – story published 4 years and 7 months ago Up until now, Kauguri has been a foreign place for me. I have only driven through or passed it by. It's an area of box-like highrise buildings – what's one to do here? And the things I've heard about Jūrmala's "Moscow suburb" have not made me interested in getting to know this place better The only stops I had made before were the mall and the famous and truly colorful Kauguri market I've stopped at the Kūriņš as well but the cozy inn is actually part of Kaugurciems But I have noticed that Kauguri has gained a lot visually in the past few years Perhaps the Ielas garumā (Down the Street) show should go here as we had already covered neighboring Sloka and Ķemeri suggested as we were having a chat that we  should do so indeed She had graduated from the well-known Jūrmala 1st Secondary school found the condiitons of a nine-story highrise too harsh for her as well and she moved across the Lielupe river.  But according to Inga one could find traces of different eras across Kauguri on Nometņu and Lībiešu streets in the so-called "Stalin style" with elements of national romanticism are a true treat to architecture historians with Kauguri attracting people from Rīga and other areas of Jūrmala All I had left was to find interesting companions It turned out that the Liepiņu family Dace Liepiņa has graduated the Jūrmala State Gymnasium on Skolas street she and her brother and sister used to go across the to eat pancakes at their grandmother's Dace's grandmother Veronika Pozņiaka has been living in the top floor of a nine-story building but her ties to Kauguri have lasted for an almost entire age fleeing post-war plight and destitution at a kolkhoz in Aglona arrived in nearby Kūdra with her seven children.  "As belongings we only had what we were wearing and our riches were stashed in our bellies," Veronika says referring to the fact her mother was not paid wages at the kolkhoz working odd jobs such as delivering and sorting bricks and afterwards she worked at the workers' dormitory and the concrete factory in Kūdra.  She only moved to Kauguri in the early 1980s The workers' barracks had deteriorated already The factory started building its own nine-story house in Kauguri Some say it was made using locally-made but defective bricks The quality was awful but in order to get the keys to the apartment tenants had to sign a waiver saying they have no objections against the quality and everyone made their home more cozy using any means they had her husband and their 14-year-old son had to carry their belongings all the way to the top They would have had to pay any helpers but they didn't have any money to spare "We were very happy all the same," Veronika said "Finally we had our own home with all the amenities." The grandchildren would later rejoice seeing the lights of the new Lielupe bridge and tried to outrun their parents and grandmother using the elevator.  Veronika Pozņiaka has lived here for 35 years The cherry trees they planted beside the building have grown into mighty specimens They've seen the nearby gravel road morph in to the current Skolas street and their backyard has finally been beautified too Her granddaughter Dace is living in a nearby private home but Veronika wouldn't change her house for the world Latvia's second-largest city has an all-day program of events on June 23 in the form of a 'Musical Jāni Market' in Jānis Pumpurs Square where Daugavpils residents and visitors will be able to buy home-made products play traditional games and usher in the magical Līgo festival Plenty of musicians will be on hand with highlights including Laura Amantova's jazz quartet and singer Rūta Dūduma-Ķirse with a concert program of Latvian folk songs in unique contemporary arrangements More: https://www.daugavpils.lv/afisa/vasaras-saulgriezu-un-ligo-svinibas-daugavpili Liepāja rarely needs a second invitation when it comes to reasons to party The city is building towards its stint as a European Capital of Culture in 2027 On both June 21 and 22 from 10:00-18:00 a Summer Solstice holiday market of Latvian artisans and homemakers will take place in Rožu laukums. A large crowd of homemakers and artisans from all regions of Latvia will gather in one place to indulge in delicious delicacies and handicrafts from bright flower crowns and linen dresses to tasty ecological food products for the Līgo holiday table Then on June 23 Jūrmala Park is the place to be for a free program from 21:00 that includes music from movies and theater performances.  Soloists: Viktors Ellers Karīna Tatarinova. Musical accompaniment: Jānis Strazds with a group of musicians together with the folklore group "Ķocis" the Jāņi fire will be lit and the celebration will continue until dawn with the group "Zelta kniede" More: https://kalendars.liepaja.lv/lv/2023-06-24:39052:176258/ This year the main city celebration will take place June 23-24 in Melluži stage park and Kauguri beach with performers including Dita Lūriņa Juris Jope and Gundars Grasbergs. From Andris Ārglis and the musical association "Mirāža" will play from 23.00 to 02.00. A bonfire will be burning at the event venue and a cafe will be open On Kauguri beach from 21.00–23.00 the band "Jauno Jāņu orķestris" will play while at 23.30-01.00 the music group "Gapolijeri" will take the stage. 