Rezekne

[pic][rez1.jpg]Rezekne Region is located in the Southeast part of Latvia, where it borders with Ludza, Kraslava, Preili, Madona and Balvi regions. Region’s area is 2,657 sq. km. Rezekne Region lies in the centre of Latgale interior, where the relief barrows are altering with lowlands and lakes that are suitable for recreation and nature tourism. The Razna Lake that is the biggest lake in Latvia accounting to the content and the second accounting to the reach also lies here. Its crystal clear waters and sandy bathing-places at the Southern margin are attracting the attention of many tourists. The near Makonkalns Hill is the popular sight place, from here one can see the near woods, the Big Liepukalns Hill and the clear Ubagova Lake. There are preserved many hillforts, settlement places, cult places and other archaeological monuments of ancient Latgallians in this region from the time before the invasion of German Crusaders. These monuments reflect all the spheres of the material and spiritual mankind and characterise the social and ethnic phenomena of the local nations’ history. Another of this region’s features from the later period is still preserved structure of the rural settlements in a form of villages (Polish-Russian type) that is typical just for Latgale (in other parts of Latvia rural communes rustic settlements historical developed as extended country estates in contradistinction to the country towns that were inhabited by trades-people and workers). Rezekne region is especially known by its clay pottery. There are many places in this region, where the argillaceous shists are close to the surface of the soil. There are known many formulas how to prepare the clay, how to mix the glaze and at last how to do right the burning of the clay in the kiln, but mainly these recipes are the professional secrets. The genuine Latgale pottery is as light as a feather, glaze is smooth as a tear and the vessel is resounding as a bell if one tap to it. Collecting the skills through the centuries this traditional handcraft has outgrown in a high level applied art. Traditional for this region are candelabras with many branches and pots covered with the bright and colourful glaze that is reflecting the light the way that the yellow looks like the honeycomb, the brown is rank as a freshly broken tilth, the green shows the different verdancy of meadows and topes, but if one look into blue toned parts he might see the azure bluebottle fields, and glaucous morning mist on the mazarine waters of Latgale.

Rezekne City is administratively independent part from the rest of the region and it is its centre of economic and culture. Rezekne is the 7th biggest city in Latvia accounting to the population that is about 41,900 inhabitants (41.3 % Latvian, 51.8 % Russian, 2.8 % Polish, 1.8 % Belarus and 1.3 % Ukraine). City’s area is 17.48 sq. km. Rezekne City is situated in the 242-km distance from the Riga City (motorways A6, A12, rail Riga-Zilupe, 224.3 km) and the same as Rome this city lies on seven hills. The hillforts with settlements and the barrow burial fields can be dated from the 9th till the 12th centuries AD (Late Iron Age). In the centre of the city is preserved the Rezekne hillfort.

[pic][rez2.jpg]Archaeological research discovered the multistratified occupation layer of two different periods. In the time of the 10th till 11th century (AD) there was castle of ancient Latgallians, there lived warriors, craftsmen and traffickers. In later period, starting from the end of the 13th till the 17th century there was 2-storied stone castle (with 3- storied towers) and the fortress around it. This Livonian Order’s castle (called Rositten, built in 1285) had a military importance and was afforced with the castle-front. With the time at the castle developed the settlement. The castle and the settlement have gone through hardships of many incursions done by Russian, Polish and Swedish armies. In 1324 Russians invaded in Latgale and took many prisoners from Rezekne. In the 1st half of the 14th century Order of Livonia was fighting against Lithuania.

