Rēzekne

for the river see Rēzekne River

Rēzekne (pronounced [ræːzekne] ( listen); German: Rositten) is a city in the Latgalia region of eastern Latvia, also known by the nickname Latgales sirds meaning The Heart of Latgalia. Built on seven hills, Rēzekne is situated 242 km east of Riga, and 63 km west of the Latvian-Russian border, at the intersection of the Moscow – Riga and Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railways. It has a population of 35,883 (2008), making it the 7th largest city in Latvia .

History

A Latgalian hill fort^[1] is known to have existed at Rēzekne from the 9th to the 13th centuries, until its destruction at the hands of German crusaders of the Livonian Order. In 1285, the knights built a stone fortress on the site, which is today known as Rēzekne castle ruins, to serve as a border post on their eastern frontier.

The name Rēzekne was first documented in 1285. Throughout its early history, Rēzekne was attacked many times by Russian and Lithuanian forces. The town became part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Peace of Jam Zapolski in 1582 during the Livonian War.^[1] Rēzekne received Magdeburg rights from Poland in the 17th century, but fell to the Russian Empire during the Partitions of Poland. In 1773, Rēzekne received city rights.

During the 19th century, the arrival of the Moscow-Riga and Saint Petersburg-Warsaw railways transformed Rēzekne from a sleepy country town into an important city with two stations.

In the spring of 1917, the first congress of Latgalia was held in Rēzekne, in which Latgale decided to unite with the rest of Latvia. Following Latvia's declaration of independence in 1918, and the driving out of both the German and Red armies from Latvia, the city became a cultural centre for all of Latgale.

Rēzekne was heavily damaged by both Nazi and Soviet armies during World War II; after heavy air-bombing by Soviet forces in 1944, 2/3 of its original buildings were completely destroyed. Out of a pre-war population of 13,300, only 5,000 people remained in the city at the end of the war.

Rēzekne was rebuilt after the war with an emphasis on industrial development. Rēzekne had the 5th highest industrial output in the Latvian SSR, including a dairy processor, lumber mill, and electric-instrument factory. During this time, many Russians moved to the city, making up the majority share of the population (48.5% in 2007).

Demographics

In the 19th century, the population of Rēzekne was 2/3 Jewish. As a result of the Pale of Settlement many Jews settled in Latgalia and were confined to the cities. The remainder of the population included Poles, Germans, Russians, and an extreme minority of native Latgalians. With the economic development and the arrival of the railroad, the population grew steadily, reaching 23,000 by the eve of World War I.

After Latvia's independence in 1918, the population of ethnic Latvians in the city grew substantially, but Jews still made up slightly over a quarter of the population (25.4% in 1935.) In 1939, the population was 13,000. During World War II, the Jewish population was annihilated, and most other residents were either deported to Gulag camps in Siberia, or fled westwards. As a result, the post-war population was 5,000.

As part of the Soviet Union's policy of Russification, many ethnic Slavs, such as Russians and Belarusians, moved to the city. By 1989, Russians accounted for the majority of the population, at 53%. After Latvia's independence in 1991, however, many citizens repatriated to Russia.

In 1991, the population of Rēzekne was 43,156. Since then, the population has decreased to 35,883 (2008), caused by a low birth rate, an old population (the average age in Rēzekne is 40.3 years) (see ageing of Europe), and a high rate of emigration to larger cities such as Riga.

Religion

Due to Rēzekne's multi-ethnic character throughout the centuries, many religious communities have settled in the city. Ethnic differences were often distinguished on religious lines; the Germans brought Christianity to Latvia in the 13th century, as well as Lutheranism during the Reformation Period. The Polish influence over Latgalia in the 17th and 18th centuries strengthened Catholicism among the native Latgalians. Incoming populations of Russian Old Believers introduced Russian Orthodoxy, and up to the 1940s, Rēzekne had a very large Jewish population, and therefore, many synagogues.

The Catholic Cathedral "Vissvētā Jēzus Sirds" (Sacred Heart of Jesus), (built 1893-1914) dominates Rēzekne's skyline looking from the castle hill. "Vissvētā Jēzus Sirds" was built on the foundations of an older wooden church, dating from the 17th century, that burned down. The other Catholic church, "Sāpju Dievmāte" (Our Lady of Sorrows) is much newer, built from 1935-1939. Other churches include the Old Believers "Svētā Nikolaja" (St. Nicholas), Russian Orthodox "Vissvētākās Dievdzemdētājas piedzimšanas", Lutheran "Svētās Trīsvienības" (Holy Trinity), as well as a Baptist church.

The church has an active choir whose members have studied music. A majority of the members work as musicians and enjoy their Sunday singing in the church.

Latgales Māra

One of the most famous statues in Latvia, known as "Latgales Māra", is found in Rēzekne. It was designed by Leons Tomašickis and first unveiled on September 8, 1939. The bronze statue commemorates the liberation of Latgale from the Bolsheviks in January 1920. The central figure, the woman, was nicknamed "Māra" after the ancient Latvian goddess of motherhood, fertility, and the earth (see: Māra), while the cross in her outstretched arm symbolizes the deep importance of Catholicism to Latgalian culture and complements the pagan symbol "Māra". The words "Vienoti Latvijai" beneath the statue (meaning "United for Latvija") symbolize Latgale's decision to reunite with the rest of Latvia during the Republic's formation in 1918, even though Latgale had been politically separated from the rest of Latvia for 300 years.

Because the statue symbolized Latgalian nationalism, the Soviets toppled it in November 1940 during the Soviet occupation of Latvia. The local residents restored it on August 22, 1943, after which the Soviet government, in June 1950, pulled it down again. The fate of the original statue is unknown. Using old photographs and blueprints, the statue was reconstructed after Latvia reachieved its independence in 1991, and unveiled on August 13, 1992. Though Latgale was greatly changed under Soviet rule, Latgales Māra still symbolizes a Catholic Latgale united with Latvia, free of foreign domination.^[2]

Notable residents

• Eber Landau (1878–1959) physician and professor
• Fridrikh Ermler (1898–1967) Soviet film director
• Aiga Grabuste (1988-) Latvian heptathlete.
• Yury Tynyanov (1894–1943) Soviet/Russian writer and literary critic of Jewish origin.
• Iveta Apkalna (born 1976) world famous Latvian organist
• Teuvo Tulio (born Theodor Antonius Tugai, 1912–2000) Finnish film director and actor born in Rēzekne.

Sister city

Częstochowa, Poland Vitebsk, Belarus Arendal, Norway

Gallery

See also

• Rēzekne castle ruins

References

External links

• Official website
• Rēzekne after World War I
• Monument for a liberation of Latgale
• Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2008