01.00-02.00 will feature DJ sets and a bonfire will be burning on the beach There will be additional public transport routes operating on June 24 so that residents can easily return home after the Ligo festival events More: https://www.jurmala.lv/lv/jaunums/jurmala-aicina-uz-ligosanu Northern Latvians are children of the forests but on occasion they have been known to venure into urban areas Valmiera's extensive parks and trails mean they still feel at home while enjoying some of the benefits and comforts of city life Those include well-organized municipal revels which this year take place on June 23 from 20.00 in the perfectly-named Jāņparks.  During the "Jāņojim Jāņparkā" event the Valmiera Culture Center's folk music group the groups "Rahu The Fool" and "TirkizBand" as well as DJ Alexx will take care of the merry mood and dances. In a specially designed photo corner everyone will be able to capture festive moments and there will also be an outdoor cafe open late More: https://www.valmierasnovads.lv/events/janojam-janparka-valmiera/ Latgale region is famed for its hospitality and as Rēzekne has a claim to be the regional capital it might reasonably also claim to be the most hospitable Latvian city from From 18.00 until the morning of June 24 everyone is invited to gather in the very heart of Rēzekne - in the Festival Park to celebrate a market will be open in the park where you will have the opportunity to buy delicious Jāņi cheese and other essential goodies The musical program starts from 19:00 featuring Lauris Subatnieks Aldis Siliņš and Gundars Silakaktiņš followed by traditional choral singers and dancers Distractions will also be provided with fortune-telling from a gypsy ensemble from Griškāni parish public dancing and popular bands providing accompaniment 22.00 to 04.00. Naturally the big festive bonfire will help conjure up the magical atmosphere of Midsummer's Eve. Admission to all events is free More: https://rezekne.lv/2023/06/ligosim-rezekne-3/ On Friday, June 23 from 07.30 to 15.00 you can stock up at the Ligo holiday market (Vecpilsētas market Pils iela 14) and then at 20.00 in the Renķas garden Ventspils theater invites guests to an open-air theater production "Oh dear Blaumanis!" based on the works of the great Latvian writer Rudolfs Blaumanis  . After the show, dancers can do their thing courtesy of the Brothers Rozentals and DJ Jāni K You might even stay up long enough to make a second visit to the Līgo holiday market which will be open again on Saturday, June 24 From 07.30 to 15.00 More: https://www.visitventspils.com/en/festive-midsummer-celebration-in-renka-garden-together-with-ventspils-theatre-and-rozentals-brothers/ Take note – story published 3 years and 5 months ago The Collegiate of Criminal Justice of Riga District Court on Monday satisfied the appeal submitted by the prosecutor and completely annulled the judgment of April 6 in the criminal case of Riga District Court in which Jurmala Mayor Gatis Truksnis and the head of the mayor's office acknowledging the two defendants guilty of charges brought against them Truksnis has been sentenced to a fine of 10 minimum monthly salaries and Vilkārse a fine of five minimum monthly salaries or EUR 2,500 The judgment will be appealed under the cassation procedure after the full judgment is drawn up at present 14 December is set for the date of its availability Riga Regional Court Judge Irina Janson pointed out that “the Court of Appeal evaluated the evidence in the case and found it sufficient to give a conviction.” Picture by Getty ImagesBy Rahul VenkatIndia will face the Latvian tennis team for a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers for 2022 in their first play-offs campaign in April in the beach city of Jurmala in Latvia. The Billie Jean King Cup, earlier known as the Fed Cup, is a team event for women’s tennis players who represent their country in singles and doubles matches. The play-offs were originally scheduled to be played in April last year and was pushed to February 2021 as the tennis calendar was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the play-offs have now been postponed to 16-17 April, 2021. The tie will be played on the indoor hard courts of the National Tennis Centre Lielupe in Jurmala. a loss in the play-offs will mean that India will have to work their way up the Asia/Oceania Group I stage again in 2022 Take note – story published 8 years and 6 months ago On Thursday the Jūrmala City Council dismissed the town's mayor Gatis Truksnis (Greens and Farmers Union), who is a suspect in ongoing investigations related to party funding violations which has a single seat at the town's council as well as President Raimonds Vējonis On Thursday the majority of the Jūrmala City Council voted that Truksnis cannot go on leading the municipality the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau raided the offices of the Jurmala municipality and mayor Gatis Truksnis of the Greens and Farmers Union party Truksnis was reportedly hospitalized after the raid but later reported to the headquarters of the anti-graft authority Altogether four individuals connected to two different parties were detained on suspicion of illegal party funding Jūrmala and Valmiera.  