Book shines a light on Latvian lighthouse art and history

Egils Kaljo | 

Latvijas bākas

Latvijas bākas follows the Latvian coastline from Lithuania to Estonia as it tells the story of lighthouses.

What could be quainter than the lowly lighthouse? Its simple purpose has always been to shine a light out over the coastline to guide ships.

One might think that such a simple construct would not have much scope to be beautiful or to be a work of art—just a basic tower with a light at the top. In this modern era, with radar, sonar, GPS, satellite and many other navigation tools, shining a light over the water would be a relic of a bygone age.

As it turns out, the lighthouse can be a work of art. Realizing this, Ivars Putniņš, president of the Latvian computer services firm Capital, was inspired to publish a book about Latvian lighthouses. Latvijas bākas (Lighthouses of Latvia), published at the end of 2010, is a tribute to these simple yet historical buildings. The book was written by Andris Cekuls, historian of the Rīga Museum of History and Navigation, and there is also full English translation of all texts, provided by Maija Treilone.

Latvia, with a coastline that is more than 500 km long, has many distinctive and impressive lighthouses. The book follows the coastline, beginning with the Pape lighthouse near the border with Lithuania and ends with the Ainaži lighthouse near the border with Estonia.

Though full of beautiful color and black-and-white photographs, it is the detailed and thorough description of each lighthouse that is the most impressive and most valuable aspect of this book. Not only does the reader get the exact latitude and longitude of the lighthouse, but they learn about the lighthouse’s history, with many interesting facts and figures. For example, there are quite a few interesting facts about the historical Cape Kolka lighthouses (this being the northernmost point in the Kurzeme region of Latvia, where the Gulf of Rīga meets the Baltic Sea). The author notes that the origins of the name Kolka may have come from the Liv language, where ku-olka means “expect your death; be ready to die.” A Kolka lighthouse was first referenced in 1341, and there are notes about 10 Swedish ships wrecked in the storm of 1625, as the landowner at the time had not received payment for firewood, so the light had not been lit.

Also interesting is the Baltās baznīcas (White Church) lighthouse, located in the north of Rīga. Originally built in 1786 near the Daugava River, the wooden tower of the church collapsed due to the unstable ground. The church with its light beacon in its tower is unique in Latvia.

The Ģipkas lighthouse, in the Roja municipality in the Kurzeme region, was build by the Soviet Army in 1953 and has a distinct square steel structure.

The Akmeņrags lighthouse, also in Kurzeme, was officially named a historical site by the Latvian government. The lighthouse was repeatedly attacked during World War I, when 46 grenades were thrown at it, of which only 10 exploded. The lighthouse was finally destroyed by the German minesweeper Arcona. It was progressively rebuilt, and only fully renovated in 1957, at which point the Soviet government considered it a first class military lighthouse.

Particularly helpful in the book is the list of lighthouse-related terminology, explaining concepts such as nautical miles, leading light, nautophone and radio lighthouse.

The book is also full of historical photographs and historical document facsimiles, which makes for fascinating reading. What I found particularly interesting was that the lighthouses do not all look alike . They all seem to be unique in design or color or construction, as if each lighthouse has its own personality.

Though the lighthouse itself is a simple construct, this valuable book proves that lighthouses are steeped in history and are well worth reading about. The detailed texts and lush photography in this 152-page book provide a very thorough guide to the many lighthouses of Latvia. Cekuls must be commended for what was clearly a large amount of work to prepare these texts.

Latvijas bākas is not just a historical treasure, but also a pleasure to read and view the many photographs, making clear that the lighthouse has been a valuable aspect of Latvian seafaring for hundreds of years.

Details

Latvijas bākas

Andris Cekuls

Rīga:  Capital,  2010

ISBN 978-9984-49-194-3

Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

Zatlers wants Dombrovskis as PM in coalition with Unity, Harmony Centre

Andris Straumanis | 

The Zatlers’ Reform Party (Zatlera Reformu partija, or ZRP) wants current Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis to form Latvia’s next government, which would be a three-party coalition that would include the center-left and pro-Russian Harmony Centre (Saskaņas centrs).

In a statement released early Oct. 1 in Rīga, the centrist and reform-minded party headed by former President Valdis Zatlers said that its closest ideological partner is Unity (Vienotība), of which Dombrovskis is a member. At the same time, according to the statement, ZRP says that in order to enact the reforms it stands for it needs a broad majority in the Saeima.

“The Latvian state is as strong as Latvia’s people are unified,” according to the statement from the party’s board of directors.

