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| Introduction to the Latvia Route (English only) |
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| FACTS
ON LATVIA Country name: Republic of Latvia Type: parliamentary democracy Area: 64,589 sqkm Regions: 26 counties Capital: Riga Participation, a.o.: Council of Europe, European Union applicant, OSCE, UN/UNESCO, WTO, Council of the Baltic States Population: 2,351,400 (2002) Language(s): Latvian (official) and Russian Ethnic groups: Latvians 57.6%, Russians 29.6%, Belorussians 4.1%, Ukrainians 2.7%, Poles 2.5%, Lithuanians 1.4%, others 2.1% Religions: Lutheran (primarily), Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Currency: Latvian lat (1 LVL=100 santimi) GDP / capita: US$ 8,300 (2002) |
FACTS
ON RIGA |
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Textile Contact Point | |
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| Facts and more information on Latvia (English only) |
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| Introduction to the Latvia Route Leading project partner: Museum of Decorative Applied Arts, Riga; Ms Velta Raudzepa, Deputy Director Latvia has a long-standing and rich textile history, as proven by archaeological excavations of ethnographic material. Today it also includes the achievements of our professional textile artists. Riga, the Latvian capital, houses the most important museum buildings and textile art treasures collected during different periods. Most of the Latvian stations are located in historical buildings around Riga. The Museum of Applied Arts, the Textile Contact Point, is situated in the former Church of St. George, built in the Romanesque style in 1204 and the oldest surviving building in Riga. The Latvian Museum of History is located in Riga Castle, an architectural monument dating from the 14th century whose foundation stone was laid in 1330 and whose oldest part was built in the Romanesque style. Planned by the architect K. Neubürger, the Museum of City History and Navigation was built in 1899 in the neo-Romanesque style. The Latvian Academy of Art was constructed by the architect W.L.N. Bockslaff in a neo-Gothic style in 1905. The "Sena Klets" Folk Art Centre is located in the building of the Latvian Society, built in 1908 in a neo-Classic style based on plans by the architect E. Pole and reconstructed in 1938 by the architect E. Laube. It is worth noting that the faÁade of the building is decorated with a fresco entitled "Beauty. Mind. Power" by J. Rozentals, a famous Latvian painter. The Latvian textile route is designed to show the historic heritage of textiles, various textile techniques and their applications today. Latvia is rich in craft studios that endeavour to preserve traditional weaving techniques and maintain regional costume making traditions. In addition, the route aims to point out major educational institutions all over Latvia that help advance the status of professional textile artists. Moreover, it is supposed to show the development and current situation of Latvian textile art, which saw its beginnings in the late 19th century and developed when professional artists widely designed interiors during the Twenties and Thirties. Mention must be made of the positive changes that took place in the field from 1961 onwards, the year when the Textile Art Department of the Latvian Academy of Art was founded; of the Seventies and Eighties - the "golden years" of large-format figurative tapestries - and the wide-spread fibre art of the Nineties and the early part of this millenium. Another noteworthy building is Rundale Palace, designed by the famous architect F.B. Rastrelli and built between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence for the Duke of Curland, Ernst Johann Biron. Today it is a venue for the display of some historical as well as contemporary tapestries and, above all, a textile restoration and conservation centre. The route also intends to show the educational options provided by museums and workshops for both children and adults. Finally several companies that manufacture linen, linen fibre, glass and wool fibre as well as textiles, knitted fabrics and clothing should be mentioned, together with some studios that produce hand-knitted goods.  |
| The routes are presented in English; the description of the stations is also in other languages |
| Die Hauptsprache der Routen ist englisch; Beschreibungen der einzelnen Stationen sind auch in deutsch |
| La langue dominante est l'anglais; la description de chaque station est en francais aussi |
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