They now have the chance to work on their bids until next spring The jury consists of experts selected by the European Parliament the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions as well as two national experts nominated by the National Council for Culture and the Ministry of Culture Municipal applications are evaluated by an international panel of 11 members in the following sets of criteria: contribution to a long-term strategy Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia said: “The European Capital of Culture initiative is a wonderful example of how we can make our culture better known by continuing the traditions and re-creating it to bring Latvia's name to Europe and the world. Every city that has taken up this challenge and is fighting for the title of European Capital of Culture is already a winner in a way planning and investing in the development of its city. ” The European Capital of Culture title has been awarded annually since 1985. It is awarded annually to one city in each of two EU Member States. The calendar envisages that in 2027 the title of European Capital of Culture will be awarded to two Member States - Latvia and Portugal.  the two newly selected European Capitals of Culture will also be nominated for a € 1.5 million prize Jūrmala and Liepāja submitted applications for the selection of the European Capital of Culture 2014. Rīga Liepāja and Cēsis were promoted to the second selection round with Rīga eventually winning out You can read our own early summaries of all nine bids in this series of features The microbiological quality meets the norm at all official bathing areas in Lielupe as confirmed by Latvian Health Inspectorate (VI) This means all official bathing areas in Jurmala meet the necessary water hygiene requirements and it is therefore safe to swim there In Kolka’s swimming location in Talsi and Limbaži’s location in Salacgriva the no swimming restriction will remain until results of laboratory tests of water samples have been announced VI announced restrictions on swimming in a number of official seaside and inland bathing areas after high levels of microbiological pollution were uncovered in those locations at the beginning of July Specialists of the inspectorate remind that a prohibition on swimming means there is a high risk of receiving infectious diseases of the skin mucous membranes or gastrointestinal tract VI explains that the quality of water may have been affected by the rain showers which took place before water samples were taken as well as the possible leak of pollution from the surrounding land area and rainwater together with untreated waste During the active bathing season VI performs close monitoring of all 59 official inland and seaside bathing areas Laboratory tests help monitor various microbiological factions – concentration of E.coli bacteria and intestinal Enterococcus bacteria Experts also visually evaluate the colour of the water during water sampling Special attention is paid to floating waste and oil products in the water as well as the process of cyanobacterial reproduction If water samples show that water does not meet hygiene standards the inspectorate imposes swimming restrictions – recommendation to not swim or a full prohibition on swimming in a specific location The recommendation to not swim applies especially to certain groups of residents: children people suffering from chronic illnesses and people with a weakened immune system Residents in Latvia are able to follow the results of water quality monitoring in various bathing areas using VI’s website which contains a map of official bathing areas in the country and information about the safety of various bathing areas the inspectorate reminds those in charge of maintaining bathing areas that it is their responsibility to make sure water quality does not hurt residents’ health that swimming areas are to be enclosed by buoys the sector for children should be limited to a depth that does not exceed 70 cm It is also important to monitor the possible terrain changes at the bottom of bathing areas to make sure no holes form glass or other items that could put people’s lives at risk accumulate at the bottom It is also necessary to ensure comfortable and convenient access to bathing areas If no rescue service is available at a bathing area a warning sign about no rescuers being present should be placed in a publicly accessible and clearly visible location Rescue services’ contact information should be clearly visible as well Also read: Medical trade union wants a clear deal with ministry on implementation of wage increase plans Take note – story published 2 years and 7 