In the Sept. 17 special parliamentary election, Harmony Centre won 31 of the Saeima’s seats. ZRP took 22 and Unity got 20, according to provisional results reported by the Central Election Commission. Together the three parties will control 73 seats in the 11th Saeima.

Whether the coalition will come together as suggested may depend on if Harmony Centre is willing to accept ZRP’s conditions. In discussions with Harmony Centre, according to the ZRP statement, party officials have maintained that one condition is that the fact of Latvia’s occupation by the Soviet Union must be acknowledged. In the past, Harmony Centre officials have been reluctant to do so.

“Harmony Centre must free itself from the spectres of the Interfront and the Communist Party,” according to the ZRP statement, “just as other parties must free themselves of searching for the enemies within.”

Disputes between ethnic Latvians and ethnic Russians served the oligarchs who have robbed Latvia, the statement continued.

“Right now we have a unique opportunity to tear down the wall of ethnic distrust, to create a unified people who are the power in an independent Latvian state,” according to the statement.

The right-wing National Alliance (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!”-“Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”) won 14 seats and has been in discussion with ZRP and Unity about joining the coalition. However, leaders of the National Alliance also have said they would not serve in a government that included Harmony Centre.

If ZRP and Unity were to form a coalition with the National Alliance, then their majority in the Saeima would be narrower—just 56 seats.

The Union of Greens and Farmers (Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība) held on to 13 seats in the special election. Tied to oligarch and Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs, the party was among targets of ZRP. Zatlers has said his party would not serve in a coalition with the Greens and Farmers.

ZRP’s invitation to Dombrovskis to continue as the prime minister means the party has stepped back from its own prime ministerial candidate, Edmunds Sprūdžs. He likely would still get a ministerial post in the new government.

After meetings with represenatives of all parties in the new Saeima, President Andris Bērziņš on Sept. 29 told a press conference that if a coalition is not put together by the end of next week, he will take action. Under Latvia’s constitution, it is up to the president to invite a prime ministerial candidate to form a new government. Once the government is formed, the Saeima must confirm it.

The 11th Saeima, according to the constitution, must meet for the first time no later than a month after its election, in this case by Oct. 17.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Ir jāsaglabā latviešu mākslas nozīmīga vēstures daļa

Lelde Kalmīte | 

Viestarta Aistara akvarelis

Mākslinieks Viestarts Aistars ziedojis Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienībai 38 no saviem akvareļiem, ieskaitot šo gleznu. (Foto: Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienība)

Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienības (PLMS) pirmās divas ceļojošās izstādes (“Tēvu zemei Latvijai” un “Mākslinieks trimdā – latviešu bēgļu māksla, 1944-1950”) iepazīstināja plašāku publiku Latvijā, kā arī ārpus tās, ar PLMS galveno mērķi – dibināt Latvijā mākslas mūzeju un centru, kur tiks saglabāti un eksponēti ārpus Latvijas dzīvojošu latviešu mākslinieku darbi.

Šī gada sākumā PLMS iesniedza Latvijas Republikas Uzņēmuma reģistrā  dokumentus, lai dibinātu Pasaules latviešu mākslas centru (PLMC) Latvijā. Nodibinājuma reģistrācijas apliecība saņēmta 2011. gada 16. martā.

Sākotnēji iecerēto nodomu sadarboties ar Valmieras mūzeju, kas palīdzēja noorganizēt pirmās izstādes ceļošanu pa Latvijas mūzejiem, diemžēl nevarēja īstenot, galvenokārt ekonomijas krizes dēļ. Laimīgā kārtā Cēsis, kas ir vienmēr bijusi viena no nozīmīgākām mākslas un kultūras pilsētām Latvijā, aicina PLMS nodibināt centru Cēsīs. Pēdējā gadā PLMS ir izveidojusi labu sadarbību ar Cēsu pilsētas pašvaldību, vēstures mūzeju un tūrisma biroju. 2010 gadā PLMS pārstāvji vairākas reizes apciemoja Cēsis, lai pētītu iespējas iegādāties piemērotu ēku PLMS nākotnes vajadzībām. Šobrīd apskatām vairākas pieejamās ēkas – pašvaldības, kā arī privātus īpašumus.