After the war (1338) part of Latgale to the East from the Aiviekste River was acknowledged as neutral commerce region. The administrative centre of this region became Rezekne. In 1481 the warriors from Moscow invaded in Rezekne. In 1556 Order of Livonia entered into an agreement of union with Poland for protection of their lands against Russians. Two years later the Order mortgaged Rezekne with the whole appanage to Poland end the settlement started to prosper till the year 1577, when troops of Russian Tsar Ivan VI (the Horrible) stroke the castle, destroyed the village with the Lutheran Church and took all inhabitants as a prisoners. At the end of the Livonian War (1558-1583) Russia surrendered its rights to Rezekne appanage. As in 1590 there were just 14 petty bourgeoisie houses, the locals were exempted from the corv. Only after nine years all fresh-settled inhabitants used to pay taxes. In 1601 Rezekne was kept by the Swedes, later – by the Pole, in 1625 the Swedes battled them back, but just for a year and after Rezekne again possessed to the Poles. In 1654 Rezekne sustained the attack of Russian army, but the fateful attack of Swedes in 1656 completely destroyed the castle and fortifications that were not reconstructed ever again. After the peace pact in 1660 Latgale became the part of Poland and the Swedes left Rezekne. Old settlement place that was irretrievably desolated got the status of the hamlet only in 1765. After the incorporation of Latgale in Russia (1772), in 1773 Rezekne got the status and the rights of the town. First it was the city of the Pskov Province. At the time of consolidation of Polock and Mogilow in Belarus Province the city status was lost, till the year 1802, when Rezekne became the city of Vitebsk Province. Great activity in economic life of the city was brought here with the establishing of St. Petersburg–Warsaw rail (1860, the Rezekne depot was built in 1861). After opening of Ventspils-Ribinsk in 1904 Rezekne became important junction with two stations. At the beginning of the 20th century city’s population was about 23,000 inhabitants. At the time of the World War I many refugees from Kurzeme part of Latvia settled here. Bolsheviks subordinate the city in the periods from the November of 1917 till February of 1918 (after came German Army) and from December of 1918 till January of 1920. On the 21st of January, 1920 Rezekne City was liberated by corps of Latvian Army, but Bolsheviks and the Red Army hastily retreated. This army operation was one of the mane in liberating of Latgale district. In the 30-s life in the city became roaring as in land-office business. For that time there were 744 commerce and 425 industrial establishments. At the time of World War II, June of 1940 Soviets came in the city, a year later Nazis submitted and were terrorising the civilians till 27th of June, 1944, when Soviets returned and started the red terror. Many of local inhabitants were harmed in Stalin’s retaliatory politics, arrests and deportations had deterrent effect for a long time and facilitated the later work of Soviet indoctrination. In economic section Rezekne City the same as many other country centres became the part of immeasurable industrial system of Soviet Union. Local industrial estates were working with imported workforces and raw materials, but the production was exported to other economic parts of USSR. Noticeable monuments of the nature, archaeology, architecture, art and history in Rezekne City are medieval castle ruins, the Holy Jesus’ Heart Rome- Catholic Church (1888), the Rome-Catholic Church of Our Lady in Sorrow (1935- 1939), Russian Old-believers’ Church (1895). Tourists can also visit the Museum of Latgale’s district culture and history that is situated in Rezekne.

Vilani Town lies in the Eastern part of Latvia in a 216-km distance from Riga (motorways A6, A12) and in a distance of 28 km from the centre of the region – Rezekne City. Town’s area is 5 sq. km, but the population is about 4,500 inhabitants (47.3 % Latvian, 49 % Russian and 1.2 % Belarus). There are several ancient Latgallians’ hillforts, settlement places and burial fields at the localities of Vilani Town, for example Kaupri and Pizicu hillforts, Trupi Devilstone – ancient cult stone. In 1212 this appanage was taken by German Crusaders. Firstly Vilani (Wielona) settlement is mentioned in agreement of lease (from 1495) between Walter Von Platenberg (the master of the Order of Livonia) and one of his feudal lords. Lands with their inhabitants (Latgallians) became the copyholds of the German vassals. In 1507 this manor (for that time it was recalled Wielony) that was one of the biggest in Latgale for in that time became the heirloom of Von Overlaks till 1603, when Sigismund III, the King of Poland evicted J. Overlak from Vilaka because of disloyalty.

After Vilani Manor was owned by different noblesse (Von Dombrovs, Von Ofenbergs, Von Riks). After first dividing of Poland the development of Vilani hamlet was motivated by near Riga-Rezekne commerce way and local leather industry. Progress of the hamlet was interrupted by World War I, when the leather manufacture was evacuated to Russia (and never returned back), revolution and years of German occupation also had bad consequences. In 1919 Vilani were taken by Bolsheviks that were banished from this area on 11th of January, 1920. After establishing of independent Republic of Latvia Vilani had a new economic upswing – by the new agrarian reform there were added peripheral territories and Vilani got the status of town (in 1928). In June of 1940 Soviet occupational army came in Vilani, a year later there entrenched German Army. On 28th of July, 1944 Soviets again kept the town and started their repression in Vilani that already have lost one half of its inhabitants in the beginning of World War II. Most interesting feature of Vilani Town localities are rife Catholic crucifixes, chapels and stop-places of pilgrimage with the images of Calvary and memorial and sacral signs of Russian Old-believers and Hebrews.

[pic][rez3.jpg]There still are well preserved 19th century wooden houses in Vilani that lustre this country town with atmosphere of cosines. Noticeable sights in this town are Rome-Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel (middle of the 18th century) and Church of Russian Old-believers (1922). Noteworthy sights in other rural communes are Pilskalne Springu hillfort and Rome-Catholic Church (1820) and mortuary (the 2nd half of the 19th century) in Ozolmuiza parish, Treuhi Recina Church of Russian Old-believers (end of the 19th century) in Cornaja parish, Kampiski Church of Russian Old-believers (the 2nd half of the 19th century) in Ozolaine parish, Uljanova Russian Old- believers Church (1860) in Sakstagals parish, Rome-Catholic Church (1910-1912) and wide Vidsmuiza manor complex (19th century) in Galeni parish, former Manor complex of Adamova (18th century servants’ dwelling house, 19th century castle) with park (18th century) and Loborzi former 19th century Manor complex with park in Veremu parish, Rome-Catholic Church (1822, 1829) and former manor complex: castle (1870), major-domo’s house and park in Rikava parish.

2004-09-20