months ago The former property is legally owned by a department of the Russian President's office while the latter is owned by a foundation authorized by the President of Belarus making them directly linked to Putin and Lukashenko. The managers of both sanatoriums have been blacklisted by Latvia the Ministry of Justice has launched a difficult legal process so that both these facilities as well as the Moscow House in Rīga could be seized and possibly house war refugees from Ukraine Zemgale regional television reported on September 7 The formal legislative process has not yet started but the Ministers of Justice of Latvia and Ukraine have already agreed on a solution which the Ministry of Justice has not yet been prepared to disclose publicly The Minister for Justice had made such an announcement at the beginning of the summer “It would be difficult to seize these Russian and Belarusian facilities if Latvia were to use them for our own purposes We therefore need this agreement with Ukrainians because we would use it for Ukrainian citizens,” Andris Vītols the head of the Office of the Minister for Justice The views of Jūrmala residents on this move differ I think it would have to be handed over to Ukrainian refugees to help so that everyone would help Ukraine,” Vita said We want them to stay in Latvia and for ourselves,” said Irina and Marina they have it tough,”  said Viktorija and Maija The municipality of Jūrmala refused an interview stating in a written comment: “The municipality refrains from commenting on the issue of properties which it does not own Their owners should be asked about the use of the property." The municipality also said that more than 1,200 war refugees from Ukraine have been accommodated in Jūrmala the Justice Department has yet to say exactly how long it will take until the process is complete and the buildings are seized “It is clear that it is in the interest of all European countries to make sure that properties of the Russian State and Russian oligarchs are not located on the territory of the European Union We have now found support in other EU countries because they have similar problems I would say two months when we understand the scope of that contract,” said Vītols One of the attractions at "Dzintarkrasts" is a holiday cottage built for Soviet leaders.  Take note – story published 4 years and 9 months ago The City Council is preparing to change the current rule that the entrance fee is only payable during the tourism season The draft decision provides for the fees to be payable throughout the year The last change in the fee system was implemented three years ago allowing an unlimited number of times of entry within one day the City Council will offer passes for the entire year, priced at €180 The one-day pass will still cost two euros an additional €380 thousand will come into the budget this year and €770 thousand next year -- though it is possible the increased charge could also make some potential visitors stay away The City Council has not agreed the plans with the local community and it is by no means the only time Truksnis has been mired in controversy Take note – story published 1 year and 8 months ago The "My Sea" campaign carried out a Green Expedition focusing public attention on the problem of marine polluting waste Members of the expedition each day inspected stages of 10 to 25 kilometers The cleanest beaches this year are Engure center beach Laučakmens beach in Limbaži region and Miķeļtornis beach in Ventspils municipality The dirtiest are Majori Beach in Jūrmala with 1,098 waste units per 100 meters and Daugavgrīva beach with over 1,300 waste units The average measurement is 375 waste units per 100 meters “Human should not be equal to trash,” Ulme said The introduction of a deposit system has shown results on the beaches – this type of waste has almost halved The most common waste units are cigarette butts The Green Expedition was launched at Ainaži-Kuviži and concluded at Pape-Rīga The “My Sea” campaign is carried out by the “Environmental Education Fund” foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and local governments interested in coastal protection.  Take note – story published 5 years and 8 months ago The retrospective exhibition "The Art Beach Reflections" which continues the tradition of exhibiting sculptural objects on the beach which has been taking place for the past three years The installations will be officially opened on Friday at 17.00 on the beach at the end of Turaidas Street and will include an opportunity to watch artist Irina Trumpele painting on the surface of the water The exhibition will run until September 29 and will display sculptural works of art in bronze allowing the art to blend naturally with the environment making the sculptures accessible to every beach visitor. Beach sand amber and other materials found in the seaside environment have also been used in the artistic compositions. During the twilight hours the sculptural objects will be illuminated Take note – story published 9 years and 9 months ago The New Wave pop music festival, held in Jūrmala from 2002 to 2014, has moved to Sochi due to the political climate (and a few of the artists being barred from entering Latvia) That's why hotel reservations in Jūrmala have become much cheaper on the dates when the festival was to be held the prices are two times cheaper than last year but in some cases it's evident that hotels had overcharged for 7 times when the city was "on the wave" people who wanted to visit Jūrmala at the height of the New Wave contest lamented that the cheapest room in Jūrmala cost about 200 euros a night at the last-available economy room in a hotel hosting the most famous guests cost 1860 euros a night in 2012 The same room cost 121 euros after the festival had ended in August.  