Sadarbojamies veiksmīgi ar Cēsu pašvaldību, veidojot lielāku mākslas darbu kollekciju un to novietojot Cēsīs. Kā raksta Cēsu novada domes priekšsēdētāja vietnieks Jānis Rozenbergs: “Cēsu novada pašvaldība ir gandarīta par iespēju glabāt un izstādīt Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienības veidoto kollekciju Cēsu pilsētā…Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienība jau ir ieguldījusi ievērojamu darbu un līdzekļus kollekcijas veidošanā un tās populārizēšanā Latvijā. PLMS sniegtā iespēja iepazīt latviešu trimdas mākslinieku daiļradi ir ļoti būtiska latviešu kopīgā kultūras mantojuma saglabāšanai.”

Pirmās izstādes 98 mākslinieku 106 mākslas darbi, kas apceļoja Latvijas novadu mūzejus, tika 2011. gada janvārī novietoti Cēsu vēstures mūzeja archīva ēkā,  kur PLMS kollekcijai tika iekārtotas divas telpas ar jauniem plauktiem, drošības sistemu, temperatūras kontroli, utt. PLMS sedza izdevumus par telpu izveidi un ik mēnesi maksā komunālos izdevumus. Pašvaldība ziņo, ka šinīs telpās jau tagad ir iespējams novietot vēl 1 000-2 000 mākslas darbus. Tāpēc PLMS padome ir nolēmusi esošo kollekciju palielināt ar jauniegūtajiem mākslas darbiem, kuŗus tuvākā nākotnē sūtīsim uz Cēsīm.

Pēdējā laikā ir noziedoti vairāki pazīstamu mākslinieku darbi, ieskaitot Niklāva Strunkes eļļas glezna, Ēvalda Dajevska gouache glezna, 38 Viestarta Aistara akvareļi, un Veronikas Janelsiņas eļļas glezna. kollekciju bagātinās arī Leldes Ores-Vinteres, Ojāra Šteinera, Silvijas Šteineres-Jēgenas, Vitauta Sīmaņa, Ilgas Rekes, Jāņa Stroda, Ilzes Arājas, Augusta Annusa, Ulda Āboliņa, Arvīda Soduma, Jāņa Kalmītes, Lidijas Dombrovskas Larsenas un citu mākslinieku darbi.

Aicinām latviešu kollekcionārus un māksliniekus ziedot PLMS kollekcijai darbus, kuŗiem jūs vēlaties nodrošināt nākotni kā daļai Latvijas kultūras vai kuŗus jūs vairs nevēlaties vai nevarat paturēt. Saprotam, ka dažreiz ir viegli vai izdevīgi šādus darbus noziedot vietējām baznīcām vai citām organizācijām, bet ir svarīgi padomāt par tālāko nākotni – kur šie darbi atradīsies pēc 10, 20 vai 30 gadiem? PLMS uzskats ir, ka latviešu izcelsmes mākslinieku darbiem piemērotākās mājas ir Latvijā, kur šodienas latviešu publika tos var baudīt un kur tie tiks saglabāti nākošajām paaudzēm. Jauniem latviešu mākslas vēstures pētniekiem ir nepieciešams pētīt oriģinālos darbus (ideālakais – vienuviet), nevis to reprodukcijas, jo ne katrs pētnieks var atļauties ceļot pa ārzemēm, mākslas darbus meklējot. 

Šobrīd PLMS īpaši interesē saņemt to mākslinieku darbus, kuŗi pēc 1930. gadu laikā un 1940. gadu sākumā Latvijā iegūtās izglītības bija spiesti doties trimdā. Zinām, ka vecākās paaudzes izcila mākslinieka darbi bieži vien ir apdraudēti pēc viņa aiziešanas mūžībā. Vairāki trimdā radītie darbi ir parādījušies gan garāžu (garage sale), gan “eBay” izpārdošanās par nieka cenām.

PLMS kollekcijas komitejā ir pārstāvji vairākās valstīs, kuŗi var sniegt jums sīkāku informāciju par darbu ziedošanu un sūtīšanu.

Aicinām katru, kuŗu interesē latviešu diasporas mākslas darbu saglabāšana, ieskatīties PLMS mājas lapā www.latvianart.org vai sazināties ar PLMS pārstāvjiem Austrālijā (Haralds Norītis, e-pasts h.noritis@bigpond.com), Kanādā (Valda Oestreichere, e-pasts james.oestreicher@gmail.com) vai ASV (Lelde Kalmīte, e-pasts lkalmite@latvianart.org). Var arī rakstīt vai zvanīt Leldei Kalmītei, 10830 S. Hale Avenue, Chicago, IL 60643-3342, USA, tālrunis +1 (708) 369-2355.

Lūdzam publikas atbalstu PLMS lielā projekta nozīmīgajam posmam: atīstīt PLMS kollekciju un to novietot Cēsu pilsētā.