The same situation holds true for cheaper rooms some of which were about 40% cheaper a week to the contest.  The number of Russian tourists has decreased for about 15% Kristīne Štāla from the Jūrmala SPA hotel said due to increases in European tourist numbers the real drop in revenue is expected to be about 10% A look at Booking.com showed that most hotels are booked almost fully for July and August a July 26 was fully booked for 24 of the 37 hotels available on the website Aleksandrs Guseinovs of the restaurant Orients said that this year will be a bit more quiet but that remains to be seen as the numbers are wrapped up in late July Despite fewer tourists from Russia, the number of visitors to Latvia has actually increased but that may be connected with Latvia's EU Presidency The New Wave contest had brought an estimated 14 to 20 mln euro of capital to Latvia according to estimates of the Mayor of Jūrmala Gatis Truksnis Take note – story published 4 years and 8 months ago It is the first open-air outlet village in the Baltic States. In the first round of the development of the project an are of 14.5 thousand square meters has been built. The area of stores is expected to be around 20 thousand square meters in the coming year Via Jurmala Outlet Village marketing chief said the project was being developed by Latvian businessmen entrepreneurs commissioned a market study from a UK company that concluded that the business can be commercially successful the outlet segment of retail is the only one that's expanding. Normal retail (such as malls) has been stagnating in terms of volume for the past five years A favorable factor is also that there is only one branding outlet center in the Baltics, located in Vilnius but if it's the first concept then it also has an economic rationale," Žigalova said It is true that the business development plan before the COVID-19 crisis differed from what is currently the case as regards attracting shops from abroad Žigalova acknowledged that previously expectations for an influx of foreign guests were more ambitious "The Baltic is the primary target [..] there are those travelling around Latvia for other reasons and we are not the main reason for them to come to Latvia but we are one of the things they will want to see when they are here," said Žigalova Žigalova listed potential village visitors from other lands: “Sweden We are looking at the Baltic for the time being," said Zigalova The developers of the “Via Jurmala Outlet Village” invested €27 million in the first round of the village and currently have a rental area of 14.5 thousand square metres but all rooms are expected to be leased by October.  The project developer is the Outletico Ltd. The owners of the company are co-owner of "Western Bank" "Esterkin Family Investments" (64,5%) Take note – story published 6 years and 5 months ago According to infographic distributed by the bureau KNAB wants Truksnis to be charged with illegal financing of political organizations on a large scale and also with forging of documents and disposal of forged documents Krūmiņš will be charged with two episodes of illegal financing of political organizations on a large scale – illegal financing of Greens/Farmers and For Latvia From The Heart parties a Jūrmala official and Krūmiņš had an agreement that he would illegally finance the Greens and Farmers Union on a large scale KNAB in this case has asked to press charges also against another official of Jūrmala city council - Ingrīda Vilkārse for forgery of documents and disposal of forged documents and another individual related with For Latvia From The Heart party KNAB has ordered For Latvia From The Heart to repay into the state budget illegal donations worth €32,534 the State Revenue Service has conducted audits of legal entitites and individuals and has concluded that the criminal activities have caused €478,699 worth of loss to the state budget KNAB earlier had banned Truksnis from meeting with Augusts Brigmanis former head of the Greens/Farmers parliament faction as well as Krūmiņš and Jorens Raitums formerly of the For Latvia From The Heart party Truksnis has also been banned from attending the offices of the Greens and Farmers Union That is not the least of Truksnis' troubles as it came out into the open that he was recently fined for possessing drugs.